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The Role of Agricultural Structures in Safety and Health Issues

The Role of Agricultural Structures in Safety and Health Issues. By Richard Steffen Southern Illinois University. Ag Injury Problem. Consistently Ranks in top 3 most hazardous occupations Poor injury reporting systems in agriculture make determining rates difficult

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The Role of Agricultural Structures in Safety and Health Issues

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  1. The Role of Agricultural Structures in Safety and Health Issues By Richard Steffen Southern Illinois University

  2. Ag Injury Problem • Consistently Ranks in top 3 most hazardous occupations • Poor injury reporting systems in agriculture make determining rates difficult • estimated 210,000 injuries in Ag (NIOSH)

  3. Uniqueness of Ag Work Sites • Remoteness of work site • May not be able to summon aid • may be hours before victim is discovered • may talk longer for emergency services to respond

  4. Uniqueness of Ag Work Sites • Lack of regulations • agriculture exempted from most regulations • Family Farms • Farms 10 employees or less • Farms 11 employees for more • Ag related businesses

  5. Uniqueness of Ag Work Sites • Unique environments • ag has environments not found in industrial setting • environments have unique characteristics • characteristics create unique hazards • workers need to understand those hazards • Work site, play site & home

  6. Role of Structures in Safety & Health • How much are structures involved in injuries? • Few current tracking systems report injuries by structure • classified by injury event • falls • animals • stuck by objects

  7. Role of Structures in Safety & Health • Past research – extent of the problem • 24% of accidents in Saskatchewan occur in structures • Pahwa et al. (1995) • 73% of flowing grain entrapments occur in bins • Kelly & Field (1996)

  8. Role of Structures in Safety & Health • Past research – structures • Environment • Structural

  9. Structures in Ag • Used for long periods - often past planned obsolescence • slows adoption of newer and safer designs

  10. Structures in Ag • changing needs • new methods

  11. Structures in Ag • changing needs • new methods

  12. Structures in Ag • changing needs • modified structures

  13. Structures in Ag • changing needs • modified structures

  14. Types of Hazards • Slips & Falls • Struck by objects • Engulfment by stored materials • Crushed by materials • Electrical shock

  15. Types of Hazards • Atmospheric Hazards • toxic gasses • dusts and molds • asphyxiation • Biological Hazards • pathogens • rodents & insects

  16. Types of Hazards • Fire • Poor lighting • Weather • Mechanical Hazards • machinery • automated equipment • Poor Housekeeping

  17. Confined Spaces in Ag • Large enough and configured for an employee to enter and work • limited means of entry or exit • not designed for continuous human occupancy

  18. Permit Required Confined Space (PRCS) • Contains or has potential to contain a hazardous atmosphere • Contains materials with potential for engulfment • Internal configuration that can trap or asphyxiate an entrant • Contains any other recognized safety or health hazard

  19. Permit Required Confined Space (PRCS)

  20. Permit Required Confined Space General Requirements • PRCS must be identified • Employees must be informed of existence, location and danger of spaces • Written program must be developed • Entry permits must be developed & used

  21. Permit Required Confined Space General Requirements • Safe entry • Isolating • Purging & ventilating • Testing & monitoring • Communication • PPE

  22. Permit Required Confined Space General Requirements • Training requirements • Duties of entrants • Duties of attendant • Duties of supervisors • Rescue & emergency services • Other standards (Lockout – tag out)

  23. Machinery Storage/Repair Structures • Slips & falls • fire • stored chemicals • asphyxiation (exhaust) • electrocution • crushing

  24. Barns and Livestock Facilities • Slips and Falls • Livestock • Crushed • Electrocution • Atmospheric

  25. Manure Storage Structures • Toxic atmospheres • oxygen deficiency • drowning • entanglement • respiratory problems • Pathogens

  26. Silos • toxic atmospheres • oxygen deficiency • falls • unstable surfaces • heights • entanglement • respiratory problems (dusts) • pathogens • fire

  27. Grain bins and pits • engulfment • oxygen deficiency • falls • unstable surfaces • heights • entanglement • respiratory problems (dusts) • pathogens • fire

  28. Grain bin safety Research • Schwab et al. (1985) • forces on a mannequin in grain • Aherin (2001) • safety harness systems • Burroughs (1999) • farmer’s attitudes on grain safety • Freeman et al. (1996) Kelly & Field (1996) Kingman et al. (1999) • studies on engulfment fatalities

  29. Recommendations • Additional research to clarify role of structures • Meaningful evaluation of current intervention efforts • Research to develop new “user friendly” safety devices

  30. Recommendations • Include manufacturers in Safety and Health efforts - take an active role in education and promotion of safety devices • distribute safety information using avenues that farmers utilize. Integral part of these media.

  31. Recommendations • Study future and current exemptions to Safety and Health regulations carefully

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