Post on 19-Jan-2015
description
Farm Safety for the Growing Season
With Alexandra Jump
Farm Safety Educator, UVM Extension Vt. AgrAbility Project
Overview
• Where you work
Overview
• Where you work• Environmental Factors
Overview
• Where you work• Environmental Factors• Pests and other Nastiness
Overview
• Where you work• Environmental Factors• Pests and other Nastiness• Farm visitors
Overview
• Where you work• Environmental Factors• Pests and other Nastiness• Farm visitors• Children on the farm
What is the issue?• A. Dog is driving the tractor, he has
not taken a tractor safety course.
• B. The Dog is not wearing a seatbelt.
• C. The ROPS has been modified…
Where you work1. General farmstead2. Farm buildings3. Shop4. Crop and Feed Storage Areas5. Livestock Facilities6. Tractors and Machinery Areas7. Greenhouses8. Farm Stand9. Sugar House
Farm House
Instead of this….
General farmstead• Fenced in play areas for children• Designated places to park tractors and
equipment• Buildings and outdoor work areas well lit• Ponds, lagoons or manure pits fenced off• Junk piles are cleaned up• Limited access signs posted (if you
choose to have farm visitors)
Farm Buildings
The same barn after…
The accident
This is a “round-to-it” problem
Farm Buildings• Are there telephones, cell phone
reception or walkie-talkies located in each farm building?
• Emergency contact numbers posted?• Fire extinguishers and first aid
boxes?• Electrical wiring in good condition?• Structurally Sound?
Shops and StorageCorrosivesExplosivesCombustibles
Pretty neat… but
Dangerous
Shop and Storage• Clean?• Good ventilation• Can the shop be locked to prevent
children and unauthorized people from entering?
• Corrosive, Explosive and Combustibles
– keep battery acid, fuels, oily rags or papers away from welding areas and heaters.
Crop and Feed Storage
Barn Cats love Feed Bags
Andrew Wheeler Age 11
Wheeler, who was a student at Maple Avenue Elementary School, died Friday afternoon, said a spokesman from Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. He had been in critical condition at the medical center since the accident Tuesday, when he was buried beneath silage grain at MacGlaflin Farm at 35 Case Hill Road.
By MELANIE PLENDAUnion Leader Correspondent Monday, April 26, 2010Unionleader.com
Crop and Storage Areas• Can the entrances to feed or grain
storage be locked?• Are children prohibited from playing
in grain bins and silage bunkers?• Are storage and drying areas free of
trash and other fire hazards? • Are permanent ladders attached
securely and in good condition?
Livestock facilities
Are areas picked up?
Sturdy pasture gates?
Chicken friendly coop
Livestock Facilities• Are fences sturdy and well
maintained?• Are children prohibited from playing in
barns or pens?• Are vents and fans in good repair?• Is the shelter appropriate for the
animals?• Do you have a designated petting area
for certain animals?
Tractors and Machinery
Teach them young
Hydraulic fluid under pressure can penetrate skin easily.
If an accident occurs see a doctor immediately. Any fluid injected into the skin must be surgically removed within a few hours or gangrene may result. Doctors unfamiliar with this type of injury should reference a knowledgeable medical source.
PTO- power take off
Tractors and Machinery• Have operators been trained on the
equipment?• Is there a “no extra rider” policy on
the farm• Do tractors have ROPS and PTO
cover shields?• Conduct a walk around inspection
prior to working machinery.
Environmental Factors
Personal Protection Equipment
GlovesHeadphones or Ear budsMasksSafety suitsWork boots
Air Contaminants
Water and Summer Storms
Environmental FactorsPersonal Protective Equipment
eyes, ears, gloves, masks, shoes, clothing
Sun exposureAir contaminantsWaterSummer storms
Pests and other Nastiest
Blacklegged (or deer )Ticks transmit Lyme disease and have been found in Shelburne and Cambridge Vermont this year.
http://healthvermont.gov/prevent/lyme/personal.aspx
Pesticide safety tips• Always read the label before buying
and/or using pesticides. Use pesticides only for the purpose(s) listed and in the manner directed.
• Keep children and pets away from
pesticides and areas where pesticides have been applied.
Boot scrubLook for a disinfectant and virucide. This makes it effective against viruses, bacteria and fungi. I use Virkon S. it comes in a powder and you can premix. Gempler’s carries it.
Picks and pokes
This one not this one
Pests and other Nastiest • Diseases• Poisons• Insects• Chemicals and Medications
Farm Visitors
Teachable moments
New babies are cute, but
Dogs.
Farm Visitors• Where are they authorized to be?• Are there clear signs?• Posted rules around the animals?• Posted rules around the farmstead? • No-unsupervised visitor policy?
Children on the Farm
Children take pride in what they do
Is it age appropriate?
Teach the adult and the child will reinforce the lesson
Children on the Farm• Children will learn mimic what you do
on the farm. • Age appropriate Tasks• Time appropriate lessons• Child restricted areas