SIMA-SIMAGENA 2013: MAKE WAY FOR WORKPLACE HEALTH AND SAFETY

The 75th SIMA-SIMAGENA International Agri-Business Show will be held from 24-28 February 2013 at the Paris-Nord Villepinte Exhibition Centre. This not-to-be-missed gettogether for the entire sector will devote a number of special events and activities to workplace health and safety. Indeed, working conditions for salaried and contracted workers in the agricultural and livestock sector represent a major challenge for all stakeholders. Even though there has been a slow and steady decline in total loss experience, the agricultural sector still has frequency and severity rates for workplace accidents comparable to those in the construction and public works sector and, in certain areas, figures are two or three times higher (Source: www.agriculture.gouv.fr).

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The agricultural equipment sector, for its part, is placing an ever higher priority on safety by developing more productive and technologically advanced machines that fully comply with new requirements in terms of environmental protection, comfort and safety. These numerous innovations are being spotlighted by the 2013 SIMA Innovation Awards where one of the main trends is the incorporation of safety requirements into the redesign of machinery. The five-day show will be punctuated by numerous activities and events spotlighting workplace health and safety, including technical seminars and practical workshops, a tour itinerary focused on health and safety organized by the MSA (Mutualité Sociale Agricole), and an Agricultural Best Practices area.

Did you know ...?

... that the most frequent causes of death in the agricultural sector are:

• Transport accidents (people crushed by vehicles or trapped in overturned vehicles);
• Falls (from trees, roofs, etc.);
• Falling objects or contact with moving objects (machinery, buildings, bales, tree trunks, etc.);
• Drowning (in water tanks, slurry tanks, grain silos, etc.);
• Animal handling (people attacked or crushed by animals, zoonotic diseases, etc.);
• Contact with machines (unprotected mobile parts);
• Entrapment (under collapsed structures);
• Electrocution.

Source: A non–binding guide to best practice with a view to improving the application of related directives on protecting health and safety of workers in agriculture, livestock farming, horticulture and forestry (Published by the European Commission).

The 2013 SIMA Innovation Awards spotlight safety!

For over 80 years, SIMA has been singling out the show’s most innovative achievements in technology, materials, machinery, products and services for special recognition. A major trend of the 2013 innovation rankings is the incorporation of safety requirements into the redesign of machinery. This trend can be discovered through a number of projects awarded medals under the watchful eye of SIMA’s technology consultants Gilbert Grenier, Frédéric Vigier and René Autellet.

Machine safety is covered by regulatory guidelines whose primary objective is to protect operators. Yet these regulations are often seen as a nuisance by machine operators. However, if these requirements are taken into account during the design stage, they can combine a high level of safety with ease of use.

For example, New Holland (Silver Medal) has developed highly effective easy-to-open protective covers for its new innovatively designed “Big Baler”, providing safe access to potentially dangerous parts and improved safety without dedicated tools.

Claas (Silver Medal) has completely redesigned the cooling and ventilation systems used on its combine harvesters. This newly designed “cooling and anticlogging system for combine harvesters” ensures that the engine is efficiently cooled while preventing the build-up of dust. Central to this innovation was the desire to eliminate the risk of fire breaking out in the engine compartment.

When operating on very rough terrain, the major risk is vehicle rollover. Dario Développement (Special mention) factored this risk into the design of its electrical transmission "Dargreen 45H”, a radiocontrolled hybrid brush clearing vehicle. Users can operate these vehicles on very steep slopes without running the risk of the machine overturning. The use of electric motors also reduces the risk of pollution in the event of vehicle rollover.

Dangreville (Special mention), has focused on the problem of tractors losing grip when emptying manure spreaders. As the spreader empties, there is less weight bearing down on the tractor’s rear wheels with a risk of rocking. To compensate for this gradual loss of adherence, the company has developed an automated “Easy Control” weight transfer system for manure spreaders on the tractor to offset the shifting of the manure in the spreader’s box.

Events for visitors...

- Technical talks (Agora SIMA - Mezzanine level - Hall 3).

A conference organized by IRSTEA will address the topic of “Health and safety for users of farming equipment: what research is doing for farmers”. It will be held on Tuesday 26 February 2013 from 9 am to 12:30 pm
The following topics will be covered:

• Vehicle overturns in the natural environment (tools, methods and results for passive and active safety);
• Machinery design and redesign: application to agricultural equipment or to certain agricultural equipment components (e.g. tractor-implement link, cleaning of manure spreaders, etc.);
• Protective equipment (effectiveness of tractor cabs and self-propelled machinery as protection when spraying crop protection products).

- Practical workshops (Hall 3) will spotlight sustainable development (methanization and the environment). On Wednesday 27 February 2013 at 11:30 am, a practical workshop organized by TRAME will focus on “Methanization on farms: the importance of safety management”.

Presentations in French and English

- Workplace health and safety tour itinerary

At its stand (in Hall 5a), MSA will offer a marked-off itinerary of special information and events on the topic of workplace health and safety (prevention of musculoskeletal disorders, driver’s seat vibrations, preventive measures in the use of phytosanitary products, agricultural vehicle traffic etc.). A “prevention and innovation” tour itinerary will be provided for four classes of agricultural students. The program includes a guided tour of the major innovations at SIMA 2013, with a stop at the Agricultural Best Practices area.

- Agricultural Best Practices area (Hall 5a – Stand H52)

This area will feature twelve partners (professional organizations, technical and research institutions, public agencies, agro-supply federations, and others) whose mission is to provide visitors with information, tips and solutions on agricultural best practices. Among them, awareness of workplace health and safety is a top priority! At the stand, visitors will learn about all the efforts already made or underway towards creating an agricultural sesector that is more
respectful of the environment and more conducive to personal safety.

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