Vol 5., No. 8, August 2004

 Contents

 

THOUGHTS & QUOTES

“Tell me, I forget! Show me, I may remember! Involve me, I understand!”

This issue of SN&N contains a lot of information for accessing materials that can be used in ag education, FFA, 4-H and similar youth programs. Many of the items include a complete curriculum package.

Please forward this issue to teachers that you know. If anyone new to receiving this newsletter wants to be added to the e-mail list, just send me an e-mail request (cjlehtola@ifas.ufl.edu). For those new to SN&N, back issues are available at: <www.flagsafe.ufl.edu>.

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Farm Safety & Health Week

September 19-25th is this year's Farm Safety and Health Week. The theme is "Agricultural Safety & Health - Yields for a Lifetime."

The logo as well as fact sheets can be downloaded from: <www.nsc.org/necas>. The site includes PSA's about the dangers of extra riders on farm equipment and about keeping chemicals away from kids.

This is a good time to make that connection with your local media outlets and in your Extension newsletters, etc. However, don't limit those contacts to one week a year. For safety messages to be effective, the philosophy to follow is 'keep a little bit in front of the people all the time'! Tailgate safety sessions are very good because they are 'short and simple' and directly relevant to the job currently at hand.

NOTE: Information about how to access tailgate training is in this issue of SN&N.

 

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Materials for Use in the Classroom

The following materials are available for teachers who are looking for ideas for helping with teaching farm safety in the classroom.

An article in Progressive Farmer in September 1990 shares a farmer's story about the dangers of extra riders on tractors. The complete article and a specially prepared lesson plan for the "Just Say No" article can be found at: <http://www.agednet.com/sf004v.shtml> (link updated Jan. 18, 2005).

Interactive narrative stories that cover a range of topics including: helmet use for horseback riders; motor vehicles and farm equipment on the roads; the dangers of extra riders; kids visiting a farm; and the use of ROPS and seatbelt can be found on NASD at:<http://www.cdc.gov/nasd/docs/d000901-d001000/d000997/9.html>. These are excellent to use in an ag education program or 4-H youth group. All the materials for doing the activities can be downloaded.

An entire curriculum for use in the classroom is available on NASD. The AgDare project was developed at the University of Kentucky. This curriculum consists of four units (amputation, spinal cord injury, hearing loss, and farmer's lung) that can be used as either stand-alone units or a total package. The focus of the curriculum is to use the concept of disability to teach injury prevention and safety behavior while completing farm work. Because of developmental issues, teens are less likely to react to a threat of injury or death, but are more responsive to avoiding disability and a change in body image. The complete package is at: <http://www.cdc.gov/nasd/docs/d000101-d000200/d000153/d000153.html>.

The video Rhythm of the Seasons can be previewed on NASD in it's entirety: <http://www.cdc.gov/nasd/videos/v001401-v001500/v001432.html>. Teachers may wish to purchase a copy (see www.flagsafe.ufl.edu for ordering information) for use in the classroom. The video makes students more aware of the need for safety since it puts "faces on the statistics". A curriculum book and hazard hunt activity to accompany the video can be downloaded from <www.flagsafe.ufl.edu> (see Rhythm of the Seasons/ IMBY support materials). IMBY is the "In My BackYard" hazard hunt and action plan.

A series of Safer Tractor Operation publications can be accessed at: <www.flagsafe.ufl.edu>.

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Youth Extension Publications in Spanish (Tractor Safety; West Nile)

English and Spanish versions of these publications are available at the following Web sites:

The first installment of the seven-part Mystery Club series, On Track with Tractor Safety targeted towards youth, <http://extensionenespanol.net/pubinfo.cfm?pubid=235>, has just been translated. Look for more titles in this series soon!

Extensión en Español users now have access to the three-part Nita the Mosquito series in Spanish <http://extensionenespanol.net/pubinfo.cfm?pubid=239> for teaching youth about mosquitoes and West Nile virus. This coloring/activity series is targeted to preschoolers, 8- to 10-, and 10- to 12-year-olds.

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Tailgate Trainings (English & Spanish) Now on NASD

Tailgate trainings are designed to be 5-7 minutes and are designed to provide workers with safety reminders at their point of work application. The Ohio State University has prepared over 80 training fact sheets in both English and Spanish. These are now on the National Ag Safety Database. Also included with each are a few quiz type questions.

NASD Home Page: <http://www.cdc.gov/nasd/menu/state/ohio.html>

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High School Ag Education Class Safety Commitment Model

"Building Student Commitment to Agricultural Safety: A Guide for Agriculture Education Classes", the model that was developed for use in the Pasco County Florida Schools, is now on-line as an EDIS document at: <http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/AE268>.

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Motor Vehicle-Animal Crashes

In 2000, an estimated 6.1 million light-vehicle (e.g., passenger cars, sport utility vehicles, vans, and pickup trucks) crashes on U.S. roadways were reported to police. Of these reported crashes, 247,000 (4.0%) involved incidents in which the motor vehicle (MV) directly hit an animal on the roadway. Each year, an estimated 200 human deaths result from crashes involving animals (i.e., deaths from a direct MV-animal collision or from a crash in which a driver tried to avoid an animal and ran off the roadway). To characterize nonfatal injuries from these incidents, CDC analyzed data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System-All Injury Program (NEISS-AIP). This report summarizes the results of that analysis, which indicated that, during 2001-2002, an estimated 26,647 MV occupants per year were involved in crashes from encounters with animals (predominantly deer) in a roadway and treated for nonfatal injuries in U.S. hospital emergency departments. Cost-effective measures targeting both drivers (e.g., speed reduction and early warnings) and animals (e.g., fencing and underpasses) are needed to reduce injuries associated with MV collisions involving animals.

The complete MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report) can be found at: <http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5330a1.htm>.

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Venomous Snakes

As Fall approaches and people are working in wooded areas, take the time to check a few facts about venomous snakes. These statistics are from the Palm Beach County Herpetological Society.

Statistics

  • 7000 venomous snake bites are reported annually in the United States.
  • 15 fatalities result, placing the chance of survival at roughly 499 out of 500.
  • Approximately 3000 are classed as "illegitimate," meaning these bites occurred while the victim was handling or molesting the snake.
  • 85% of the natural bites are below the knee.
  • 50% are dry. Squeezing the venom glands to inject is a voluntary reflex. In that strikes against humans are generally defensive actions, it is estimated that no venom is purposely injected about half the time. This holds true with the pit vipers. With the Coral Snake, the amount of venom injected is directly related to the size of the snake and the length of time it holds on to the victim.

Prevention

  • Do not play with snakes.
  • Keep landscape well manicured.
  • Wear shoes around the house.
  • Wear gloves when weeding.
  • Wear boots in snake country.
  • Develop the habit of watching where you step or place your hands.

The entire publication is on NASD at: <http://www.cdc.gov/nasd/docs/d000001-d000100/d000054/d000054.html>.

"Snakes - A Quick Reference Sheet" is available on EDIS at: <http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/UW036>.

Florida Natural History Museum Guide to Venomous Snakes: <http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/natsci/herpetology/fl-guide/venomsnk.htm>.

Color pictures: <http://www.floridaconservation.org/viewing/species/snakes.html>.

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Dangers of Bypass Starting of Tractors

The following news article describes an incident in California where a customer at a produce stand was run over by a tractor that the operator started from the ground. Thus when the tractor started, it was not controlled by anyone. Deaths and injuries from bypass starting a tractor occur to bystanders as well as the operators. For more information, see the publication: "Getting Started on the Right Foot: Dangers of Bypass Starting" at: <http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/AE172>.

Orangevale (California) woman killed by runaway tractor

Sunday, July 25, 2004

From The Associated Press

MARYSVILLE -- A 56-year-old woman shopping at a roadside produce stand north of Marysville was struck and killed by a runaway farm tractor and trailer Saturday.

Jose Garcia, 50, of Marysville, a longtime employee of Bock's Fruit Stand, had just delivered produce as the stand prepared to open for the day about 9 a.m., said Yuba County Undersheriff Steven Durfor.

When the tractor wouldn't restart, Garcia jump-started it with a screwdriver while standing alongside, Durfor said. The tractor was in gear and lurched forward as the engine caught, plowing through tables laden with fresh fruits and vegetables before striking the fruit stand itself.

Garcia jumped onto the tractor, but not before it struck and killed Linda DeWees of Orangevale, near Sacramento, who was shopping alone at the time, Durfor said. She was pronounced dead at the scene; no one else was injured.

Garcia was questioned, but no charges have been filed as the investigation continues, Durfor said.

The popular fruit stand is about seven miles north of Marysville along Highway 70, one of many stands bordering roadways in the region.

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Florida State & County Agricultural Response Team Training

The Florida State Agricultural Response Team (SART) is an interagency, coordinated effort dedicated to effectively communicating and planning for agriculturally-related emergencies and disasters that will occur within the State of Florida. The team's mission is to develop and implement procedures and train participants to facilitate a safe, environmentally sound and efficient response to agricultural emergencies on the county, district and state levels.

Free trainings will be held in Kissimmee on September 8-10 and Belle Glade on September 22-24. (The Tallahassee training scheduled for August 11-13 was canceled due to Tropical Storm Bonnie and Hurricane Charley -- they are looking at rescheduling it for the first part of October.) Training materials have been developed for "Introducing SART" and "Introducing Florida Aquaculture" -- these materials will soon be on the Florida SART Web site at: <www.flsart.org>. Registration materials for the trainings are available on the Web site.

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Homeland Security: Surveillance, Detection & Reporting

A recent memo was released by the FBI and DHS (Department of Homeland Security) for reporting suspicious activities. The memorandum summarizes activities to note and where and how to report them. The memo is available on the EDEN Web site at: <http://www.agctr.lsu.edu/eden>. On the EDEN home page, go into "Homeland Security" and then in the list at the right, go to "Surveillance, Detection & Reporting." It is especially important that facility owners, operators, and managers be aware of this.

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SAFETY NEWS & NOTES is an e-mail newsletter prepared by Carol J. Lehtola, Extension Agricultural Safety Specialist and team leader for the Prevention and Preparedness: Agricultural Safety & Disaster Management program. Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, UF/IFAS. If you have safety- or disaster-related questions or ideas that you would like to share with other agents, please contact Dr. Lehtola. If you know someone interested in receiving this newsletter, we will gladly add them to the e-mail list. Past issues of Safety News & Notes are archived on the Florida AgSafe Web site.

Florida AgSafe Web site: http://www.flagsafe.ufl.edu

The Disaster Handbook: http://disaster.ifas.ufl.edu

National Agricultural Safety Database: http://www.cdc.gov/nasd

Extension Disaster Education Network: http://www.agctr.lsu.edu/eden