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Vol 7., No. 1, January 2006
THOUGHTS & QUOTES
Zero Turn Radius (ZTRs) Mower SafetySeveral agents are working with their county employees to provide safety training programs this winter. Many of these employees use Zero Turn Radius mowers, more commonly referred to as ZTRs. As with any piece of equipment, there are specific hazards involved. Mowing injuries fall into three basic categories:
Steps can be taken to avoid these types of injuries. A reminder to use eye protection –- If there is any doubt about what eye protection can do, take a minute to look over the PowerPoint presentation (with pictures) that is on the Florida AgSafe Web site: www.flagsafe.ufl.edu (Click on "Florida AgSafe Publications" and then "Multimedia Presentations.") Hearing protection should also be used -– To understand what it is like to incur a hearing loss, see the Univeristy of Kentucky AgDare program 7-minute video, "Sound Advice for Farming," which can be viewed in its entirety on the National Ag Safety Database. The following Web sites provide safety, maintenance, and selection information for ZTRs:
Eye InjuriesPrevent Blindness America estimates that there are more than 2000 eye injuries per day incurred by workers in the U.S. The three major categories are:
An article that provides helpful information, "Eye injuries can be easy to prevent," was published in the Iowa Farmer Today. If there is any doubt about what eye protection can do, take a minute to look over the PowerPoint presentation (with pictures) that is on the Florida AgSafe Web site (click on "Florida AgSafe Publications" and then "Multimedia Presentations.") Since 1908, Prevent Blindness
America has been the nation's leading volunteer eye health and
safety organization with the sole mission of preventing blindness
and preserving sight. Agritourism PublicationsMany family farms are developing ag tourism enterprises in order to supplement shrinking farm incomes. Farm owners who engage in agritourism activities may not realize the legal, health and safety issues. These operations include petting zoos, bringing people on the farms for field trips, hay rides, maizes etc. Extensive information about agritourism operations can be found in these publications:
Children’s health and safety guidelines are being developed by the National Children’s Center for Rural Agricultural Health and Safety, Marshfield, Wisconsin and will be available at a later date. Beef Producers Perceptions for SecurityRecent Master's degree research in the Dept. of Agricultural and Biological Engineering at UF looked at the perceptions of Florida’s beef producers on preparedness for an agroterrorism attack. Graduate student Jodi DeGraw's research work was very timely since agroterrorism is a serious concern in the aftermath of September 11th, 2001. DeGraw's research showed that there is a disconnect between perception and practice, which indicates this is a significant topic and target audience for Extension education. Specifically, it was found that producers felt that an attack could happen in the United States as well as in Florida. However, they did not feel that it could happen on their operation. This indicates that more effort needs to be done at state and local levels to raise awareness of the potential threats. Some useful resources:
Ag Safety Awareness Week, March 5-11The Farm Bureau Safety and Health Network is promoting their Agricultural Safety Awareness Program Week, March 5-11, 2006. Visit www.AgSafetyNow.com for updated materials, including PSAs and fact sheets. Nolan Ryan, Hall of Fame pitcher, rancher and Farm Bureau member, has agreed to serve as the official spokesperson for ASA Week. The theme is “Step Up to The Plate for Farm Safety.” Fencing SafetyPost holes, fence posts, wire, electric fence, weeds, snakes, wasps, tractor instability, and post-hole augers are just a few of the many hazards associated with fence construction, repair and maintenance. A few safety reminders as well as legal issues are provided in a publication found at: http://www.flagsafe.ufl.edu/publications/fencing.html. A guide from University of Tennessee Extension, Planning and Building Fences on the Farm is on-line at: http://www.utextension.utk.edu/publications/pbfiles/PB1541.pdf. Preventing Chemical and Dust Hazards Is Focus of New Videos from CSBThe U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) has released three new educational videos illustrating the work of the agency.
The videos can be viewed at the CSB Web site (Click on Video Archive). Free DVD copies are available through the CSB. CPSC, Stihl Inc. Announce Recall of Chain SawsOn January 11, 2006, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with Stihl, Inc., announced a voluntary recall of the Stihl-brand MS 192 T Chain Saw. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.
Find this announcement at: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml06/06063.html [top]
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