New farm equipment safety toolkit available free online

The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) has introduced a free online safety toolkit to promote safety awareness, education, and training for operators of off-highway equipment used in agriculture, along with construction, utility, mining, and forestry. After completing a brief registration, users are directed to a set of materials tailored to their needs. 

“The AEM Safety Materials Program has been in existence for more than 50 years,” says Jaime Vos, senior director of the AEM Safety Materials Program. “We realized that our materials were not only being purchased by our members, but they were also bought by the general public. We received many inquiries over the years from businesses and trade schools looking for educational resources as well, and we realized that we could repurpose our materials online to provide greater safety awareness to the general public.” 

Access to the toolkit is free, which includes articles and e-manuals that can be downloaded. The information in the toolkit is organized not only by industry but also by the role a person has within the industry – for example, equipment operator, business owner, or safety director.

Resources include:

•  Digital Safety Manuals – Documents vetted by industry committees that provide insights into best practices. These are designed to complement, not replace, original OEM documentation or printed safety manuals, which may be required in the machine. 
• Action Plans – Interactive learning modules sourced from AEM safety manuals. These guide users through on-site equipment best practices. 
• Articles – News, best practices, and industry insights pulled from AEM's repository of articles, and are updated regularly. 
• Training Resources – Downloadable training slides, educational materials, and AEM's safety pictorial database, for use in local training sessions.  

“Four specific areas that come to mind when thinking about the agricultural sector are ag tractors, ag sprayers, skid steers, and industrial ag mowers,” Vos says. “We also have an ag lighting and marking guide that is very popular, along with lockout tags, repair and maintenance safety videos, and ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel bulletins.”

AEM also offers a number of safety manuals, decals, and training videos for purchase at safetymaterials.org