Observers should watch the machine from a safe distance, at least 10 feet away. It is easy to become mesmerized or lured into a state of reduced awareness when observing working machinery very intently, to the extent that normal precautions are bypassed and dangerous procedures are followed. Allow no riders at any time on the tractor or the baler. Riders may fall into the path of the baler in much less time than the tractor operator can stop the machine. Numerous injuries are suffered every year by riders on farm equipment.
Riders can also block the operator's view, resulting in unsafe operation of the machine.
Many machinery entanglements have happened when attempting to make adjustments to the machine while it is in operation. This is risky because machinery parts are often moving faster than a workers reaction time. Never attempt to feed crop material into the intake area of the baler, or unplug crop material from the intake area of the baler, or feed twine into the baler when the baler is running. These are the most common ways of becoming entangled and pulled into a big round baler. Always stop the engine and remove the tractor ignition key before dismounting to service the baler.