If you’re getting your planter ready to roll, good luck.

This is a great time of year. But this year it’s even more meaningful considering the current situation with COVID-19. We need hope. Farmers need hope. A good growing season will help calm some of the anxiety and fears permeating throughout farm country.

But before you go out, make sure you’re safe. And I’m not just talking about staying safe from COVID-19. I’m talking about the machinery.

Last year, 27 farm fatalities were reported in Pennsylvania, up from 23 farm fatalities in 2018 but down from 30 farm fatalities in 2017.

This information comes from the Pennsylvania Farm Fatal Injury Summary, a yearly report that’s compiled by Penn State through death certificates from the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s Office of Vital Statistics; police and coroner investigative reports; newspaper and media clippings; and reports of farm-related incidents by county agricultural and Extension educators, as well as rural volunteer emergency medical service providers.

I read the 2019 report and the injuries ran the gamut, from someone getting pinned under a combine harvester to someone getting killed by a mower.

Skid steer loaders saw three fatalities.

One person was attacked and killed by a bull while checking an oil and gas well.

There were also a couple of reports of people falling off barn roofs and a person who fell to their death from a hay loft.

But most of the accidents involved tractors or other large machinery. People are still dying from overturned tractors even though there have been programs to help farmers get rollover protection structures on their tractors for several years.

Luckily, there is help available if you need to upgrade your equipment’s safety.

If you don’t know about the National ROPS Rebate Program — it was started in New York state in 2006 — and you need a ROPS for your tractor, visit rops4u.org. You could be eligible for rebates to cover approximately 70% of the cost of purchasing and installing a ROPS kit. The rebate covers the ROPS kit (rollbar and seatbelt), shipping and professional installation, if desired.

There is no guarantee that funding is available right now. But it doesn’t hurt to get your name on the list in case funding comes back.

Getting too close to a PTO shaft is another danger to look out for. If you need a PTO shaft shield guard, the New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health has a PTO shield program featuring the Bare-Co Universal Fit PTO Shield.

The shield kits start at $59 for small-diameter shields and $77 for large-diameter shields.

The shields are available in three lengths: short shields cover drivelines up to 5 feet, midlength shields cover up to 7 feet and long-length shields cover up to 10 feet.

To determine your length, measure from bearing groove to bearing groove. An assortment of bearings are included with each shield.

I know it’s busy out there and you’re ready to get moving. But do so safely. There is enough stress in the world right now. Don’t risk hurting yourself and putting more your stress on your family.