Preventing Entanglements on the Farm Starts with Smart Safety Habits

Andre Harpe is chair of Canadian Canola Growers Association (CCGA) and a third-generation farmer with approximately 5,000 acres of canola, barley, and grass seed near Valhalla Centre, Alberta. After an entanglement incident on his farm several years ago, Harpe is mindful of how quickly one can occur.

“Having experienced that one accident on my farm, and seeing other neighbours being involved in entanglements, it happens so fast,” says Harpe, noting that the worker on his farm who was injured made a full recovery and returned to work, but that the situation could have much worse. 

“You may think you’re being careful but it just takes one misstep or that one piece of clothing that you didn’t think was loose. It doesn’t take a lot of time for there to be a devastating outcome, and then all of a sudden, it’s happened and there’s no going back.”

While there have been significant safety improvements with grain handling equipment over the last several decades, a key factor for why entanglements continue to be an issue is due to older equipment still in use. 

“Agricultural equipment stays in use for a long time. Something may have been great technology 50 years ago, but it’s long since been passed. It might run fine, but there are a lot of safety concerns with the old equipment, and people need to be mindful of that,” Senneff says. “I would say besides rollovers with old tractors, the next issue is entanglements in old crop harvesting equipment.”

However, despite significant safety design advancements, such as seat sensor systems, which have helped mitigate the risk of entanglement with much modern farm equipment, Senneff explains that one type of machinery that continues to be a concern for entanglements is augers.

“Entanglements with augers have always been a problem,” Senneff explains, giving the example of a grain bin sweep that people may think they can easily jump over, only to become entangled.

Harpe echoes concerns about augers. He says that after the entanglement incident on his farm he has opted for conveyors instead of augers.

“Obviously, you don’t want to see that happen again, and we’ve also had neighbours who have been entangled quite badly,” says Harpe. “So, if I have to get new equipment or change something, I go to conveyors instead because they are much safer.”

Harpe points out that, in addition to being safer than augers, conveyors are also quieter, making them less hazardous to a person’s hearing. 

“We typically think of incidents with augers involving limbs and getting caught in it, and we don’t often think about the sound and how loud they are and how much damage they can do to your hearing. That is something we have to mitigate as well,” Harpe explains.

Preventing entanglements means putting safety first

Though there are numerous ways entanglements can occur, Senneff says the root cause is often operator error. He gives the example of an incident involving farmer who was trying to apply belt dressing while the combine was running and the belts were turning. Senneff says the farmer reached between a belt and lost his arm.

“That incident would not have occurred if he had just shut the engine off. It would never have happened. It’s a small step that takes no time and can make all the difference,” explains Senneff, adding that it’s also important to ensure there is no residual power to equipment and to use a lockout/tagout procedure where appropriate to safeguard against equipment being accidentally turned on during maintenance.

And when it comes to maintenance, another risk of entanglement can occur when shields and guards are not replaced when damaged or put back after removal for repairs. 

“It’s important to remember that equipment designers go to great lengths to develop products that help farmers and provide as much protection as they can. There’s a lot of thought that goes into the design of equipment today and every part is there for a specific reason,” explains Senneff. 

“If a shield is missing or broken, go to your dealer for a replacement or find one in a salvage yard, but make an effort to replace shields when needed.”

Though many often joke that farmers are “stuck in their ways,” Harpe says that does not excuse not making safety a priority and protecting the well-being of everyone on a farm.

“Nobody starts their day thinking that they are going to be in an accident,” Harpe says.

 “Any accident that happens on a farm is unfortunate and no one wants it to happen, which is why we need to learn from accidents and make an effort to prevent them, because it’s alarming how quickly something can change a life forever.”

About Canadian Agricultural Safety Week
Every year, the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association raises awareness about the importance of farm safety with the Canadian Agricultural Safety Week (CASW) campaign, which occurs during the third week of March. In 2026, CASW takes place March 15-21 and is sponsored by Syngenta Canada, CN, Canadian Canola Growers Association, and Parrish & Heimbecker. More information is available at agsafetyweek.ca.

About the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association
The Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA) is a national, non-profit organization dedicated to improving the health and safety of farmers, their families and agricultural workers. CASA is funded in part by the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership. For more information, visit casa-acsa.ca.