There are a number of reasons why a daily inspection of farm machinery is important, especially in peak times such as planting and harvest.
Firstly, as an employer, farmers have an obligation to ensure the machinery their employees are operating is safe to be doing so. Defective machinery has the potential to endanger lives. In the event of an accident involving machinery, work health and safety authorities will want access to maintenance records, which should include daily maintenance checks.
Secondly, daily inspections can help to protect the large investment made in farm machinery by farmers across the world.
In Australia alone, farmers spend over a billion dollars annually on new farm machinery. This is an investment worth maintaining to ensure tractors and other equipment operate at peak performance and maintain resale value.
So, for reasons of operator safety and good management, daily inspections are integral.
To help make this task as easy as possible, a Daily Inspection feature has been built into the Farm Service Manager app.
The feature provides a checklist for operators to complete prior to starting the machine, including fluid levels, wheel and tire checks, checks for leaks and damage and the general condition of the machine.
It then moves onto items to check when the machine is started, such as fuel level, oil pressure, and mileage or hours. The App can use this data from the odometer or hour meter to count down to the next service interval. For example, If a tractor had a service interval of 200 hours, the operator can set a notification for service 10 or 20 hours out from the next service. This is made possible with the daily inspection inputs from the operator, with out the need for expensive telemetry.
The app also allows operators to make any notes relevant to the inspection and to record adjustments, replacements and greasing. Any issues can be captured in the app and a full report emailed to the farm owner, manager, or member of a team. The app also takes a GPS reading of where the operator is at the time of the inspection, allowing the owner or manager to have peace of mind that the equipment is being used safely and appropriately.
Download the app and check out the free demo at the App Store or Google Play.