Harvest Machinery Claims and how to avoid them
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Farmers & Mercantile have contributed to a number of articles in the farming press on this subject and our aim here is to summarise our advice and experience.
We are approaching this area as much from a practical farming viewpoint as from a farm insurance point of view.
Our aim is to minimise downtime at harvest in respect of accidents, however, please be assured that if a claim does occur we will ensure it is dealt with as swiftly as possible in order to minimise disruption to your business.
The following is a list of the 10 most Common Claims seen at Harvest Time. Should you wish to discuss anything please call us on 01604 782 782.
- Tractor and trailer accidents when turning right across a road into a field - These accidents tend to be caused by an impatient car or van driver overtaking a line of traffic in front and hitting the tractor and trailer as they are turning into the field. The downtime and hassle involved can be considerable. One tip is to make sure you get full names and contact details of any witnesses who will confirm that the tractor and trailer lights were working, and that the accident was the fault of the car/van driver.
- make sure lights and flashing beacons are working
- indicator lights on top of tractor cab and top of trailer tailgate are an improvement
- clean lights and check them daily
- ensure drivers, especially casuals, are aware of risk
- consider sign on roadside verge 200 yards before field – "Caution tractors turning right"
- ensure tractor mirrors are correctly set up and clean
- Foreign objects damaging combine header auger, drum, concave and rotor - Very common and nearly always happen on first 2-3 runs round headland
- go slower and be especially vigilant close to trees/woodside, adjacent to roads, urban areas and railway tracks
- commonly caused by tree branches, rubbish thrown from road, etc.
- consider getting the trailer driver to walk around the headland or any problem areas as the combine is being set up
- Malicious Damage/Theft of machinery parked overnight in fields - Generally involves smashing of window glass, theft of tools, theft of diesel from the machine, theft of stereo units. Downtime involved in getting replacement glass, repairing damaged fuel pipes, etc. can be considerable.
Precautions
- take machine home
- park in neighbour’s yard
- park out of sight and as far away from roads as possible
- do not leave keys in vehicle
- Combine Fires - Common causes are
- minor oil or diesel leaks which then ignite when they come into contact with a high temperature object such as the turbocharger or exhaust manifold
- build up of dust and debris around engine compartment; very important to blow off regularly with compressor
Precautions:
- consider Flextinguisher. This is an automatic fire extinguisher system generally covering the engine bay of the combine. System is simple and easy to fit at a cost of no more than £500-£600. We do not understand why the combine manufacturers will not fit them as standard.
- carry CO2 and water extinguishers on combine
- maintain good servicing and cleaning
- use a compressor on a daily basis to avoid build up of dust and debris
- tow the combine header with a tractor if at all possible. It is a nightmare trying to manoeuvre a 25-35 ft header behind a combine off a busy road into a field. Using a tractor often damages less crop
- Baler Fires - Commonly caused by overheating or failed bearings, hydraulic oil leaks and build up of dust and debris. On stony/flinty ground pick-ups set too low can also cause sparks.
- major precautions are routine maintenance and use of a compressor to blow off dust and debris on a daily basis
- If a large baler you will need to notify us if the value is over £30,000 as the standard implement cover is only up to £30,000.
- Straw Stack Fires - These are usually caused by arson and are a major risk the closer they are situated to roads and urban areas.
Precautions:
- do not put all straw in one big heap; separate into smaller heaps
- try and site stacks in more rural areas away from towns, villages, roads, etc.
- never park machinery such as balers, tractors, telehandlers next to the stack as it will also be destroyed if the straw is fired
- Drier Fires - Tend to be more common in mobile driers, but also happen with fixed batch and continuous flow driers. Both types of drier fires are also more common when drying down from high moisture contents, i.e. 20%+ and where drying dirty or dusty crops especially peas and beans. In our experience the most common cause of fires on mobile driers has been failure of the drive belt to the main recirculating auger; the crop is then heated until it catches fire. Belt tension needs checking regularly and resist the temptation to leave the drier to run on its own for too long. With fixed driers the main risk again seems to stem from build up of dust and debris which generally needs removing on a daily basis.
- Theft of Diesel Bowsers and Land Rovers/Pick-ups - This commonly occurs when bowsers and pick-ups are left in the field during the day as the harvesting team moves off elsewhere. If you have to leave a bowser and pick-up in the field try and make sure it is out of sight or away from the road, and of course don’t forget to lock it!
- Telehandler Fires - These are commonly caused by dust and debris being sucked up into the radiator; the machine then overheating causing electrical faults that result in a fire. This is especially common when the telehandler is also used for hauling bale trailers at harvest time.
Precautions:
- use a compressor to blow away dust and debris on a daily basis
- if the water temperature gauge starts to climb stop the machine and investigate the cause
- Pipes and Cables Damage - Two different types
- Above ground – usually caused by telehandler booms or combine unloading augers coming into contact or in close proximity to electric pylons or telegraph poles. There is a major electrocution risk here and the main advice is always do not attempt to leave the machine as electrocution could then result.
- Below ground – mainly with deep cultivations such as mole-ploughing and subsoiling. Make sure you are aware of the location of any pipes and cables before commencing work. Contact the utility companies for a map to be certain.
Other Top Tips
- Golden Rules
- never work on machine with engine running
- take a torch when operating at night even with modern lighting on machines. If you have a breakdown it’s nearly always in an area with no lights.
- grain trailer drivers – make it their responsibility to go and help the combine driver every time he has to stop the machine for a problem
- try and move machinery between fields outside of morning and early evening rush hours in busy area
- before harvest think of ways of minimising combine movements on road and taking header on and off, i.e. can you widen gateways, gaps in hedges, etc. to avoid going on the road?
- cut vegetation back around gateways to give better vision
- put stone down in uneven/wet gateways to avoid mud on the road
- ensure casual/new drivers have maps of where fields are. Check licences, put them through a basic tractor driving test in front of you so that they prove they know how to hitch and unhitch a grain trailer; how to reverse around a corner etc. Too many people claim to be able to do a job they cannot!
- every 4 hours or so stop and spend 5 minutes walking round your machine. It is surprising how many times you find a bolt that has worked loose, a hydraulic hose chafing or a chain that has become slack. This can often prevent breakdowns or accidents
Harvest Claims Procedures
We fully realise that if you have an event that is likely to result in an insurance claim your first priority will be to get the machine repaired and back into action. If you can it is always helpful to notify us immediately of the potential claim (outside office hours there is always a contact mobile phone number on our answerphone), go ahead and have the repairs done but retain the damaged parts for inspection by insurers as well as retaining any foreign object that may have caused the problem. Photographs of the damage can also be useful. If in any doubt, please contact us.
Dealing with claims during harvest is one of the major reasons for insuring with Famers + Mercantile we expect to provide a swift and efficient service to enable you to get back in the field.
Should you wish to discuss anything that you've read, please call us on 01604 782 782.