As Farm Safety Week shines a spotlight on safer practices across the industry, one forage specialist is urging farmers to rethink how they wrap their round bales, not just for feed quality, but also for safety.
Lloyd Dawson, sales director at Silotite, explained that small changes can easily be made to make every day seasonal jobs safer and more efficient.
“Handling round bales might seem like second nature to most farmers and contractors, but it’s exactly these familiar tasks where complacency creeps in, increasing the risk of serious injury,” he says.
“We’ve seen how switching from traditional net wrap to net replacement film (NRF), such as Baletite, can significantly reduce those risks.
“Using film rather than net means bales can be more easily opened with a bale slice without the operator leaving the cab.”
When using NRF there is no need to climb out or get under the bale to remove netting, which is known to be one of the riskiest manoeuvres when handling up to a tonne of baled silage, particularly when working alone.
This also means there is less waste as the forage does not get caught in the netting, and the film is fully recyclable.
Beyond this, Mr Dawson said it makes bale stacking safer too.
“Bales bound and wrapped with film are more compact and uniform, which also helps when transporting and stacking,” he added.
Safe stacking is crucial to prevent collapses that can cause serious injury or damage.
“When stacking round bales, we always recommend following HSE guidance: stack on level ground, no higher than three bales high and always use a stacking pattern that interlocks each layer to prevent movement,” explained Mr Dawson.
“The consistency and shape of a film-bound bale make this far easier to achieve.”
With farming consistently ranking among the most dangerous professions in the UK, small changes to routine tasks can make a big difference.
Using NRF not only improves forage quality and reduces waste, but also supports safer working practices, from the field to feed out.
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