The days are shorter, the breeze is a bit cooler and cornfields throughout O'Brien and Clay counties are starting to turn that special shade of gold. It's harvest season once again, and with its arrival comes certain precautions for both area travelers and local farmers alike.

Businesses and ag groups just marked the 79th annual National Farm Safety and Health Week Sept. 18-24. Specific emphasis is placed on raising awareness about the many dangers farmers face in their day-to-day jobs, and the numbers certainly reinforce those claims. Agriculture has the highest annual death rate per 100,000 workers in the nation and surpasses all the other industries including mining, construction and manufacturing. It is typically more than five times higher than the average death rate for all industries combined and in 2019 alone, there were 573 fatalities, or an equivalent of 23.1 deaths per 100,000 workers.

In the face of such grim statistics, the Iowa Farm Safety Council has released a helpful list of tips for farmers this harvest season. The council suggests: Cautiously approaching field adjustments or repairs; taking precautions to avoid slips and falls; making smart decisions while assigning tasks to youth; using and maintaining the slow moving vehicle emblem correctly; and retrofitting tractors with rollover protective structures. It's also important to get adequate sleep and nutrition, because maintaining a balanced diet and getting quality sleep are essential to keeping you going during harvest. They might seem like no-brainers, but utilizing these tips could go a long way as we charge into the 2022 harvest season.

Of course, farm safety is a two-way street. Drivers on rural highways and gravel roads should take extra precaution when traveling around northwest Iowa. Be conscious of slow-moving vehicles like tractors, combines and semis. Always give them space and slow down when approaching these vehicles, because accidents can happen in the blink of an eye. Cars and small trucks don't match up favorably with huge farm equipment. And for everyone's sake, put down that cell phone and look at the road!

Use extra caution while you're in the fields this fall and travel safely. Harvest season is a busy and exciting time, and it's easy to get distracted. Be alert, drive smart and be careful out there. But most of all, have a safe and bountiful harvest – tragedy always strikes when you least expect it.