Vol 7., No. 2, February 2006

 Contents

 

THOUGHTS & QUOTES

What is the real price agriculture pays ‘from field to fork?’

In the first month of 2006, 16 West Virginia coal miners were killed on the job. On January 2, 2006, 13 West Virginia coal miners were trapped when a part of the Sago Mine collapsed. Eventually, only one miner made it out alive. It was headline news for days. Society was outraged. State and federal government stepped in and passed legislation 'overnight' to take measures for improving the safety and health conditions under which miners work. Additional funding and support were provided. While so much attention was focused on West Virginia mining, two more miners died in separate incidents. On February 1, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) called for coal mine operations all over the country to take a pause for safety's sake on February 6th. Miners were asked to set aside the first hour of their shift to "Stand Down for Safety" to emphasize safety in the mining workplace. [Press Release for Mine Stand Down]

Certainly, our hearts go out to these miners, their families, and their communities. Yet, it should also remind us that in any given month, 65-70 workers are killed working in agriculture. [Based on National Safety Council estimates.]

Perhaps we should take this time to remind 'society' that agriculture and mining share the dubious distinction of being the top two most hazardous occupations. Agriculture's annual fatality rate stays around 24-28 per 100,000 workers. However, this is actually an underestimate -- exact numbers are not known due to lack of accurate data collection systems for ag related injuries and deaths. That number also does not include children. A sample data collection based on newspaper clippings included the deaths of several children: a 21-month-old, and 3-, 4-, 5-, and 6-year-olds. There would be total outrage if a 2-year- old were killed in any other industry in America. [For a few examples of deaths in agriculture, see Put a Face on the Statistics.]

During the past year, USDA funding support for Extension farm safety programs was eliminated. A comparative study of federal dollars allocated for various occupations has not been done recently. However, a comparative study was done in 1985. At that time federal dollars spent per worker for safety was 30 cents for agricultural worker and $182 per miner. This amounted to $606 per ag worker death and $363,366 per miner death. Agriculture needs to be viewed for what it is -- an industry with persistent occupational safety and health issues.

Yes, we do have several NIOSH-funded ag injury and health centers around the country, however, support for ag safety and health is still a very small portion of total federal funds allocated for occupational safety and health.

Those in agriculture should declare a time to 'Stand Down for Safety' and think about the hazards and dangers that surround them. Farm safety topics have always been geared towards farmers, farm families and producers. Maybe it is time to increase the awareness of the general public about the "real price agriculture pays 'from field to fork'!" In 1984, Des Moines Register reporter Tom Knudson wrote a Pulitzer prize winning series of articles, "A Harvest of Harm: The farm-health crisis." Maybe it is time for someone to write a "Harvest of Harm - 22 Years Later."

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Emergency Plans for Farms

Agricultural pesticides, fertilizers, fuels, and livestock waste can pose risks to people and to the environment. It is necessary for farms to develop emergency plans and to be able to implement proper procedures in the event of an emergency.

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Water, Water, Everywhere?
A Drought/Water Conservation Program for Homeowners, Master Gardeners, and Extension Agents

Because water seems so abundant in Florida, it is easy to take this vital resource for granted. Florida is one of many states that have experienced severe droughts in recent years. Water, Water, Everywhere? is a collection of lesson plans, workbooks, PowerPoint presentations, fact sheets, and a video that cover issues about drought and a closely related area, water conservation. People outside of water-sensitive industries may not experience the effects of drought until it has reached the most serious stage. Yet it is important for everyone to understand that water is a limited resource and we must all be aware of the water we use.

  • Unit 1: Introduction to Drought -- This unit introduces participants to the problem of drought and ways they can conserve water in their homes.
  • Unit 2: Water Conservation -- Participants take an in-depth look at landscaping with water issues in mind. They learn about irrigation, plant selection, and "Xeriscaping."
  • Unit 3: Landscapes and Drought -- Unit Three is an in-depth approach to helping landscapes cope with and then recover from drought. Topics covered include: identifying plant stress, cultural practices, and pest issues.

Proceed to the Water,Water,Everywhere? page to learn more and to download the training materials.

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Hydraulic System Hazards

The main hazards associated with working with hydraulic systems include crushing, burns, high pressure injections and being hit by thrown objects.

Crushing – Items that are being raised by hydraulics can come crashing down if the system loses pressure, fails, or the controls are bumped. Whatever is under the equipment will be crushed. Locks need to be used when equipment that is being worked on is in the raised position. This is also a reason not to have riders on equipment. There have been instances when small children have bumped the controls and caused equipment to fall on and kill the people under it. Even taking the dog along on the combine has resulted in controls being activated when the operator was out of the cab. Remember that hydraulics need a running engine to raise equipment -– but equipment can be lowered without the power being activated.

Burns – Hydraulic fluid operates at high temperatures and if a hose breaks, the result can be severe burns.

Thrown objects - If fluid sprays out, whether due to a large hole or due to the high pressure, it can also cause parts to go flying. So watch out for flying ‘shrapnel’.

High pressure injections – Household water comes out of the faucet at around 40 psi. Compare that to hydraulic systems which operate at 2000 psi or higher. If there is a pin-hole sized leak at that pressure, hydraulic fluid can be injected into a person through the skin -- pressures that high will penetrate gloves as well. Never rub your hand along a hydraulic hose to find a leak -– hold a piece of cardboard or paper above the hose if you suspect a leak. Hydraulic fluid can result in gangrene if not treated and removed by a knowledgable physician immediately. The general rule for testing for leaks is to shut down the machine and drain the pressure from hoses before inspecting them for leaks. Eye protection should also be used. [You can view a picture of a finger that was injected with hydraulic fluid. The finger has been lanced in an attempt to save the finger and the hand.]

In a daily equipment check, you should look for:

  • An adequate supply of fluid
  • No leaks, damage or wear and tear on lines, hoses, and fittings
  • No twists or abnormal contortions on hoses
  • That the equipment cannot rub against hoses and fittings
  • No spills of hydraulic oil under or on the machine

Some Hydraulics Safety Resources:

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Caring for Livestock in Disasters

Colorado Extension has produced a helpful series of publications about working with livestock in the event of a disaster. The three publications in the series are:

These publications, by Scott Cotton and R. Ackerman, cover many aspects of preparing for, surviving, and recovering from disasters. Issues for a variety of specific disasters -- including flash floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, blizzards and others -- are considered.

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Handling Goats

Many people now include goats (milk or meat) in their farm enterprise. Yet, goats may be harder to handle than cattle or sheep. The following two publications contain useful safety information for those who handle goats.

Care and Use of Goats discusses various illnesses that people can contract from goats (such illnesses that people can contract from animals are called zoonoses). It notes the importance of good personal hygiene practices when around the animals.

Efficient Handling of Meat Goats, from University of Maryland Extension, discusses principles and practices for the safe handling of the animals. Safer handling means less stress for the animal –- which in turn leads to increased productivity.

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Handling Bulls

Winter and spring are bull-buying season in Florida. Working with bulls can pose its own unique set of problems as they can be very unpredicatable. Additionally, their weight, strength, and temperament should be taken into consideration. Even ‘playful’ activity can result in injury or death. Bulls require special facilities that allow them to feed, drink, exercise, and breed without direct contact with handlers. Male calves that have been bottle-raised should be castrated. Bottle-fed male calves will think of themselves ‘as people,’ and when they reach breeding age, they exert their dominance on people –- with disastrous results.

Animal Handling Safety provides tips for working with these animals.

Two Farmers / Brothers Killed By Young Angus Bull is a Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) report which provides a case study of two elderly farmers who were killed by a young angus bull on their farm.

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New on NASD

Materials that have recently been placed on the National Ag Safety Database include:

ATV Safety by Linda Altizer with the National Organization of Orthopedic Nurses discusses the types of injuries and causes of ATV mishaps. There is also a one-page fact sheet summarizing this information.

ATV’s and Youth: Matching Children and Vehicles, by Dennis Murphy with Pennsylvania State University Extension

Farm Dump Truck and Trailer Safety, by Dennis Murphy with Pennsylvania State University Extension

Safe Use of ATV’s in Agriculture, by Dennis Murphy with Pennsylvania State University Extension

Farm Safety 4 Just Kids video Someone (see November-December 2005 SN&N) can be viewed in its entirety

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“Where to Meet” Plan

Preparedness planning includes making plans for who to call or contact if family members get split up during a disaster. A “Where to Meet” plan is also a good idea when traveling. A friend recently mentioned an experience they had during a vacation in New York City. He and his wife were heading to the airport on the subway. She got on and the doors closed before he could get on. When both of them asked people to help them find the other one, the first question they each were asked was “did you have a place to meet in case you got split up?” They also did not have the other’s cell phone number in their head or written down, since they were ‘programmed into the phone’!

Fortunately everything turned out fine (not without some stress though!!). But this is a situation we often don’t think about. So when traveling -- whether to places you are familiar with or to new places -- take a few minutes to note details of where you could meet up or who to call. Have phone numbers written down and keep them in your wallet rather than relying only on electronics! (In this case, he had both cell phones since she didn’t have a pocket, so she didn’t have the number when she was able to access a phone).

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Make Your Own Crossword Puzzles

You may want to make your own crossword puzzles for use as a teaching tool. A site on the Internet allows you to do that on-line at no charge. Puzzles are a fun way for reviewing safety terms. This crossword creator software can be a great tool for educators. Add puzzles to Web sites for fun. Create crosswords for company newsletters, classes, training sessions, and more...

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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