Vol. 6, No. 6, June 2005

 Contents

 

THOUGHTS & QUOTES

“While some curse the darkness…. Others use tap lights!”

This may be pretty obvious to many of the readers of SN&N (although, even when in the middle of a hurricane, it wasn’t obvious to me!!). About a year before the hurricane, I had purchased a box of 6 tap lights -– with intentions of eventually putting them up in closet areas. Furthermore, I had moved the box to a garage shelf in front of my car… where I would see that box every time I got into or out of my car! Also, I had a drawer full of batteries. But when my power was off for a week during September 2004, I spent the evenings reading by flashlight and portable lantern. After the power was back on, one of my co-workers happened to mention that she just put tap lights in the bathroom and other rooms around the house –- so when she entered a room, she just tapped them on, and they provided more light than a flashlight! Tap lights are convenient and easy to hang on the wall or lay on a table or countertop. They require 4 “AA” batteries.

Ever have a moment ‘when the light dawneth’ so to speak? Needless to say, my tap lights are now ‘battery loaded’ and in various locations around the house. I mention this just as a reminder to go ahead and get ready for the storm season. Sometimes the obvious isn't obvious -- even for a "safety" expert!

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Florida SART Offers Newsletter

Florida SART, the State Agricultural Response Team, is a program being developed to coordinate the response to agricultural and animal issues after a disaster or in an emergency. The program recently completed three regional trainings and is about to publish the first issue of its monthly newsletter, The SART Sentinel. The newsletter will keep SART members informed of training events, training and information resources, and ag- and animal-related activities in the emergency management system.

The SART Sentinel is distributed by e-mail and it will be posted on the Florida SART Web site at: <www.flsart.org>. If you want to be added to the e-mail list, visit the Florida SART Web site and sign up!

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Disaster Articles in June FloridAgriculture

Articles on hurricane preparedness that were written by IFAS personnel for Florida Farm Bureau’s publication, FloridAgriculture, appear on p. 8 of the June issue. Articles include:

  • Prepare for Needs of Your Horses and Livestock by Marion county Equine Specialist Mark Shuffit
  • Help Your Kids Cope with Disasters by Nayda Torres, FYCS Dept. Chair
  • Assess Damage and Make Repairs Soon after the Storm Passes by Wendell Porter, Dept. of Agricultural and Biological Engineering
  • Maintaining Your Generator Pays Off when the Lights Go Out by Ray Bucklin, Dept. of Agricultural and Biological Engineering and Laura Royer, Marion County Extension.

The page is also available at the FloridAgriculture Web site at: <http://floridagriculture.org/News.aspx?Id=156>.

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Horse Trailer Maintenance and Trailering Safety

Whether transporting your horse for pleasure or for evacuation purposes, the following sites can provide reminders for the proper maintenance of the horse trailer. Don’t wait until the last minute and assume that everything is ‘good to go’ -– especially if the trailer has not been used for a while. Also make sure to look it over to insure that no insects (wasps, for example); rodents; or snakes have decided to make a home in the trailer or in the area under or around it. A publication, Horse Trailer Maintenance and Trailering Safety, by Rutgers Cooperative Extension can be found on the National Ag Safety Database at: <http://www.cdc.gov/nasd/docs/d000801-d000900/d000842/d000842.html>.

A fact sheet, Common Sense Trailer Safety, that covers additional information about the selection of the towing vehicle, etc., by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food
is at: <http://www.gov.on.ca/OMAFRA/english/livestock/horses/facts/safety.htm>.

If traveling with your horse(s) for several days the following site includes a list of horse-friendly stop-over locations: <http://www.tripswithhorses.com/moving_tips_for_horses.shtml>.

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Rural Roadway Safety

Rural roadways account for 40% more fatal crashes than in urban areas. Reasons include:

  • Seat belt use is lower in rural areas. Often there is a perception of less risk when driving in the country.
  • Sharing the road with large slow-moving farm machinery can be dangerous. Drivers of cars and pickups may not see farm machinery or be able to stop in time to avoid a collision.
  • Youth without drivers' licenses may be operating farm equipment on rural roadways.
  • Pickups are a common form of transportation on rural roadways and riding in the back of a pickup is always dangerous.
  • Railroad crossings in rural areas are not often well marked or lit, plus the noise level of farm machinery may impede hearing approaching trains. (See Operation Lifesaver information in the next article of this issue of SN&N)
  • Often treacherous driving conditions occur on rural roadways due to:
    • gravel and slippery surfaces
    • soft shoulders
    • no center line markings
    • lack of stop signs
    • obstructed views caused by tall crops and roadway dust
    • narrow road surfaces
    • dusty conditions that can lead to reduced visibility when meeting or following vehicles
    • 70% of U.S. roads are not paved

Farm Safety 4 Just Kids “Buckle Up or Eat Glass” program information is at: <http://www.fs4jk.org/buoeg.html>.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) Partners for Rural Traffic Safety have developed an Action Kit. The Action Kit is a step-by-step “how to” guide for organizing and conducting a high profile, 30-day community campaign to increase seat belt use and to support the enforcement of seat belt, child passenger safety, and other traffic safety laws. Materials can be downloaded from: <http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/airbags/ruralsafety/foreword.html>.

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Operation Lifesaver Railroad Crossing Safety Program

Operation Lifesaver is a national, non-profit education and awareness program dedicated to ending tragic collisions, fatalities and injuries at highway-rail grade crossings and on railroad rights of way. Information about the program and educational materials can be found on their main page at: <http://www.oli.org/>. Included are teachers' materials, kids pages, printable posters, coloring books, etc. Also included is the city of “Safetyville”!

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Proper Use of Loaders

When using a tractor with a loader, it is important that the correct loader be used for the job. Also remember to keep loads close to the ground. The higher the loader is raised, the less stable the tractor. If you add to this turning on a slope or rough terrain, you have an overturn waiting to happen. Also, since hydraulics can fail, make sure the loader is on the ground when the tractor is parked. People have been crushed under ‘falling’ loaders. Florida’s “Safer Tractor Operations” series begins with an introduction that can be found at the EDIS Web site at: <http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/AE241>. In addition to this introduction, six publications have been developed for specific audiences, including acreage- and home-owners, employers, employees, privately owned and operated farms and ranches, emergency personnel, and the landscape maintenance industry.

A Loader Safety Tailgate Training fact sheet is at: <http://www.cdc.gov/nasd/docs/d001701-d001800/d001752/d001752.html>. The Spanish version is at: <http://www.cdc.gov/nasd/docs/d001701-d001800/d001752/d001752-s.html>.

Safe Use of Big Round Bales (includes the loader information) fact sheet from North Dakota State University Extension is at: <http://www.ext.nodak.edu/extpubs/ageng/safety/ae1157w.htm>.

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Sun Safety Recommendations

Personal protection is necessary to limit skin’s exposure to the sun. Areas especially vulnerable for farmers and farm workers include the head, face, neck and ears. The use of a proper hat and sunscreen will help protect these areas.

A Sun Exposure Tailgate Training that includes recommendations for hats and sunscreens is at: <http://www.cdc.gov/nasd/docs/d001701-d001800/d001749/d001749.pdf>. It is also in Spanish at: <http://www.cdc.gov/nasd/docs/d001701-d001800/d001749/d001749-s.html>.

For answers to frequently asked questions about skin cancers and prevention see the Centers for Disease Control site at: <http://www.cdc.gov/ChooseYourCover/qanda.htm>.

The National Coalition for Skin Cancer Prevention has information resources about skin cancer and youth (sports programs, camps, summer outdoor activities). The Web site is at: <http://www.sunsafety.org/>.

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Farm Ponds

A reminder about safety around farm ponds -– especially in the summer when they are likely to be used for swimming and other recreational activities..

A Farm Pond Safety Tailgate Training is on NASD at: <http://www.cdc.gov/nasd/docs/d001701-d001800/d001730/d001730.html>. The Spanish version is at: <http://www.cdc.gov/nasd/docs/d001701-d001800/d001730/d001730-s.html>.

Kid’s Health for Parents provides a Web page with children’s water safety information. It is at: <http://kidshealth.org/parent/firstaid_safe/outdoor/water_safety.html>.

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Tick-Borne Illnesses

With the summer come more outdoor activities -– The American Lyme Disease Foundation Web site has very informative materials about tick-borne illnesses, including Lyme Disease. Many of their information pages are available in Spanish.

Lyme Disease (LD) is an infection that is carried by deer ticks. An infected tick can transmit the disease to humans and animals it bites. Untreated, the bacteria travel through the bloodstream, establish themselves in various body tissues, and can cause a number of symptoms, some of which are severe. The Web site of the American Lyme Disease Foundation describing Lyme Disease is at: <http://www.aldf.com/Lyme.asp>. Information about several other tick-borne illnesses can be found at: <http://www.aldf.com/MajorTick.asp>.

An IFAS publication, Lyme Disease in Florida Horses, is available on the EDIS Web site at: <http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/IN492>.

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Children’s Center and Mini Grants

The purpose of the “Mini-grant” program of the National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety is to support small-scale projects and pilot studies that address prevention of childhood agricultural disease and injury. Funds are allocated to support projects that:

  • a) test innovative strategies,
  • b) strengthen partnerships between safety professionals and agricultural organizations and the media,
  • c) explore new research questions, and
  • d) translate research findings into practical applications.

Proposals are due August 10th. Information can be found at: <www.flagsafe.ufl.edu>. Click on “Ag Centers”, then scroll down to "National Children’s Center and Call for Proposals FY06."

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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.