NEWS for North Dakotans
Agriculture Communication, North Dakota State University
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo, ND 58105-5665

August 20, 1998

A Safe Harvest Needs Time Management

With the constant pressure to get the crop into the bin, harvest is a time of stress, anxiety and worry. But there are ways to make harvest season less taxing, according to a North Dakota State University agricultural safety specialist.

"People can manage stress through rest, change, nutrition and other strategies," notes George Maher of the NDSU Extension Service. "Some of these strategies take a little time, but they can improve your productivity and it's nothing compared to the time, cost and pain associated with a stress-related injury."

Maher notes that humans need a break every two hours. Fifteen minutes of rest will be refreshing and restore some of the productivity that was lost in the previous hours of continuous work. Schedule a fifteen minute break for every two hours you work. Taking a break whenever there are a few minutes is not enough, it does not have the same effect as a scheduled break. And a scheduled break has a much stronger effect than the unscheduled one. When a break is scheduled, it is anticipated, and this enhances the enjoyment and rest.

Rotating responsibilities among workers helps keep you alert and your senses sharp, Maher says. Repetitive work leads to a dulling of the senses and a slowing of reaction time. That can result in accidents. Rotating tasks means others will need to be trained in the jobs you typically handle. As a result, tasks can be completed and work can continue when members of the work crew are absent. That strategy also allows you, as a manager, to be able to see everything that is done and be able to make improvements.

Even during busy times such as the harvest it is important to get enough sleep, Maher says. Humans need between six and eight hours of sleep every 24 hours. The amount of sleep varies from one person to the next because of differences in age, physical condition, level of activity, and individual metabolism. People who are stressed and short on sleep become fatigued more rapidly, endangering themselves and others.

Nutrition is also important, Maher notes. "It is a common belief that high sugar-content foods are good for fighting off fatigue, but that effect is for youth only. Recent studies show that foods high in sugar will actually increase drowsiness in adults. Protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals are vitally needed for the long haul. Mental sharpness as well as muscle tone can be decreased within a few days of poorly balanced meals. A balanced diet is even more necessary when the body is stressed at high levels of work.

"Drugs, alcohol, and tobacco can also have a powerful effect on performance under stress," Maher notes.

Studies show that smoking decreases the capacity to work. Carbon monoxide in the smoke reduces the blood's ability to carry oxygen to muscles where it is needed. Smokers may claim that smoking will give them a boost but actually they have a reduced work capacity right after smoking because of the more intense levels of carbon monoxide in their lungs and bloodstream.

Alcohol has no place in the work area, Maher says. As the amount of alcohol in the blood goes up, performance goes down. Some individuals claim that they are mentally sharper after consuming a small amount of alcohol, but studies show that performance is adversely affected. The thinking process is clouded and some brain cells are actually destroyed by alcohol consumption.

During the crop year many types of dust can be very irritating to workers. There are over-the-counter and prescription medications that will soothe the irritations. "But keep in mind that they can also affect work performance," Maher says. "These medications need to be avoided. Look at their labels to see when their use is to be avoided." Many of these drugs are antihistamines and will cause drowsiness, sleepiness, and lowered reflexesthree reactions that can be deadly when working around machinery. If medical relief is needed from dust problems consider respirators or other improvements to the work environment that could help alleviate the problems without the medications, Maher advises.

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Source: George Maher (701) 231-8288

Editor: Tom Jirik (701) 231-9629