The number of agricultural workers that fall victim to grievous injuries while at work is significant and merits closer attention to get rid of potential threats. Not only injuries but as many as 416 personnel (as per Occupational Safety and Health figures) involved with farms die annually from injuries resulting from their work. Additionally, every day as many as a hundred agricultural workers lose out on their working hours due to an injury sustained while working.
But provided that you are adequately equipped with the correct information and observe certain best practices and tips, it is indeed possible to cut down these numbers significantly. So, without further ado, here are six things that will help prevent farm injuries if they are aware of the information:
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Ensure Safety Of Farm Equipment
Irrespective of their sizes, it is a general fact that most farm equipment presents some form of health hazards. The people working with it or operating it and to bystanders who might not be involved with the work might be at risk. The size of the farm equipment in question plays a vital role in determining the severity of the farm accident and the kind of threat it presents. Besides such specific dangers, all farm equipment types share other types of hazards between themselves. This article will focus on the risks of farm equipment pose to operators and nearby people. However, you need not worry. You can take a wide variety of steps to keep such potential dangers to a minimum.
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Make Sure Small And Home Equipment Are Adequately Safe
Small (farming?) equipment is an all-too-common part of US households. Almost all US homeowners with a significant yard area own a lawnmower. Lawn owners not only help to ensure that your yards remain neat and attractive. Besides, many US municipalities make it mandatory for groundskeepers and homeowners to maintain their lawns and yards. Having a lawnmower is essential. During the seasons that experience excessive growth of grass, many teenagers and even a bit older child earn their pocket money by mowing lawns. That is by no means a piece of good and happy news- as many as 600 children fall victim to lawn mower accidents and need to undergo amputations. It is, therefore, only the natural Consumer Product Safety Commission of the US federal government has classified lawnmowers to be extremely dangerous. Accordingly, operate them with proper safety.
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Safety Of Farm Shops
The federal organization charged to ensure employee safety is OSHA or the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. They regulate rules for achieving the said purpose. However, farms that employ less than eleven employees don’t fall under the scope of its regulations. In contrast, all types of farm employees and growers must comply with the safety rules designated for farm shops. Under such situations, PPE or specially designed Personal protective equipment comes to rescue farmers and farm-related workers. It can minimize the extent of sustained injuries if at all it fails to prevent it entirely. As per legal norms, such PPE equipment needs to undergo inspections before each use to ensure it is working effectively.
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Handling Grains Safely
Handling grains is often a demanding job, and you will be saddened by the number of people who die while handing flowing grains. The flow of a sufficiently large quantity of grains can be unstable and akin to liquids. Movements become almost impossible for a person caught in a grain flow. All it takes is a few seconds for the worker to get buried so deep in grains that it leads to suffocation, thereby causing the person’s death.
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Stay Safe In Hot Weather Conditions
As you might know, most farm and ranch work is performed outdoors. And the out during the daytime translates to excessive exposure to the sun, including the harmful UVA and UVB sun rays. They will not only damage your skin but might additionally cause cancer as well. In this context, keep in mind that certain skin types are more vulnerable to sun radiation. It would accordingly help people to adopt necessary precautionary measures.
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Handling Livestock Safety
Farms are commonly associated with livestock. Such animals have a diverse range of senses, and things that might be normal to us might frighten them or make them aggressive. Scientific research reveals that animal ears get substantially damaged by loud noises. Additionally, not all livestock animals are colored visioned. Due to their physiological and biological differences, farm-related workers need to remain aware of the difference in these animals’ perceptions. Such awareness will ensure the safety of both the livestock as well as the workers.
Farmers are usually a financially and functionally vulnerable lot. They are well aware that if they get injured, it might mean losing livelihood and other farming and livestock functions not being adequately carried out. Knowing what to watch out for would help farmers minimize the chances of such accidents. Stay alert and may your farm blossom and grow!
