Safe working with bales in agriculture

This leaflet is for people involved with the handling and stacking of round and square bales. It does not address the safety risks associated with the use of machinery used to produce bales.

Work associated with bales can lead to fatal and serious accidents if not carried out safely.

This leaflet covers where and how to stack bales, stack maintenance and de-stacking, and transporting bales. It lists other problems associated with bales, such as fire and manual handling. There is also a checklist of steps to take before starting work with bales.