Vol 6., No. 11, November/December 2005

 Contents

 

Thoughts & Quotes

A handy feature of Google is the "news alert." You enter a term and Google automatically notifies you whenever news items about that term appear. I use the term "farm accident," and this month I have received a string of frustrating stories. (Although I try to discourage the use of the term accident, that is what I have to use to search under since that is what the media uses!) In recent weeks, there have been a high number of injuries and deaths due to hayrides.

Many of the articles state that the hayride victims were involved in a ‘freak accident.’ Unfortunately, use of that terminology implies that nothing could have been done about it. See what you think:

  • A 12-year-old boy was riding on a trailer with no railings or anything else to hang on to. When the trailer hit a bump, the boy fell off, was run over and killed. [More...]
  • Twenty people were riding on a trailer... with no taillights... on a public roadway. The trailer was struck by a semi-tractor-trailer. Four were killed; 16 were injured or shaken up. [More...]
  • Several people were waiting for their horse-drawn hayride to begin when one of the horses was spooked. Horse, wagon and passengers plunged down the embankment on the side of the road and ended up in a pond. Six people were injured. One horse was killed. [More...] [More...]
  • Several people were injured when the hitch pin connecting their wagon to a tractor gave way. The wagon went down the nearby embankment. [More...]
  • A 16-year-old pumpkin farm employee was assigned the job of jumping out of some weeds to scare people who came by on a hayride. When he did so, he slipped on his costume and fell into the path of the tractor and was run over and killed. [More...]

Did you find anything freakish in any of these situations? Precautions were available for every one of these situations that would have prevented injury and death. Railings can be provided. Proper lighting can be installed. Pins can be checked to make sure they are hooked adequately, and safety chains can be used. Parents and teenagers can insist on appropriate safety measures.

Since often times hayrides involve many people, safety must be considered number 1. For those people who lost loved ones and for those who will suffer from their injuries, there is nothing freakish about these instances.

Don’t misinterpret my concerns -– hayrides can be a lot of fun –- just be aware of the potential risks and practice safety! I want people to go home after the hayride and laugh about the fun they had with family and friends. I don’t want them going home (or to the hospital) thinking, ‘if only…’

‘Hayride season’ may be partly over, but you can tuck this information away for your newsletters for next August or September when hayride activites are being planned. (See the article Hayride Safety Reminders in this issue of SN&N).

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Neighborhood Safety Network (CPSC)

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has a critically important mission: to keep all consumers safe from harm from dangerous products. Unfortunately, certain groups of Americans, such as the elderly, urban and rural low-income families, and some minority groups, often do not hear about their safety messages.

In order to carry out their mission more effectively, the CPSC has embarked on a special project to put lifesaving information in the hands of these populations by creating the Neighborhood Safety Network. By entering your organization's contact information into the NSN database, you become a partner in their campaign to share lifesaving safety information with consumers who may not be aware of the many hazards that exist in and around the home.

CPSC will use the contact information provided to send out posters, publications and announcements that are specially tailored to meet the needs of specific groups –- such as child safety tips for new parents and fire safety advice for older Americans living on their own. With the responsibility to ensure the safety of over 15,000 consumer products, you will soon realize that CPSC has information that can benefit every American.

At the CSPC Web site, one can download posters and other useful information –- most of it is in both English and Spanish. Current posters include: carbon monoxide; child safety for grandparents; pools; holiday decorations; safety for elderly; etc.

The site is: <www.cpsc.gov/nsn/nsn.html>.

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CO Poster from Florida Department of Public Health

In spite of warnings and information about the dangers of carbon monoxide when operating generators, Florida has already reported 6 deaths due to CO after hurricane Wilma. Governor Jeb Bush stated that "people wouldn't think of putting a vehicle with its motor running inside their house and that a generator in the house is just as deadly.”

The Department of Health has recently developed a CO poisoning flyer regarding generator use.

"Keep your generator O.A.D. so you don’t become D.O.A."

(O.A.D. = Outside, Away & Dry; D.O.A. = Dead On Arrival)

We would also like to remind people who are still without power not to use charcoal for cooking indoors. A recent storm-related fatality resulted from cooking inside with a charcoal grill.

The poster is available on the Florida AgSafe Web site <www.flagsafe.ufl.edu>. Click on "Emergency Resources" and find the poster at the top of the page.

The Florida Dept. of Health also has an FAQ sheet about CO at: <www.doh.state.fl.us/hurricane/documents/final%5Fco%5Ffaqs.doc>.

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Gift Giver’s Guide: A Guide to Charitable Giving in Florida

The following Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services Web site allows you to enter the name of an organization to find out if they are a legitimate ‘charity’. This includes providing information that the group is registered in Florida and can legally solicit donations. It also shows the amount collected, the amount that goes for administration, etc. The information is at: <www.800helpfla.com/giftgiversguide/GiftGiversQuery.aspx>.

This is a good site to check out, especially in times of disasters when the scam artists seem to multiply!! For example, following the wildfires of 1998, there were several ‘scam’ organizations that included the word firefighter in their name.

If you are solicited, ask if the money stays in the community or not. Some organizations may appear to be local interest groups but actually send the money elsewhere.

Other states should have similar information. An easy way to find out for your state is to go to Google and type in "[name of state] gift giver’s guide of charitable organizations".

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Stress After the Storm

The book Triumph over Tragedy: A Community Response to Managing Trauma in Times of Disaster and Terrorism, developed by the National Rural Behavioral Health Center at the University of Florida, provides information about dealing with stress created by having to deal with abnormal situations. Mental health professionals report significant increases in stress-related calls following hurricanes or other types of disasters. Domestic shelters also find an increase in the number of abuse cases, etc. So be prepared for what can be some stressful times ahead.

The Center’s Web site is: <www.nrbhc.org/>.

Responders are at risk, too. People may not be aware that a person who played a key role in the rescue of Jessica McClure from a well in Midland, Texas and a person in a key role in the rescue of the Pennsylvania coal-miners -- both of which were successful rescues -- committed suicide within a few months. Other rescuers involved with the Oklahoma City bombing rescue as well as with the September 11 rescue have also committed suicide. During Katrina, a couple of New Orleans police officers committed suicide as well. For an excellent article discussing the role of post-traumatic stress among rescuers see: <www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2003-09-22-legacy-usat_x.htm>. This stress can occur months or even years after a traumatic event.

Information is provided on the Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) Web site for helping children cope with disasters. Go to <www.eden.lsu.edu> and in the upper left corner click on "Children and Disasters."

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Tractor Safety for Disaster Recovery Brochure

A tri-fold fact sheet on Tractor Safety for Disaster Recovery can be downloaded and printed from the Florida AgSafe Web site: <www.flagsafe.ufl.edu>.

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“Someone” Video on FS4JK Site

Someone is a very moving 6 1/2 minute video explaining the history of Farm Safety 4 Just Kids.

The video emphasizes that kids are loosing their lives in adult situations. To begin to change this situation, someone must tell the story, someone must listen, someone must take a stand, and someone must show a safer way to keep rural kids safe and healthy.

Watch Someone at <www.fs4jk.org/press.html> (scroll down and click on "Someone"). [BE ADVISED: the MPEG video is 66 MB in size and should only be downloaded using a high-speed broadband connection.] You can also view "Someone" on NASD, which does not require a download.

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Hayride Safety Reminders

Recent injuries and deaths involving hayride activities across the country prompt this reminder from a past Safety News & Notes.

Recent situations include:

  • A hitch pin broke, sending a wagon down an embankment. Fifteen were on the wagon; 11 jumped clear and 4 were injured.
  • A wagon hit a bump, and a 12-year-old fell off, was run over and killed.
  • A 6-year-old attempted to jump off the wagon and was run over and injured severely.
  • Six people were injured when a horse-drawn wagon carrying 20 people went through a fence, rolled down a hill, plunged into a pond and flipped over. A horse was killed.
  • A 16-year-old pumpkin farm employee was run over when he jumped out of the weeds to scare hayride passengers. He slipped, was run over and killed.
  • Four people were killed when a semi ran into a hayrack being pulled by a tractor on a highway.
  • Eleven people were injured on a Halloween night hayride in Oregon.

For a public service announcement from the National Safety Council about hayride safety see: <www.nsc.org/news/nr092603.htm#psa>.

With the fall season upon us, the popularity of hayrides as fundraisers or social events increases. However, reports of injury-producing incidents involving hayrides have been on the increase over the past several years. These events need to be well organized and carefully monitored, so that a fun outdoor activity doesn't turn into a tragedy.

To approach the planning and coordination of a hayride, consider the 3 H's:

  • Hitching
  • Highways
  • Horseplay

Hitching includes the wagon, the tractor or truck that is pulling the wagon, and the safeguards used to ensure that the wagon is properly attached.

  • Never attach more than one wagon behind the pulling vehicle. Extra wagons make the "snaking" action of the caravan more severe and may result in sideswiping or overturning of the trailing wagons.
  • A truck or tractor should never pull a wagon so fast that it sways out of a straight line.
  • "Proper hitching also includes using a well-designed hitch pin with a clip or lock between the wagon and the pulling vehicle; and installing safety chains to ensure that the wagon does not disconnect while in motion," according to Professor Dennis J. Murphy, agricultural safety specialist at the Pennsylvania State University.
  • Avoid crushing injuries when hitching equipment: <www.cdc.gov/nasd/docs/d001601-d001700/d001673/d001673.pdf>.
  • Know about soil shear lines (the distance one should keep equipment away from an embankment): <www.cdc.gov/nasd/docs/d001501-d001600/d001590/d001590.html>.

Highway considerations include careful planning of the hayride route. First, try to keep your hayride off public roads altogether! But if you must use a roadway:

  • Highways with excessive vehicular traffic moving at high rates of speed should be avoided at all costs.
  • Hayride organizers should consult with local law enforcement agencies to seek their advice on which roads to use. These agencies may also be willing to provide security and safety during the hayride. To further reduce the highway hayride hazard, have escort vehicles traveling in front and in back of the hayride with their emergency lights activated.
  • Trailers and tractors should meet the requirements for proper marking and lighting. Tail lights need to be in place, reflective materials, and a visible Slow Moving Vehicle (SMV) emblem. For information on marking and lighting see a publication on NASD at: <www.cdc.gov/nasd/docs/d000101-d000200/d000148/d000148.html>.

Horseplay on a hayride should not be tolerated and may become an unwanted distraction to the driver.

  • Planned activities, such as singing or story-telling, may help focus the attention of children and teenagers.
  • Adult supervision is a must! Passengers can easily fall from a wagon or truck and be run over by the vehicle's wheels causing traumatic injuries or death.
  • All riders should be sitting down while the wagon or truck is moving.
  • Be sure these rules are clearly stated to all participants before the ride begins.
  • And always -- No riders on the tractor.

Note: One of our readers suggested a very important 4th H -- Hang On! He shared the story of a friend's little sister who was thrown from a haywagon when it hit a bump. She fell into the path of the wagon and was killed. Be sure the vehicle or trailer you pick for your hayride has plenty of secure handholds.

After your safe and fun hayride, you might need a reminder for campfire or bonfire safety tips: <www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/ce/eek/nature/camp/campfire.htm>.

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Livestock Safety Videos (Free)

As a part of their outreach, the Southwest Center for Agricultural Health, Injury Prevention and Education has available, while supplies last, the Cattle Handling Safety video (DVD) and the Livestock Safety for Kids video (DVD) at no cost. A Spanish version of the Livestock Safety for Kids is also available.

Contact Karen Gilmore at: Karen.Gilmore@uthct.edu or call 903-877-5896. Both of these videos are on NASD and can be viewed in their entirety if you want to preview them.

Just go to <www.cdc.gov/nasd>, click on "Videos", then "Online Videos."

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State Tractor Driver Laws

Findings showed that 17 states have legislation addressing youth who operate farm tractors on highways. The content of these statutes varies, but includes driver’s license or educational requirements as well as regulations concerning the ages, locations, and/or times of day when youth may drive farm machinery on highways.

You can access your state law regulating tractor operations on highways, by visiting the following page on Marshfield Clinic Web site, and clicking on the name of your state: <www.marshfieldclinic.org/nfmc/pages/default.aspx?page=nccrahs_tractorlaws>.

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Cool Weather Heating Safety Reminders

A few reminders are in order now that people are using electrical heat tape, space heaters, fireplaces, oil heaters, wood burning stoves and furnaces:

Many manufactured home fires are the result of improperly installed heat tape. Recommendations for safe use of heat tapes to prevent fires, a publication by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, is at: <www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PUBS/5045.html>. How to Install Heat Tape for Manufactured Housing, by My Great Home (an online resource for manufactured and modular home owners), is at: <www.mygreathome.com/fix-it_guide/heat_tape.htm>.

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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://eden.lsu.edu/

Florida State Agricultural Response Team (SART): http://www.flsart.org