A serious incident near Lake Cargelligo just after midnight yesterday resulted in a 45-year-old man having his left arm amputated in a grain harvester.
In a separate incident, paramedics treated a 22-year-old man who suffered burns to his right arm and leg after his ute caught fire in a wheat paddock at Moree on November 24.
NSW Ambulance Superintendent Brad Porter said each year paramedics attend patients who have been injured during the harvest.
“These accidents are happening due to a few aspects, one being that people are working extremely long hours; they’re working late into the night and in the dark,” Superintendent Porter said.
He added that in some case the patients were itinerant workers who were not completely familiar with the vehicles and machinery they were operating.
“This can include massive harvesters, road train trucks, and tractors with big chaser bins that are pulling 40 tonnes of grain – equipment that requires a high level of skill to operate.
“These key aspects are leading to some high-risk situations where people have the potential to be maimed and critically injured.”
Superintendent Porter urged workers to be fully briefed before operating heavy machinery, and to also be mindful of fatigue and personal safety.
“We appreciate the demands involved at harvest time, but a few safety checks and suitable education will ensure workers return home safely to their families each day and that they are in a position to return for future harvests.”
