Fall Manure Application Season: Five Safety Priorities for Farmers

By Daniel Andersen and Melissa McEnany

National Farm Safety and Health Week 2025 is Sept. 21–27, and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach reminds operators that safety is critical when handling, transporting and applying manure.

Associate professor and extension agriculture engineering specialist Daniel Andersen highlights five key manure safety tips to help farmers, as well as their families and communities, stay safe and healthy.

Equipment and rural road safety

According to Andersen, between 2005 and 2010, more than 7,000 crashes involving farm machinery occurred. In Iowa, rear-end collisions often occur during busy harvest and manure application seasons, and research shows that states with strong lighting and marking standards for agricultural equipment have significantly fewer crashes.

“Make sure that equipment lights work, slow-moving vehicles signs are visible and equipment is properly marked,” he said. “It saves lives.”