Vol 6., No. 1, January 2005

 Contents

 

THOUGHTS & QUOTES

Safety Pays….by not costing you $$ due to injuries

The bottom line of any business is making a profit. If the business or farm has work-related injuries, those costs ultimately reduce profits. Uninsured costs for a workplace injury can be four to five times greater than the insured costs. These costs are ultimately paid for by the employer or farm owner. The costs are many, and they include:

  • Wages that are paid to the injured person
  • Wages to uninjured workers – including stopping production
  • Assisting with the injured person
  • Damage to material or equipment
  • Cost of overtime
  • Supervisor’s wages for time spent filling out injury reports
  • Dealing with investigations etc.
  • Training costs for repositioning employees to resume production
  • Employer’s medical costs
  • Managers and clerical personnel dealing with reports, phone calls, etc.

If that isn't enough, an injury can result in delivery delays, unfavorable publicity and perhaps damage to the company’s credibility, increase in the insurance premiums, and possible lawsuits, fines and penalties.

Safety is not a cost, it’s an investment!

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February is Eye Safety Month

A significant number of eye injuries causing visual loss, disability and blindness occur in the workplace each year. Your message that 90 percent of them can be prevented with appropriate protective eyewear can make a difference. Use this month's tools to protect your patients, community and the public. These materials are provided by the American Academy of Ophthalmology. <http://www.aao.org/aao/patients/eyemd/workplace.cfm>.

A power point presentation about eye protection is available at: <http://www.flagsafe.ufl.edu/>. Click on Dr. Lehtola’s Publications, and it can be found in the Multimedia section.

A teaching guide for teaching agricultural employees about Eye Protection, by the Farm Safety Association, can be obtained from the National Ag Safety Database at: <http://www.cdc.gov/nasd/docs/d001601-d001700/d001628/d001628.html>. It is also available in Spanish and French.

The OSHA information page on Eye and Face Protection is at: <http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/eyefaceprotection/>. This includes a page that has links to several great Web sites with excellent information and some ready to go teaching materials.

An excellent informative article about eye protection in the workplace is provided by the Mayo Clinic at: <http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?id=WL00028> (includes a good slide showing different types of eye protection).

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SART Trainings Rescheduled

The training sessions for the State Agricultural Response Team program that were cancelled last fall due to the hurricanes have been rescheduled. The program locations and dates are:

  • March 2nd – 4th at Kissimmee
  • April 20th - 22nd at Belle Glade
  • May 18th – 20th at Tallahassee

For registration and location information see: <www.flsart.org>. Trainings are free, but you must register.

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 may 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.

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Hand Tools Safety

Hand and power tools are a common part of our everyday lives and are present in nearly every industry. These tools help us to easily perform tasks that otherwise would be difficult or impossible. However, these simple tools can be hazardous, and have the potential for causing severe injuries when used or maintained improperly. Special attention toward hand and power tool safety is necessary in order to reduce or eliminate these hazards. The following questions link to resources that provide safety and health information relevant to hand and power tools in the workplace. Hand and power tools are a common part of our everyday lives and are present in nearly every industry. These tools help us to easily perform tasks that otherwise would be difficult or impossible. However, these simple tools can be hazardous, and have the potential for causing severe injuries when used or maintained improperly. Special attention toward hand and power tool safety is necessary in order to reduce or eliminate these hazards. The following questions link to resources that provide safety and health information relevant to hand and power tools in the workplace.

Safety information can be found at OSHA at: <http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/handpowertools/>

A PowerPoint presentation can be viewed at: <http://siri.uvm.edu/ppt/handsafe/>

A basic fact sheet on hand tool safety is at: <http://www.cdc.gov/nasd/docs/d000701-d000800/d000790/d000790.html>

Christmas Tree Management Shearing and Pruning Safely With Hand Tools – a publication from Rutgers University is at: <http://www.cdc.gov/nasd/docs/d000901-d001000/d000955/d000955.html>

Using Horticultural Hand Tools – English & Spanish: <http://www.cdc.gov/nasd/docs/d000801-d000900/d000853/d000853.html>

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ATV Safety Classes

The ATV Safety Institute (ASI), a non-profit division of the Specialty Vehicle Institute of America (SVIA), was formed in 1988 to implement an expanded National program of all-terrain vehicle (ATV) safety education and awareness. ASI's primary goal is to promote the safe and responsible use of ATV's, thereby reducing accidents and injuries that may result from improper ATV operation by the rider.

A hands-on, half-day ATV RiderCourse is conducted by licensed ASI  Instructors. It offers students the opportunity to increase their safety knowledge and to practice basic riding skills in a controlled environment under the direct supervision of a licensed  Instructor.

Students practice basic safety techniques with hands-on exercises; such as starting and stopping, turning (both gradual and quick), negotiating hills, emergency stopping and swerving, and riding over obstacles. Particular emphasis is placed on the safety implications relating to each lesson. The course also covers protective gear, environmental concerns and local laws. Participants receive the ATV RiderCourse Handbook, which reinforces the safety information and riding techniques covered during the ATV RiderCourse.

Riders under 16 (under 18 for Arctic Cat) are restricted to ATVs of the appropriate size  recommended for the rider's age. There are special teaching provisions for students under 16, and parents are encouraged to attend as well. Students under 12 participate in separate classes, and the parent must be present during the entire course.

More information about the course can be found at: <http://home.att.net/~atvsafety/page3.html> or you can call the ATV Enrollment Express at 800.887.2887.

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Department of Labor Changes Youth Labor Laws

U.S. Labor Department Publishes Youth Employment Rules
Rules Become Effective in 60 Days

December 16, 2004 

WASHINGTON-The Labor Department published today in the Federal Register final regulations implementing changes to employment rules for youth. The new rules expand protections for youth working in restaurant cooking, roofing, and driving, among other changes.
 
"These rules are part of the department's ongoing effort to promote positive, safe work experiences for young workers," said U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. "This follows upon our very successful YouthRules! public awareness campaign launched in May 2002 to educate teens, parents, educators, employers, and the public about federal and state laws regarding young workers."
 
The rules incorporate into the regulations the provisions of two statutory amendments to the Fair Labor Standards Act that deal with driving and the operation of compactors and balers by teenage employees. The first statutory change established criteria permitting 16- and 17-year-olds to load, but not operate or unload, certain waste-material baling and compacting equipment. The second statutory change delineated what limited on-the-job driving may be performed by qualified 17-year-olds.
 
Provisions are also included to modernize the youth employment provisions regarding what types of cooking 14- and 15-year olds are permitted to perform. The new rules now permit those minors to clean and maintain cooking devices in some situations.
 
The rules published today also expand the current prohibition against youth under age 18 working in roofing occupations to encompass all work on or about a roof, including work performed upon or in close proximity to a roof. Under the new provisions, youth may only perform such work if in an apprenticeship or student-learner program.
 
The department published the rules following the review of comments received in response to a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. The final rules address some of the recommendations made by NIOSH in a report to the department in May 2002. The complete text of the rule is now available in the Federal Register, online at www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/index.html and the department's website at www.dol.gov.
 
The department has also revised existing compliance assistance materials to comport with these new rules. These materials may be found at www.youthrules.dol.gov  and www.wagehour.dol.gov. Information may also be obtained by calling the department's toll-free help line at 1-866-4USWAGE (1-866-487-9243).    

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Soybean Rust (SBR) Security Issue

Passing along the following information from the Extension Disaster Education Network including a link to finding out more information about SBR.

Because DHS is now recognizing SBR as a security issue, this bulletin has been placed on the EDEN SBR Issue page. It is the last resource linked at the bottom of the page (www.agctr.lsu.edu/eden/soybeanrust).

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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