Harvest

Grain Harvesting Code of Practice

Fires during harvest can be costly to grain growers, their neighbours and the community. A voluntary code of practice is available to help farmers make their own decision on when it is safe to go reaping.

The key points to reduce crop fire risk include:

• Stop harvest when the local actual (not forecast) Grassland Fire Danger Index exceeds 35.
• Before harvest, establish a minimum 4-metre fire break around the boundary of crops or paddocks to be reaped.
• Keep crop residues on machines to a minimum, particularly engines, exhausts or brakes.
• Regularly maintain machinery before and during harvest, particularly wearing parts and bearing.
• Carry the prescribed equipment – such as water, extinguisher and a shovel – and have immediate access to a UHF CB radio or mobile phone.
• Keep a farm fire fighting unit in the paddock being harvested.

Resources

• View the Grain Harvesting Code of Practice from the CFS website (scroll down to GHCOP)
• View the GRDC’s Reducing Harvester Fire Risk Back Pocket Guide
• View the CFS Farm Fire Safety Page
• View the Farm Fire Unit Guidelines (downloadable file; video also available)

Burning – post-harvest and outside the fire danger season

In April 2015, the Country Fire Service, Primary Producers SA, GPSA and PIRSA adopted a new Broadacre Burning Code of Practice. The code outlines how to plan a burn, safe burning techniques, risks, and a burn plan check list.

In addition, the SA Government and CFS adopted a new code of practice on vegetation pile burning after numerous fires in recent years. The code addresses the main cause of these fires - a lack of planning and preparation and inappropriate burning techniques for the environment in which it is conducted.

Resources

• Download the SA CFS Broadacre Burning Code of Practice
• Download the SA CFS Vegetation Pile Burning Code of Practice