Safety Reminders for Fencing

Maintenance to Prevent Animals from Getting Out

Florida law states that any owner of livestock who unlawfully, intentionally, knowingly or negligently permits animals to run at large or stray on public roads is guilty of a second degree misdemeanor. A series of publications titled “Florida Fence and Property Law” has been developed by Dr. Michael Olexa, a specialist in agricultural law at the University of Florida. (See below for a listing and links to all publications in the series.)

Post Holes

Use of the post-hole digger. Many injuries are associated with use of the post-hole digger. This includes injuries due to contact with the auger itself, but more-so related to the power take-off. Keep shields and guards in place. People sometimes try to lean on the top of the digger to add weight and therefore end up entangled in the PTO or the auger mechanism. Reminder also, that all the hazards associated with the equipment cannot be designed out, since the machine must still be able to perform its function. If a post is removed, fill in the hole – holes can easily lead to injuries for people as well as animals or they can cause a tractor overturn.

Gates

When gates join together, they should overlap -– rather than just meeting -– since with time, more of a gap will develop between the gates if they just meet. Also consider installing a people gate, in order that a person can quickly get out of the corral area if necessary. If wire or cable is used for a gate closure, especially across a roadway, the wire or cable should be clearly marked with flags, a sign, or reflective materials. Gates should be closed and secured with a chain and hook. Padlocks are recommended in areas where pastures are not in direct sight of actively occupied buildings.

Wire

Use caution when stretching wire. Use leather gloves, long pants and long sleeves –- and be sure to use eye protection.

Roll up and dispose of old wire. There are many farms and ranches where old rusty wire is left laying around.

When working with or removing old rusty wire, make sure your tetanus shots are up-to-date. You need a tetanus booster every 10 years.

Electric Fencing

Keep in mind that if fences are electrified, they must be checked and maintained. In dry conditions, they can cause fires if weeds or grass come in contact with them. Also keep in mind to check them after any electrical storms. For example, when I was growing up on a beef farm in northern Minnesota, we had a thunderstorm that knocked out our telephone. We didn’t think to check the fence -– a few days later one of our heifers reached under the fence for some hay and was killed instantly when she came in contact with the fence –- the electric fence had been blasted with the lightning and rather than shorting out and shutting off, the fence was now electrified with the same amount as the power lines were carrying -– considering all the times that one of us came in contact with the fence as we were working, we were fortunate that it wasn’t a person that was the first to come in contact with the fence!!!

A Whack on the Side of the Head

On a personal note, I can relate to ‘safety’ associated with fencing -– while removing steel fence posts a few years ago, I was ‘whacked’ on the side of the head by a steel fence-post. I was removing it by using a jack and a chain (the area was too wooded for access with a tractor). There had been a lot of rain, so the ground was quite wet, which served to increase the soil tension. Thus, after I removed the jack and loosened the chain, the post was ‘sucked’ back into the ground just as I was standing up. I ended up with a concussion. Fortunately I was not knocked out, because I was working alone in a wooded area. If I had been knocked out, it could easily have been a long time before anyone would have found me. In this instance, use of a hard hat would have been recommended,however, even working in the area of agricultural safety, nobody had mentioned that use of a hard hat in certain farming practices was recommended!!

Tractor Stability and Use of ROPS

Keep in mind that any hitching (for example, when removing posts) to the tractor must be done at the drawbar. Hitching above the drawbar decreases the tractor’s stability and increases the likelihood of a rear overturn. The rear overturn can occur in as little as 1.5 seconds, and unless the tractor is equipped with a ROPS and seatbelt, it is most likely (85 times out of 100) fatal. As the tractor is overturning to the rear, the person cannot overcome the forces to jump forward and escape.

Weeds, Insects and Snakes

Just a reminder that weedy areas (along fence rows) are a great place for insects (wasps, spiders, etc.) as well as venomous snakes.

Rabies

Few people realize that cattle can transmit rabies to humans. The scenario is that the cow will get bitten by a raccoon, fox or other rabid animal. One of the first symptoms the cow will have is throat paralysis, thus the cow appears to be choking and the owner/handler’s first instinct is to reach into the animal’s mouth to see what it appears to be choking on. Rabies is transmitted through saliva, thus the person is now exposed to rabies and must undergo the shots and treatment. Once symptoms appear there is no cure. It is recommended that show cattle and horses be vaccinated. Consult with your veterinarian for their recommendation.

Florida Fence and Property Law Series

• Introduction
• Duty to Fence
• Adjoining Landowners
• Boundaries and Possesion
• Easements and Rights-of-Way
• Maintaing the Boundaries
• Fence Contracts
• Visitors and Responsibilities to Visitors
• Glossary

More information about Livestock Safety can be found on the Florida AgSafe Web site. Or visit Temple Grandin's Web site that contains chute and handling facilities designs.

BE AWARE, BE ALERT, BE ALIVE!