University of Minnesota Extension Service
Old
MacDonald had a farm . . . e-i, e-i, ooohhh. And on that farm
he had a virtual menagery of four-legged and feathered friends.
But modern agricultural specialization has changed all that.
Now, if we're into animals, we're usually in big and stick
to one or two kinds--Old MacDonald type operations though
fondly remembered are few and far between.
Animals
have been entwined in agriculture since primitive times. Being
both fond of and dependent on them, we dislike viewing them
as potentially dangerous. But, accident figures show that
animals are involved in many thousands of farm injuries and
several deaths each year. Therefore, preventing animal-related
accidents is an important part of agricultural safety.
A recent
summary of farm accidents data from 15 states shows that animals
were a factor in about one of every eight injuries reported,
ranking second to farm machinery in total number of cases.
However, animal-related injuries on the average are less severe
than those involving machinery with fewer than 100 resulting
in death each year. Still, many animal related injuries are
serious and involve considerable loss of time, money and productivity.
A closer
look at animal related injuries from farm accident survey
data indicate that most of the victims were males when it
came to cattle and hogs, but females approached males in the
number of injuries involving horses and pets.
As to
age of victim, youngsters (5- 14) were most often bitten by
dogs, but cow-related accidents found more victims among the
45-64 age group. Horse-related injuries were suffered most
often by youngsters (5-14) and young adults (15-24) while
the mature folks (25-44, 45-64) were the target of most mishaps
involving hogs.
Most
of the cattle and hog-related injuries were suffered in farm
buildings or adjacent lots. Most with horses happened outside
in barnyards, fields, lanes, woods and along public roads.
Dogs more often than not bit people in home yards.
Common
things cows did to hurt people were to kick or step on them,
and catch people or their limbs between themselves and hard
objects or surfaces. Many falls also occurred while tending
cows. Hogs bit, stepped on and knocked people down. Dog bites
were a common source of injury. Accidents involving horses
and bulls were more likely to result in serious in jury than
mishaps with other animals.
Importantly,
farm family members were by far the most frequent victims
of animal-related accidents, with hired help and visitors
accounting for less than 10 percent.
Any
operation involving restraint of an animal or sorting and
loading is much less hazardous if solid facilities are provided.
Makeshift gate arrangements and rope restraints can lead to
injury of both the animal and the human worker.
Handling
facilities deserve careful planning for efficiency as well
as for safety. Animals will move more willingly through a
chute if they cannot see excitement up ahead. Facility design
should be such that it is never necessary for workers to enter
a small or enclosed area with the animals. All holding pens
should be equipped with a man-gate or other means of quickly
vacating the pen if necessary. Crowding into sorting or working
chutes can usually be done with crowd gates, not with drivers.
Catwalks
along chutes and alleys eliminate the need for working in
the alley. If the catwalk is more than 18" or so off the ground,
it should be protected by a guard rail to prevent falls. Walking
or working surfaces should be free of tripping and slipping
hazards. Check for protrusions, sharp corners or pinch points
that could cause injury and then eliminate them.
Head
gates and squeeze chutes can be the scene of excessive animal
excitement. Makeshift latches and levers can fly open inflicting
serious injuries. Commercially designed and manufactured facilities
at these key points can improve both efficiency and safety.
Here
are more safety pointers: Lighting of facilities should be
even and diffused. Bright spots mixed with shadows in alleys
and crowding pens will often cause cattle to balk. Lighting
in the squeeze and loading chute areas should be at least
10 footcandles. Guard the moving parts of a hydraulically
operated squeeze chute and tilt table. Use solid panels for
moving swine. Never prod animals if they have no place to
go. As both cattle and hogs are very sensitive to noise, keep
the decibel level down as low as possible.
Each
farm animal has its own set of safety considerations different
from others, some of which are discussed in this section.
For more information on accident prevention connected with
any particular animal enterprise, contact your extension service.
Beef
Cattle
Beef
cattle are known for an even disposition. But when startled,
they can inflict injury to anyone in their way. Groups of
animals are easy to "spook." Bovines can see nearly 360ΓΈ without
moving their heads; therefore, a quick movement behind is
just as apt to "set them off" as a frontal one. Small animals
such as dogs tend to upset cattle and they are very sensitive
to sudden or unexpected loud noises.
Although
cattle are not apt to attack you, they can overwhelm you with
their size and weight. Leave yourself an "out" when trying
to corner or work with cattle. Keep small children and strangers
out. Beware of the area in front of the rear leg when working
with cattle. They tend to kick forward, then back. Pulling
the kicking leg forward can be used as a means of preventing
a kick while working in the udder or flank area.
Dairy
Cattle
Milk
cows may look contented in the pasture, but they are generally
more nervous than other animals. Creatures of habit, they
are easily startled, especially by strange noises and persons.
Always announce your presence when approaching a cow. Gently
touch the animal rather than let the first contact be a bump
or shove. When moving cows into a constraining space such
as a milking parlor stall or squeeze chute, give animals time
to adjust before starting the work at ha nd.
If a
cow tends to kick, consider using a hobble. Consider a squeeze
chute and head gate as an investment in safety as well as
efficiency. Don't permit workers to talk loudly, clatter and
bang equipment around or handle cows roughly .Gentle cows can
become dangerous when defending calves and this fact should
be impressed on children, visitors and new workers. Special
facilities should be provided so that a bull can be fed, watered,
exercised and used for breeding without the dairy man coming
into direct contact with him.
Swine
Hogs
can bite with enough force to cause serious injury, and they
pack enough weight to bowl people over or cause injury by
stepping or laying on them.
Though
normally docile, a sow will become aggressively protective
if any of her offspring is hurt or threatened. Veterinary
work and treatment of pigs should be done only when they are
separated from the sow, or when she is restrained in the crate
or separate pen.
Guiding
hogs for sorting or moving to new quarters calls for patience
and reasonably good facilities. Your best safety aid for these
jobs is a lightweight hurdle or solid panel with a handle
attached. The panel should be slightly narrower than the alleys
through which the animals are being driven. A hog can be easily
guided backwards by placing a basket or box over its head
as it will try to back out of the basket.
As with
most animals, make yourself known quietly and gently to avoid
startling your hogs. A knock on the door or rattling the door
handle will usually suffice. Don't let small children reach
through pens or fences to pet or feed hogs, nor let them (and
strangers) climb into pens or roam around hog lots . Horses
Mechanical
power spelled doom to the horse as the prime mover of agricultural implements. But he is a long way from extinction
on the farm, and instead of a collar around his neck he has
a saddle on his back.
Millions
of Americans--rural and urban residents alike--enjoy horseback
riding, and the horse is still a useful partner in many range
and ranching operations. Unfortunately, many are injured--even
killed--while riding or tending horses.
Basic
general reminders include: have good equipment and maintain
it; take good care of your horses and respect them, make sure
a youngster can ride and handle a horse before turning him
or her loose on it; only a skilled rider should mount a temperamental
or high-spirited horse; and, ride with extra care when the
going is rough or slippery, and among trees with low branches.
Safety
with horses is too broad a subject to cover in this bulletin.
There are many publications available that spell out these
matters in much detail. Therefore, visits to your extension
agent, library, dealers in riding equipment and horse supplies,
local breeders and stables, and such should fulfill your information
needs.
Sheep
A common
accident involving sheep is being butted by a ram, which could
be especially serious for a child or an elderly or handicapped
person. Ewes will also protect their young and should be handled
carefully.
A sheep
can be immobilized for safe handling by sitting it up on its
rump and tilted back enough to keep the rear hoofs off the
ground.
Poultry
Chickens
and other domesticated foul are relatively harmless, though
geese, gobblers and roosters could cause injury to small children
or the elderly. Most of the hazard, then, lies with faulty
or improper use of equipment, poor housekeeping and dusts
in poultry facilities. If these things are properly tended
to, accident and health risk is low.
Other
Animals
Pets
sometimes inflict injuries-- usually minor--on youngsters
who mistreat or annoy them. But, children and intruders have
been seriously hurt and even killed by dogs. Proper care and
handling of pets can minimize the number and severity of pet-induced
injuries.
Teach
small children how to handle pets and to be kind to them.
If you
have a guard dog or one with a cross or unreliable temper,
keep it tied or confined to certain areas.
Wild
animals native to your area should be avoided or approached
in the proper manner as suggested by local wildlife authorities.
Warn visitors to your place about any animal hazards.
Animals,
domesticated or wild, can be a source of human illness and
parasite infestation. Such diseases transmitted between animals
and man are often referred to as zoonoses.
Probably
the animal-inflicted malady that inspires the most fear is
rabies, a virus that attacks the nervous system. The saliva
of an infected animal contains the deadly virus and comes
to us through a bite or open sore or wound.
Because
of vigorous anti-rabies programs and widespread inoculation
of pets rabies is a rare disease. However, rural people are
at greater risk than urban because of the proximity of wild
animals and many free-roaming un vaccinated dogs and cats.
Warn children about petting or feeding any animal acting abnormally.
Have your family pets inoculated. Take immediate action if
someone is bitten --try to capture the animal for examination
by a veterinarian and seek prompt medical consultation.
Brucellosis
or Bangs disease (called undulant fever in man) afflicts cattle,
goats and swine. It can be transmitted from infected animals
to man through raw milk, contact of an open sore or wound
with an aborted fetus or after- birth, or from carcasses at
the time of slaughter. Undulant fever is a severe and tenacious
malady that you can avoid through good sanitation and management.
Animals should be tested regularly and removed if infected.
Check with your state regulatory officials regarding vaccination.
Bovine
tuberculosis is much less common today due to rigorous testing
and elimination of infected animals. It still can be found
in some areas or on farms where untested cows are kept to
supply family needs. As bacteria are found in any body secretion
or discharge, handling tubercular cattle is a health risk.
Protective measures are regular testing and slaughter of those
showing positive reaction, and pasteurization of family-consumed
milk.
Trichinosis,
caused by a tiny parasite, is a painful and sometimes fatal
disease in man. Eating uncooked or partially cooked infested
pork is how we get it. Thorough cooking of pork is the best
prevention. Salmonella organisms are found in a variety of
domestic and wild animals and poultry. Transmission to people
occurs through contaminated food or water. The disease causes
severe gastrointestinal distress, fever and loss of appetite,
and can be serious for the very young or old, or those with
debilitating ailments. Prevention includes proper cooking
and storage of animal derived foodstuffs. Food handlers should
keep their hands well washed.
The
natural reservoir of tetanus organisms is the intestinal tract
of animals, especially horses. The spores are introduced into
a person's body by contamination of a wound with soil, street
dust or fecal material. Tetanus is a horrible disease with
a high fatality rate; therefore, all rural people should be
immunized.
Leptospirosis
in humans can be a serious ailment. Carriers include domestic
animals, rats and wild rodents. It is passed from animal to
animal or to people through contact with infected urine, or
with soil, feed, water or other materials so contaminated.
Once on a farm, the disease is difficult to eradicate.
Tularemia,
often called rabbit fever, is usually acquired by handling
wild rabbits (dead or alive) and eating imperfectly cooked
contaminated meat. Though the disease is not usually life threatening,
it is disabling and characterized by a high fever.
Other
zoonoses that farm people should guard against include swine
erysipelas, animal pox disease, ring worm, tape worm, newcastle
disease, histoplasmosis, psittacosis (parrot fever), and insect-borne
animal diseases such as spotted fever (ticks) and equine encephalitis
(mosquitoes).
Your
extension service and veterinarian can probably supply more
information on these important health menaces that you should
study and keep for reference. Here are a few general preventive
measures:
Keep
animal quarters clean.
Immunize
animals and keep them free of parasites.
Quarantine
or remove sick animals.
Don't unduly expose yourself to any sick animal.
Wear
rubber gloves when treating sick animals or assisting at birth,
and without fail if you have open sores or wounds on your
hands and arms. Wash up and change clothing when finished.
Call
your doctor if you become ill after contact with animals.
Personal
Protective Equipment
The
well-dressed livestock, dairy or poultry farmer should include
several items of personal protective equipment in his wardrobe
of work garb.
Bump
caps can protect heads from the bumps and bruises bound to
be theirs when working in and around livestock facilities.
Respirators
have a place when cleaning up, handling dusty or moldy hay,
working in silos and manure storage facilities, and for some
pest control operations. Select the proper respirator for
the job.
Safety
eyewear can shield eyes from dust, chaff, chemicals, and flying
pieces. Also, all prescription eye and sun glasses worn at
work should have impact resistant lenses and sturdy frames.
Hand
can be protected with several types of gloves including rubber
ones to be worn when assisting birth or treating a sick animal.
Safety
shoes should be standard equipment on any farm job. The metal
toe cap and rugged soles can give some protection against
animal hooves, dropped items and sharp objects. Skid-resistant
soles will give better traction on wet, muddy or manure covered
surfaces.
Many
of the injuries related to the care and handling of animals
are inflicted by inanimate machines, tools or structures rather
than by the living creatures themselves.
People
fall or are hurt in and around lots, pens, chutes, barns,
sheds, mows, milking parlors and while using weighing, sorting
and restraining equipment. Rather than any fault of the animals,
it involves sloppy housekeeping, poor lighting, defective
or worn equipment, inexperience, improper footwear, inattention,
haste and such.
Electric
shock hazard is considerable in the wet or damp environment
of barns, lots and milking parlors. Strains and dislocations
can result from improper lifting of heavy objects and bags
of feed or supplies. Concentrations of manure in pits, tanks
or lagoons create dangerous gases (and a most unpleasant place
into which to fall). Silos present a three-way danger--falls
from silo ladders, poisoning or suffocation from silage gases
or oxygen deficiency, and entanglement in filling or unloading
equipment.
Faulty
steps and flooring, also lack of handrails, are known causes
of falls. Feed and grain storage places are sites of several
accidents yearly to workers and sometimes children who climb
inside and suffocate, "drown" or get drawn into the unloading
mechanism. Feed sometimes "bridges" (a large airspace near
the bottom) as it is drawn out, and could suddenly collapse
from under someone on the top surface.
Electrical
tools and equipment left plugged in with switches or controls
operative and within reach of little hands present more hazard.
Lack of guarding on materials handling equipment is a hazard
to young and old alike as well as to the animals
Reduce
the risk of injuries in and around your animal facilities:
Be a
good housekeeper. Put things away after use. Keep aisles,
steps and work areas free of clutter. Keep walking and working
surfaces cleared of manure, mud, ice and grain spills. Sand
or ag lime can be used to aid footing.
Keep
facilities and equipment in good repair. Check out pens, chutes,
stalls, fences, ramps and confinement devices. Make sure ladders,
steps, flooring and such are sound.
Check
out electrical system in buildings. Is it adequate for the
load and properly grounded? Overloading or deterioration not
only means lower productivity and inconvenience, but also
added risk of fire and shock.
Is electrical
barn machinery properly installed, grounded, maintained and
shielded? Can equipment be locked out? Starting switches should
be convenient and in full view of others who may be working
in the area but yet out of easy reach of children. Lock out
switches when working on equipment.
Keep
power tools in good condition. Avoid using them while standing
in water or mud. Unplug tools and put them away, especially
if you have children or visitors.
Consider
using ground fault interrupters (GFI) especially with equipment
or power tools used in damp or wet places, and with stock
water heaters. GFI's can be had in portable plug-in types
or built into circuit breakers.
Never
enter a sealed silo or manure facility without a self contained
or supplied air breathing device. When agitating or pumping
manure, open windows and doors and turn ventilating fans to
maximum.
Never
enter a grain or feed bin when unloading is in progress or
could start. Lock out mechanical unloading auger power. Break
bridges with a pole from outside the bin.
Store
barn chemicals and pharmaceutical in a clean, cool, dry place
where children and visitors cannot get to them.
Check
all facilities for protruding nails, sharp edges and such.
Keep
children out of animal quarters and work areas. Keep doors
and gates closed. Dangerous areas could be locked if necessary
to keep children and visitors out.
Heat
lamps for brooding should be solidly supported and shielded,
Have
a safety fence around a manure disposal lagoon.
Numerous
animal and some human deaths have occurred from the use of
faulty or homemade electric fence controllers and other system
components. Buy and use only controllers that are approved
by a recognized testing agency such as Underwriters Laboratories
. Install the system properly.
Remember,
animals have feelings, too. Just as we, they can suffer from
hunger, thirst, fear, abuse, illness and injury. Don't mistreat
or neglect them, nor allow children or employees to abuse
them. Respect and take good care of them and they'll do a
better job for you.
Accident Case Analysis and
Five
states which conducted NSC's farm accident survey were able
to supply 120 supplemental reports on animal-involved accident
cases with more detail than in the regular accident reports.
The
Farm Department analyzed these reports to get at some of the
causes of animal-related mishaps and to help it formulate
suggestions to aid in their prevention.
Accidents
that occurred with some frequency were: kicked by a cow or
horse; butted or struck by a ram, hog or bovine; bitten by
a dog or hog; fell (or thrown) from a horse; dragged by a
horse or bovine; limb or body caught between the animal and
an object or surface; and, fell while chasing or tending animals.
Based
on this animal accident analysis, the following safety measures
would have prevented most of them:
Use
adequate restraining and handling facilities.
Be calm
and deliberate. Speak gently --do not startle animals.
Leave
yourself an "out" when working in close quarters. Work outside
chutes.
Stay
clear of animals that are frightened, hurt, sick or look suspicious.
Be alert
for sudden movements, kicking, etc.
Use
extra caution around strange animals.
Provide
good footing for handling operations. Keep floors and ramps
clean. (Floors in areas that are often wet and slippery should
be made of rough textured concrete or other non-skid material.)
Be extra cautious where slippery conditions are unavoidable.
Provide
training in livestock handling under controlled conditions
for youth and other inexperienced workers.
Entrust
livestock handling jobs only to persons with adequate strength
and experience.
Wear
protective footwear and headgear.
Encourage
moderate play activity around animals.
Use
extra caution while riding a horse on slippery or hazardous
footing.
Use
extra caution around livestock with young.
Never
tie a lead line to your body or become entangled in the line.
Check
equipment carefully before riding a horse.
Keep
unneeded animals away from the work area.
Assume
that rodeo riding entails high risk of injury.
Be alert
to actions of animals nearby.
Be patient
with animals.
Restrain
known kickers and biters.
Use
extra caution with animals around crowds.
Provide
separate facilities for dairy bull.
Use
proper lifting techniques when handling livestock.
Have
enough help for the job at hand.
Get
enough rest.
Don't
allow children to approach strange animals.
Don't
lead an animal from a vehicle.
Eliminate
sharp edges and projections around livestock equipment and
gates.
Avoid
"horseplay".
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
The
National Dairy Database (1992)
COLLECTION;FARM AND OPERATOR SAFETY
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