Mark
A. Purschwitz and Cheryl
A. Skjolaas
University of Wisconsin-Extension
As a
beginning farmer, you need to know that agriculture is the
most hazardous industry in the United States, according to
worker death rate statistics from the National Safety Council.
Agricultural workers, including farm owner/operators, family
workers and hired workers, are five times more likely to suffer
a fatal injury than the national work force as a whole. In
addition to the 1,200 fatal injuries suffered in 1992, agricultural
workers suffered an estimated 140,000 injuries serious enough to cause at least on-half day lost from normal activities.
You
can prevent injuries on your farm be being proactive and consciously
deciding to have a safe operation. Hazard control is the most
effective way to do this; you need to search out and eliminate
or reduce the hazards on your farm. Safe behaviors to avoid
hazards are a secondary but necessary method of injury prevention
when hazards cannot be eliminated.
This
publication is intended to help you become aware of potential
hazards and the most basic ways of eliminating or avoiding
them. It is important that you understand the basics and start
off your operation with a positive safety orientation. However,
there may be hazards on your particular farm that are not
mentioned here, and you should acquire more detailed information
about all farm hazards on your farm. For more information,
read your machinery owner's manuals and contact your local
county Extension office or your state Extension agricultural
safety and health specialist at your land-grant university.
Tractors are the most-used machines on most farms, and are involved
in more fatal injuries than any other agent of injury. The tractor
rollover, when the tractor turns over on top of the operator,
is the single most common fatal farm injury. Some of the causes
of tractor rollovers include operating near hazards like ditches,
gullies, holes, or stumps; operating on steep slopes; carrying
heavy loads high; taking turns at high speeds; improper hitching;
loss of control with towed loads; or roadway collisions. The
most important way to prevent tractor rollover injuries is to
have a ROPS Rollover Protective Structure or ROPS cab on every
tractor, and wear the seat belt that comes with ROPS. Many tractor
rollovers can be prevented by proper training and operation,
and preparations such as proper wheel spacing.
The
tractor runover, when the tractor runs over the victim, is
the second most common fatal tractor-related injury. Many
runover injuries involve extra riders who fall off; many of
these are children. Other runovers often involve unseen bystanders,
such as small children. Preventing runover injuries means
never allowing extra riders, being aware of the locations
of all bystanders, and keeping small children away from work
areas.
Tractors
and machines operated on the road should always have proper
lighting and markings, such as amber flashers and SMV (Slow
Moving Vehicle) emblems. All traffic laws should be obeyed,
and extreme caution used with overwidth equipment.
Farm machines other than tractors are involved in many fatal
and permanent injuries. Whether it's mobile equipment used in
the fields, or stationary equipment used around the farmstead,
these machines have a variety of hazards that must be eliminated
or avoided. Entanglement in moving parts is the major hazard,
including PTO (power take-off drive lines and connectors; these
entanglements can result in gruesome mangling, amputations,
or death. All shields and guards must always be in place, including
the master PTO shield on the tractor, and should be repaired
or replaced if broken or missing. Machines should never be unplugged,
adjusted, or repaired unless the machine is shut off and the
power turned off, including the tractor if the machine is PTO-driven.
Like
tractors, machines can be involved in runover injuries. Extra
riders on tractors or machines can fall off and be run over
by the machine; extra riders should be prohibited. Unseen
bystanders such as small children are a hazard and must be
kept from the work area.
Machine
hydraulics also pose a hazard. Hydraulic lines can carry pressures
as high as 2900 psi, and a pin-hole leak can easily penetrate
the skin and cause severe tissue damage; looking for leaks
should always be done with paper or cardboard. A failure in
the hydraulic system, or an unexpected movement of a control,
can allow a machine to unexpectedly drop; no one should ever
work under any machine supported by hydraulics unless it is
blocked up or a safety stop is in place.
Children
in general should never be allowed around equipment. They
may not appreciate the extreme hazards posed by operating
machines and may reach in or not stay away. Children may play
on parked machines and fall off it or have it fall on them.
Parked equipment should always be lowered to the ground. Extra
tractor wheels leaning up against a wall should be secured
to prevent them tipping over and crushing someone.
Large farm animals are responsible for many injuries on dairy
and livestock farms. Bulls, especially dairy bulls, can suddenly
turn on someone and cause fatal injuries, and should never be
trusted. Stallions are also dangerous. Boars can seriously rip
and tear with their tusks. New mothers, such as cow or sows,
will vigorously defend their young. Any animal being handled
can easily pin a handler against a wall or fence, or step on
hands or feet. Facilities should be designed for safe animal
handling to minimize the opportunity for such injuries.
Storage structures such as grain bins (and grain wagons), silos,
and manure pits have serious hazards which can lead to death.
Flowing
or crusted grain in grain bins can lead to entrapment and
suffocation. No one should enter a grain bin during unloading,
as the downward flow of grain will pull a person under and
entrap them. This is also true in grain wagons; the downward
flow during unloading can easily entrap and suffocate a child.
Crusted grain should always be broken up from outside the
bin; surface crusting may hide a pocket that will unexpectedly
collapse and bury a person, and crusted grain hanging up on
a all may unexpectedly collapse into an avalanche.
The
main hazard of silos is silo gas, made up primarily of nitrogen
dioxide, which will severely burn the lungs and may result
in fatal fluid buildup. Silo gas is heavier than air and thus
can also displace oxygen, leading to asphyxiation. Silos should
not be entered for two to three weeks after filling, the peak
period for production of silo gas. Silos should always be
ventilated before entering, as should silo rooms or any place
else where silo gas can collect. Silo unloaders also po e
serious entanglement hazards; silos should never be entered
while an unloader is in operation.
Some
silos are designed to be airtight, and thus are oxygen deficient.
These sealed silos should never be entered without an air
supply unless they are totally ventilated, as the lack of
oxygen will result in death.
Manure
pits hold gases given off by decaying manure; the primary
components are hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, ammonia,
and methane gas. Hydrogen sulfide is highly toxic; carbon
dioxide is an asphyxiant; ammonia is an irritant; and methane
is explosive. Hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide are heavier
than air and stay down in the pit. A manure pit should never
be entered without a supplied-air respirator, such as a self-contained
breathing apparatus, not even by a rescuer, as the atmosphere will result in death. Agitation of manure greatly increases
the gas release and is dangerous to humans and animals. Manure
pits should be properly guarded against accidental or unauthorized
entry.
Many farmers have suffered serious or fatal injuries by falling
from ladders, roofs, hay mows, or other high places on the farm.
Ladders on silos and grain bins should be child-proofed to prevent
unauthorized use. Roof maintenance or construction should only
be undertaken with proper equipment and safety in mind. Ladders
for temporary use should never be propped on front-end loaders
or other unstable platforms. Haymow openings should be guarded
against falls.
As simple
as it seems, steps, stairways, and walkways around the farm,
including steps and platforms on machinery, must be kept clear
and clean to prevent slips and falls.
Overhead power lines are a hazard when operating or moving tall
machines. Contacting these lines, which may operate at 7200
volts, typically results in electrocution. Moving portable augers
around overhead power lines is especially hazardous; augers
should always be lowered prior to moving. The best action to
take is to bury, raise, or move power lines away from work areas.
Electricity
in general is a hazard if not used with respect. Wet and corrosive
environments around the farm yard mean it is imperative that
proper wiring, controls, junction boxes and panels, and extension
cords be used for those conditions. Ground fault interrupters
should always be used when working in or around water, such
as with a high pressure washer. Wiring should be properly
maintained and repaired.
Chain saws are commonly used on farms, and can result in severe
or fatal injuries. Kickback can cause the chain to contact the
face, neck, or other parts of the body, with devastating cutting
and tearing. Flying chips can damage the eyes. Longterm exposure
to noise and vibration can cause hearing loss or "white-knuckle
syndrome" of the hands. And of course felling trees and limbs
can kill or paralyze. Proper personal protection, and proper
felling and limbing procedures, are essential for safe woodcutting.
Tractor
or bulldozer operators pushing down trees should always have
a Failing Object Protective Structure (FOPS) on their machines,
as trees and limbs can fall unexpectedly or in unexpected
directions with serious or fatal consequences.
All-Terrain Vehicles (ATV's) are being increasingly used in
farm applications. This adaptability must not blind farmers
to the need for proper personal protective equipment and proper
training. With over 1300 people dying from ATV-related injuries
from 1982 through 1989 alone, the safety of these machines should
not be taken lightly. Helmets are especially important to prevent
head injuries, and operation to prevent rollovers and subsequent
spinal injuries is crucial. ATV dealers should be contacted
about training classes.
Many different chemicals may be used on a farm, depending on
the type of operation, and it is important to obtain from the
manufacturer or dealer the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet)
for each hazardous chemical used. This sheet will outline the
health hazards and appropriate precautions to take, along with
other important information like handling and disposal procedures.
Acute
(severe, one-time) and chronic (repeated, long-term) exposures
should be prevented. Acute exposures to pesticides can result
in severe or fatal poisonings. Accidental ingestion of dairy
pipeline cleaner by children results in severe esophageal
burns and scarring. A blast of anhydrous ammonia can result
in blindness or other injury. Chronic exposures to some pesticides
may result in increased risk of certain cancers; chronic exposure
in general carries many uncertainties and should be avoided.
Exposure
to chemicals can occur though inhalation, ingestion (including
eating with contaminated hands), skin contact, and eye contact.
The appropriate personal protective equipment, such as goggles,
gloves, aprons, suits, etc., is extremely important when handling
chemicals. Proper storage and disposal of chemicals protects
unauthorized persons like children from exposure, protects
animals and feed, and protects the groundwater.
In addition to chemical-related respiratory hazards of silo
and manure gases, and farm chemicals, other respiratory hazards
exist on the farm. Exposure to molds in hay, silage, or grain
can result in severe short-term illnesses like Organic Dust
Toxic Syndrome (ODTS) or chronic allergic diseases like Farmers
Lung. Exposure to grain dusts in general can result in bronchitis
or other lung ailments and should be avoided. Dusts, dander,
and other particles in livestock buildings can result in various
respiratory and other illnesses. Proper ventilation and personal
protective equipment is always needed to minimize such hazards.
Repeated exposure to loud noise on farms has been shown to result
in hearing loss. Noises louder than 85 decibels (db) should
be protected against; tractors without sound-reducing cabs are
often near 100 db. Older tractor cabs without proper sound and
vibration protection can actually increase the noise level.
Dryer fans and chain saws are louder yet, and even the noise
inside a hog confinement building can exceed safe levels.
Proper
hearing protection must always be used against exposure to
these noises, as hearing loss will gradually occur even if
it is not noticeable at first. Even teenagers who work on
farms have been shown to suffer premature hearing loss.
Many farmers are plagued by lower back pain. Numerous farm activities
can lead to back pain, including lifting objects that are too
heavy, lifting heavy objects incorrectly, lifting awkward-to-handle
objects, moving or hitching equipment, or pushing or wrestling
with cattle. Care must always be taken to lift properly, using
the back and keeping the load close to the body. Where this
is not possible, machines or other lifting aids should be employed.
Since back pain can last a lifetime, thought should be given
to how to make those jobs involving pushing or wrestling easier
to manage.
Repetitive
motion, such as constant kneeling when milking cows or repetitive
hand motions when hand harvesting, can result in joint deterioration
or injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome. Again, thought must
be given to ways to avoid such motions, either through restructuring
the job, using mechanical aids, or redesigning the workplace
to eliminate the motions.
Serious injuries can result from misuse of tools and unsafe
maintenance or repair operations. Haphazard use of jacks and
other lifting devices without proper blocking and stabilization
can result in fatal collapses. Personal protective equipment
for the eyes and/or other parts of the body are necessary when
using power tools. Inflating tires can be hazardous, especially
truck tires on split rims, which can explode with fatal force.
Construction
operations should be undertaken with safety in mind. Trenches
can collapse if not properly stabilized. Work on farm buildings
or other structures should involve use of appropriate devices
like scaffolding or safety belts to prevent falls.
Children are particularly vulnerable to farm injury; since the
home and workplace are combined, children are often present
in the workplace. An estimated 175 to 300 children die each
year from injuries related to farm work or the farm workplace.
Children are injured while playing in or wandering into a work
area; while accompanying parents in the workplace; while helping
their parents; or while operating equipment or performing other
farm tasks.
It is
imperative that parents give their children age appropriate
tasks, suitable to the mental, physical, and emotional development
of their children. Children should also receive thorough training
in these tasks. It is equally important that children are
not brought into hazardous areas, such as being extra riders
on tractors, or be allowed to play in busy farm yards or other
hazardous areas where they can get into trouble or not be
seen by equipment operators. Dangerous areas like manure lagoons
must be fenced off to prevent access by children.
Farms have relatively few worker safety and health regulations
compared to general industry, but there are several regulations
of which to be aware. Farm regulations may vary from state to
state, especially with regard to the workers' compensation system,
and farmers are cautioned to check with state labor authorities.
Federal
OSHA has regulations for agriculture, and these regulations
may be enforced on farms which have had 11 or more employees
at any one time during the previous year. These regulations
involve ROPS, equipment guarding, field sanitation, temporary
labor camps, anhydrous ammonia, pulpwood logging, slow-moving
vehicles, and hazard communication (providing information
on chemical hazards to workers). These regulations carry the
force of law and fines can result for lack of compliance.
In so e states these regulations apply to farms with a lesser
number of workers; contact the state OSHA office for information.
The
federal Hazardous Occupations Order for Youth prohibits youths
under the age of 16 to be hired or even work without pay (with
certain exceptions, such as on farms owned or operated by
their parents or legal guardians) to do certain farm jobs.
These include operating tractors and various farm machines;
there are eleven prohibited job categories in all. However,
youths age 14 and 15 may operate tractors and certain machines
if they have completed a training course and receive certification
These certification courses are offered through some 4-H clubs,
vocational agriculture instructors, or Extension agents. Contact
them for more information on the program and restrictions.
The
Environmental Protection Agency has recently developed the
Worker Protection Standard (WPS) to provide additional safety
for workers who handle or apply pesticides used in the production
of agricultural plants. Requirements include various posting
and notification requirements, worker training and protection,
decontamination emergency assistance, and label compliance.
The WPS applies to all farms regardless of size or number
of employees; even farms without employees must comply with
label requirements. Contact your Extension office or state
department of agriculture for details.
Users
of restricted-use pesticides are required to be certified
to purchase and use these chemicals. Extension agents offer
training and certification examinations.
Agriculture is the most dangerous industry in the United States.
You will be investing a great deal of time and money in your
operation, and you do not want to throw that away by failing
to take seriously the safety and health hazards on your farm.
Searching out and eliminating or minimizing hazards on your
farm is the most important thing you can do. Proper training
of all who work on your farm, including family members, is also
very important. This publication is only the beginning; you
should read your machinery operators manuals and contact your
county Extension office or state Extension agricultural safety
and health specialist for more information.
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
This
document is Safety and Health for Beginning Farmers, a series
of the Agricultural Engineering Department, College of Agricultural
and Life Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison,
Wisconsin, 53706. Publication date: February 1994.
Mark
A. Purschwitz, assistant professor and extension agricultural
safety and health specialist; Cheryl Skjolaas, agricultural
safety and health outreach specialist, College of Agricultural
and Life Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison,
Wisconsin, 53706.
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