Ministry of Emergency Situations warns!

FIRE SAFETY MEASURES DURING THE GRAIN HARVEST Today grain supply is one of the most important fields of economy. It is no coincidence that the Head of State and Government have accepted vital decisions on increasing the supply of grain, food provision of people recently. The fire safety of this strategically important product should be center of attraction in solving the tasks related to the supply of grain, all necessary measures on fire safety should be carried out. Firstly it should be noted that fire protection of agricultural products should be the main duty not only of the fire protection officers, but also all workers, heads of farm, tractor drivers, combine harvester, machine operators, mechanicians, drivers and etc. working in the field of agriculture, including farm. Be noted in particular that each head of the farm is responsible for as a responsible person for fire safety of subordinate facilities regardless of the form of ownership. Heads of farm should ensure full compliance with fire safety rules from starting haymaking and grain harvest to the end; carry out appropriate awareness-raising activities among agricultural workers. Regardless of the form of the ownership all heads of farm and each person participating in the harvest should prepare agricultural equipment against fire, ensure primary fire extinguisher before starting grain and haymaking. All equipment being used in harvest should be maintained for fire before starting work and released to the area after the act on their compliance with fire safety requirements is drawn up. Discharge pipes of all equipment and engine being used in harvest should be provided with spark arresters. Any damages should not be on the intermediate layers of merger parts and discharge pipes of collectors. Plow tractor should be definitely provided with spark arresters if autumn plowing is carried out near unharvested grain crops at the same time as harvesting. Use of uncoated (without capote) or open (capote) equipment should not be allowed in order to prevent straw products from falling into the outlet manifold of the engine. Batteries of combine powered by an engine battery, tractors and self-propelled agricultural machinery should be provided with switch that separates from the operators, electrical wiring in equipment should be reliably insulated, joints should be reinforced, as well as protected from friction and mechanical damage. Wires should be maintained with elastic and plasma pipes where wires pass through the trunk and its sharp corners. It is strictly forbidden for an outsider to operate the combine during grain harvesting and hay supply, its activation by towing and releasing from a height, installation of supplementary seat, allowing fuel and oils to leak, keeping the equipment in the areas after work. Some necessary measures must be taken without delay in order to ensure fire safety during the growing of cereals and industrial crops. So in the event forest strips, automobile and railway are located nearby their distance should be mowed and ploughed up provided that the width is not less than 4 meters. Mowed grass should be ricked at least 30 meters away from grain crops. Special supervisors should be selected by responsible persons in order to protect crops from fire during grain ripening. Mowed grass and grain should be carried aside from that area. Temporary field camps should be

placed at least 100 meters away from fire hazardous places like grain crops, threshing-floors during grain harvesting, grass supply. Special place should be allocated for smoking in the field camps, grain-cleaning threshing floors, in areas where grass and straw piles are collected and that place should be provided with primary fire extinguishers, as well as "Smoking place" board should be hung. It is strictly forbidden to smoke in other areas, use open fire. Ploughing tractor should be used to prevent the spread of fires to large areas, which may occur in the vicinity of the harvested crops. It is strictly forbidden to burn straw and build a fire in grain crops and their vicinity. The provision of tractor, combine and other machines in field conditions with fuel should be implemented with fueling machine after their engines have stopped working. It is strictly forbidden to refuel cars at night. In order to prevent overheating of the rollers and other friction parts of the harvesting machines their timely lubrication and reliably reinforcing should be controlled, the mass of straw moving from the combine to the rotating mechanisms of other equipment must be cleaned on time. Grain threshing floors should be placed 50 meters away from building and edifices, 100 meters away from grain crops. The area of threshing floors should be definitely cleaned from vegetation (grass) and its vicinity should be plowed around 4 meters wide. We remind you that again fire protection of agricultural products, especially grain should be a matter of honor for all. We must not forget that grain is abundance, provision and it is cultivated at great expense.

Protect this wealth of nation from fire!

State Fire Protection Service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations