UF/IFAS Okeechobee County Extension Service

458 Highway 98 North

Okeechobee, FL 34972-2578

Phone: (863) 763-6469

E- mail: dfculbert@ifas.ufl.edu

17 September 2003

Feature Article - for release the week of September 21, 2003

Dan Culbert - Extension Horticulture Agent

Risky Business

We all know that spine-tingling chill when the vehicle you are driving clears a blind curve to find a slow-moving vehicle ahead. It takes a split-second reaction - which can make the difference between life and death. Few drivers realize that if you’re following a farm tractor at legal driving speeds that the safety gap closes at an average rate of about 59 feet per second - that’s the length of a football field in just five seconds.

Situations like this should be brought to mind all year round, but it is especially important this week according to the National Safety Council. The 60th Annual National Farm Safety and Health Week will be observed on September 21-27, 2003.

Farm Safety Week is a time for all of us to thank farmers and ranchers for their important contributions in providing food for our world. It is also a time for producers to focus on the safety of children and young adults that perform farming duties, the safe use of guards and retrofits on farm machinery, and the important role that producers have in securing the safety of the nation's food supplies, water resources, and farm chemicals.

Agriculture is risky business. In 2002, Agriculture had the second-highest rate of deaths due to unintentional injuries of any industry, with a rate of 21 deaths per 100,000 workers, almost six times the rate of worker death in all other jobs. That’s 730 deaths from work-related injuries out of 3.4 million farmers in 2002. And, another 150,000 people suffered disabling injuries in 2002.

The Council reports that tractor incidents remain the number one cause of death in agriculture. A majority of farm operator fatalities are caused by tractors overturning without rollover protection and the all-important seat belt. Safety specialists estimate that half of all farm tractors in use do not have rollbars and seatbelts. Other farm tractor-related fatalities result from victims being run over by tractors, highway collisions between tractors and other vehicles, and fires during refueling.

Because farm tractors may be moving at speeds of ten mph or less, highway automobile speeds can result in serious injury. Farm equipment needs to have slow moving vehicle signage - the big orange triangles - and should have their flashing hazard lights on - even in the daytime this improves visibility on the road.

Although not as traumatic as farm machinery entanglements, slips and falls remain the leading cause of injury among farmers and ranchers. Wet and slippery surfaces in livestock barns and facilities are a major contributor to these injuries. Mud encrusted machinery platforms and steps take their toll. And falls from silos and grain bins, or slips into a pit or lagoon, affect many farm workers. Many of these injuries are serious enough to permanently keep the worker from ever doing their job again.

To prevent a slip or fall, keep work surfaces dry and use slip proof treads where moisture is present. Footwear with slip-resistant soles is highly recommended. Practice good housekeeping in farm shops and on equipment operator platforms. Reducing clutter will also help to reduce the possibility of a slip or fall.

Crop chemicals are necessary to ensure the production of food from our nation's farms and ranches. They prevent unwanted pests and are needed as fertilizer to produce crops efficiently. These chemicals must also be handled with care to reduce potential worker exposure. Here are some safety tips for handling agrichemicals:

The National Safety Council maintains a fact sheet library that has lots of reminders for Farm Safety and Health week - check them out at http://www.nsc.org/library/facts.htm. If you need additional information on agricultural safety, call or stop by our office at 458 Hwy 98 North. Our phone number is (863) 763-6469, and you can email us at okeechobee@ifas.ufl.edu.

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Trade names, where used, are given for the purpose of providing specific information. They do not constitute an endorsement or guarantee of products named, nor does it imply criticism of products not named. The Florida Cooperative Extension Service - Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer authorized to provide research, educational information, and other services to individuals and institutions that function without regard to race, color, sex, age, handicap, or national origin. Florida Cooperative Extension Service / IFAS /University of Florida. Christine T. Waddill, Dean.