Improving Health and Safety
NZW is assisting Horticulture New Zealand with an ACC funded project looking at ways to improve health and safety across horticulture and viticulture.
Unfortunately they do little to help health and safety as they carry a flaw, needing to be opened on the underside to release the contents. Besides the risk of standing under a suspended bag and getting covered with the contents, there is the often unrealised risk from fine dust or powders which can be fairly damaging to lungs and eyes.
A new idea from Europe sees the introduction of the Cronobag Opener, a device for safely opening and discharging the contents of a big bag, without leaving the driver's seat.
Made largely of stainless steel for long life and durability the layout sees three curved blades around a centre spindle. At the upper end a spike gives the driver an aiming point, and castellated raised ribs stop any lateral deviation of the bag as it is lowered onto the device. The blades are protected by a flexible sleeve that is held in place by coil springs with a 100kg preload.
The 12kg unit can be mounted directly to the grids in both fertiliser and seed drill hoppers, or can easily set up to sit on a sub-frame in the body of the machine to give a more substantial fitment.
In operation the driver lifts the bag over the hopper, sets it on the central spike, and uses a lowering actin to expose the blades and cut the bag. Slowly raising the loader or handler boom controls the rate at which the bag empties.
Available in two versions, "Cronobag Premium" or "Cronobag Essential", the former uses 316 stainless steel throughout and is suitable for all types of seeds and fertilisers including limes and powders, whilst offering a full three year warranty. The more basic "Essential' version is a steel construction, with chromate steel blades, and is only suitable for seed and fertiliser. It carries a one year warranty and is said to be suitable for users handling less than 40 big bags per season.
