Keep safe this harvest

Grain Producers SA chief executive officer Darren Arney said harvest could be a busy time, with 6.5 million tonnes of grain going to delivery points across an eight-week period.

"There is some on rail but more is moving onto roads," he said.

"We all need to share that road."

A Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure spokesperson said those operating heavy vehicles needed to take extra caution and urged other road users to be vigilant.

"Heavy vehicle traffic will increase during harvest conditions, and you might even come across a wide or slow moving vehicle," the spokesperson said.

The department said it was up to the heavy vehicle users to ensure they complied with all conditions of their exemption.The spokesperson said it was also important to comply with regular road rules.

"The harvest season puts pressures on everyone. Farmers should be aware of their own fatigue levels and never drive a vehicle if they are too tired to do so," the spokesperson said.

"Employers need to be aware that drivers can be fatigued even when they are complying with the requirements of work and rest required for heavy vehicles, and take steps to access and mitigate fatigue in drivers of their vehicles.

"Our on-road officers will be vigilant and make sure everyone is doing the right thing; there can be real safety concerns if some of these vehicles are on the wrong roads."

GPSA has released two information sheets on its website reminding growers of the rules which Mr Arney said was a "quick check" to ensure safety.

"There are some farmers that are effectively professional truck drivers and some are seasonal, this is a quick check to make sure everyone is compliant," he said.

The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator website is another source of information on road transport laws, particularly for oversize, over mass and agricultural vehicles.

The SA Country Fire Service has also released a checklist to prevent or reduce harvester fires.

These include a reminder on the four factors that contribute to fires - relative humidity, ambient temperature, wind and crop type and conditions, and avoiding accumulation of flammable material.