Carol Keene
New York
Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health
With
winter here, demands have lightened up a bit for farmers.
At least the days aren't ones of running tractors 16 hours
a day getting crops in and out. But even though the majority
of your equipment has been stored for the winter, your safety
worries are far from over. Your livestock will still need
constant attention and will always be a major safety concern.
Even
though farm animals are a farmer's friend and a source of
economic support, they are still responsible for many disabling
injuries, causing pain and trauma and a great loss of money.
While most animal accidents aren't fatal, many farm men, women,
and children will be needlessly injured each year because
of a lack of safety awareness among animals. Broken bones,
crushed and mashed limbs, missed days of work, and unnecessary
medical expenses will be the result of animal-related accidents.
The
majority of mishaps are the result of people problems. The
chief cause of accidents involving animals is lack of judgement
or understanding due to inexperience. You should never try
to move animals in a hurry or handle them when they're angry.
Remember that the key to safely handling farm animals is common
sense.
Next
week we'll look at the good handling and housekeeping practices
that can prevent most mishaps.
Disclaimer
and Reproduction Information: Information in NASD does not
represent NIOSH policy. Information included in NASD appears
by permission of the author and/or copyright holder. More
NASD Review: 04/2002
Carol
Keene, Northeast Center Coordinator, NYCAMH.
This public service announcement was produced by the New York
Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health (NYCAMH), One
Atwell Road, Cooperstown, New York 13326 - Ph# (607) 547-6023
or (800) 343-7527 in the northeast. Publication date: 1994.
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