Staying Safe in an Agriculture Workplace

1. Staying Safe in an Agriculture Workplace David W. Smith Farm Safety Programs Texas Cooperative Extension Texas A&M University System

2. What makes agriculture work dangerous? • Environment • Personal factors • Work activities • Social, economic and political factors

3. Environmental Factors • Weather • Work sites overlap with residence, office • Delayed response of emergency service • Isolation from others • Difficult to maintain good personal hygiene • Hazards and exposures not monitored (noise, vibration, lighting, dusts, etc.)

4. Personal Factors • Young children frequently exposed to hazards beyond their understanding • Senior workers continue working despite physical limitations • Work sometimes pushes physical limitations • Routine medical surveillance uncommon

5. Work Activity Factors • Long work hours • Erratic work pace • Irregular work routine • Trade learned by observation and experience • Work activities dependent on uncertainty of weather

6. Social, Political, and Economic Factors • Day care often not an option • Absence of health and safety regulations • Long-held cultural belief that little can be done to improve safety • Safety attitude stems from culture and outcome of experience performing dangerous activities

7. Who is at risk of injury? • Co-workers • Visitors • Family members • Subcontractors • Farm animals and wildlife

8. Tractors Machinery and implements Livestock Electricity Chemicals Fires Ponds and open water bodies Sun exposure Material storage facilities Manure pits ATVs What are the dangers?

9. Tractor Hazards • Overturns • Runover incidents • Highway accidents • Falls • Contact with other objects

10. Tractor Overturns • Accounts for over half of all tractor fatalities • Occurs when the tractor’s center of gravity falls outside of it’s base of stability • Includes both side and rear rollovers

11. Physics of Tractor Stability

12. Side Overturn

13. Rear Overturn

14. Drive at appropriate speeds Lock brake pedals together when on highway Set wheel tread as wide as possible Stay away from steep slopes Don’t drive on soft shoulders Keep front-end loader loads low to the ground Drive forward down hills and back up hills Equip tractor with rollover protection and wear seatbelt Preventing Tractor Overturn Injury

15. Tractor Runovers • Major Causes of Runover Accidents • Bypassing the ignition switch to start tractor • Failure to set parking brake on slope • Falling or jumping off of tractor • Failure to acknowledge bystanders

16. Preventing Runover Accidents • Only start tractor while sitting in the seat • Don’t disable safety switches • Place guard on starter terminals to prohibit bypassing • Always set parking brake before dismounting • Look for bystanders before starting tractor

17. Tractor Highway Accidents • Most tractor accidents occur: • During planting and harvesting seasons • Between 3 pm and 6 pm • Where posted speed limits are greater than 50 mph • Most caused because of excessive speed of other vehicles

18. Safe Operation on Highways • Make sure the tractor is safe to drive (steering, brakes, etc.) • Make tractor visible to other drivers (SMV emblem, flashers, lights) • Drive at controllable speeds • Stay off of soft shoulders

19. Machinery and Implement Hazards • PTO and drive shaft entanglement • Contact with rotating parts • Pull-in injuries • Crushing injuries • Electrocution

20. PTO Entanglements • Usually occurs when clothing, hair or jewelry gets caught on bolt of drive shaft • Results in multiple, severe injury, loss of limb, strangulation, and/or death • PTO’s turn from 540 to 1000 revolutions per minute

21. PTO Safety • Replace all damaged or missing PTO shields and drive shaft covers • Wear tight-fitted clothing • Put up hair • Remove all jewelry • Don’t climb over or under drive shafts

22. Other Machinery Hazards • Shear and cut points • Pinch points • Wrap points • Crush points • Free-wheeling points • Pull-in points • Springs and chains • Hydraulic systems

23. Don’t wear loose clothing around moving parts Never reach over or work near rotating parts Turn off machinery before performing maintenance Never rely solely upon a machine’s hydraulic system to keep equipment suspended Replace all missing and damage shields Never place yourself between a tractor and implements when hitching Never crawl under a machine or implement without first chocking or blocking Never allow anyone near a chain when it is under stress Machinery Safety

24. Livestock Hazards • Crushing injuries • Property damage • Diseases • Parasites

25. Livestock Considerations • Vision • Cattle have near-360-degree panoramic vision • Horses and swine have near-300-degree field of vision • Hearing • More sensitive than humans • Loud noises frightening • High-frequency sounds painful.

26. Livestock Considerations • Temperament • Each animal has its own personality • Become uncomfortable when personal space is threatened • Routine is calming • Instinct • Females become aggressive when offspring are threatened • Males aggressive when herd threatened and during mating period

27. Livestock Diseases and Parasites • Brucellosis • Tetanus • Ringworm • Salmonella • Leptospirosis • Rabies • Trichinosis • Lyme Disease • Keep vaccinations current • Wear boot coverings when on other farms • Isolate sick animals from the herd • Keep children and visitors away from sick animals

28. Livestock Safety • Maintain a non-threatening distance • Use a calm voice and deliberate movement • Don’t startle the animal • Never prod an animal that has nowhere to go • Don’t be abusive • Stay away from newborns

29. Electricity Hazards • Contact with overhead transmission lines • Absence of proper grounding • Overloaded circuits • Damaged wiring • Missing safety shields • Center pivot irrigation systems • Pond pumps

30. Contact with Power Lines • Many workers have been electrocuted when moving irrigation pipe (20 feet sections) and contact overhead power lines • Workers also electrocuted when moving grain augers and when contacting power lines with front end loaders

31. Electrical System Maintenance • Can you identify any problems? • Metal + electricity – water protection – grounding = an accident waiting to happen

32. Extension Cords • Don’t use extension cords in wet areas • Don’t try to repair them, replace them • Don’t use them to tie or secure objects • Never run over cords with vehicles • Unplug cords from outlets when not in use

33. Chemical Hazards • Pesticides/herbicides • Anhydrous ammonia • Water well contamination • Fertilizers • Animal medicines

34. Spraying Chemicals • Read and follow chemical material safety data sheets (MSDS) • Wear appropriate personal protective equipment • Follow label instructions for mixing and cleanup • Warn others of your intent to spray • Have an emergency plan in place

35. Anhydrous Ammonia • Used as a fertilizer in agriculture and a coolant in food processing • Stored as a liquid under pressure • Will freeze-burn skin upon contact • Vapors will burn skin, eyes, and can be fatal at high concentrations

36. Anhydrous Ammonia Theft • Key component in production of methamphetamines • Often stolen from temporary storage tanks located on farms and dealerships • Usually stolen in small quantities, multiple times, to avoid detection

37. Fire Hazards • Fueling and fuel storage • Electrical problems • Heaters • Dry, dusty confinement areas • Hay storage • Machinery • Welders and torches

38. Fueling and Fuel Storage • Store fuel tanks at least 40 feet from buildings and barns • Ground storage tanks in case of direct lightning strikes • Never fuel a hot tractor or vehicle • Post no-smoking signs that are clearly visible • Erect barriers around tanks to prevent vehicles from running into them

39. Hay Baling and Stacking • Allow cut hay to dry sufficiently before baling • Uncured hay will increase cause temperature to increase in bales or hay stacks resulting in spontaneous combustion • Provide adequate ventilation around hay stacks to avoid overheating • Keep hay stacks at least 100 feet from buildings and don’t park tractors near stacks

40. Tractor Fires • Oil, grease, dirty rags, and trash on machinery can result in devastation. • Be sure to grease and oil machinery on a regular basis.

41. Material Storage Hazards • Engulfment • Asphyxiation • Suffocation • Falls from elevated surfaces • Contact with conveyance machinery

42. Grain Bin Engulfment • Grain inside a bin can form a crust on top, that when broken can engulf a person in a matter of seconds • Never enter a grain bin without proper lifeline support • Always let coworkers know when you must enter a grain bin

43. Asphyxiation • Stored silage will release toxic gases during the drying process • Opening the top of a silo from the top could result in asphyxiation and cause you to fall • Always wear proper respiratory equipment

44. Other Dangers • ATVs • Ponds • Irrigation canals • Uncapped wells • Sun exposure • Heat • Snakes, spiders, bees, etc.

45. ATV Safety • Never carry extra riders on an ATV not designed for passengers • Attend an ATV rider safety course • Know the limitation of the ATV • Always wear a helmet, long pants, gloves, and riding boots

46. Ponds and Open Water • Never swim in an irrigation canal or unfamiliar pond • Post no-swimming signs • Install a safety post with rope and flotation device at the edge of ponds

47. Sun Protection • Wear a wide-brimmed hat and long sleeve shirt • Wear sunscreen • Drink plenty of water • Perform difficult tasks in the morning or evening

48. Things that bite, sting, and cause rashes Rattlesnake Yellow jacket Black widow Mosquito

49. For more information on these topics visit the Agricultural Safety and Health web site @ http://agsafety.tamu.edu