Farm Safety Yields Real Results

Experts offer safety reminders as one of the busiest, most dangerous times of the year in agriculture begins.

As harvest approaches, industry experts offer reminders to keep farm and family members out of harm’s way this season.

“The harvest season is known as one of the busiest, most dangerous times of the year in the agriculture industry,” says Brian Kuhl, president and chief executive officer of the Progressive Agriculture Foundation. “We also know that, unfortunately, the life of a child can quickly be impacted by these industry risks.”

It is estimated that every three days a child dies, and each day 33 children are injured, due to an agriculture-related incident, according to National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety. “These staggering statistics remind us how critical safety and health education is for our youth on the farm, on the ranch, and in our rural communities,” Kuhl says.

Five key safety questions

“Harvest is a busy time on the farm, and accidents can happen in seconds,” says Jason Berkland, assistant vice president of Risk Management at Nationwide Insurance. “Although safety should always be top of mind, farmers should be extra vigilant with safety when family members, children, or less-experienced workers are involved.”

1. Are all hazardous areas controlled? During loading and unloading, grain handling facilities, for example, have flowing grain, spinning PTO shafts, belt conveyors, augers, and other hazards that can pose great risks. In addition, pesticide storage areas, manure pits, or other confined spaces should be off limits to anyone not equipped with the proper knowledge, training, and personal protective equipment.

“Some regions will also need to make room for a large harvest, requiring bins to be completely cleaned beforehand as well as use of untraditional or alternative grain storage,” Berkland says. “Before anyone enters grain bins, it’s critical to assess for all the hazards involved and to take the proper safety precautions, including using lockout/tagout, harnesses, and a spotter.”

2. Are roles age appropriate? If labor is in short supply, it can be tempting to send a child, adolescent, or teenager to replace a task typically done by an adult. Before assigning new roles to youth, ensure they have the cognitive ability, strength, experience, understanding, and protective equipment necessary to handle the job safely.
3. Is equipment shut down with keys removed when not in use?Equipment should never be left running and unattended. When not in use, keys should be removed from all equipment. Hydraulics should be lowered or de-energized, and safety stops should be used.
   
   4. Are ride-alongs safe? Rather than having kids ride with you in equipment, consider setting aside a safe and supervised area where they can watch. In 2020, 60% of the children injured in agriculture accidents were not participating in the work, according to National Children’s Center 2020 Childhood Agricultural Injuries Fact Sheet.
   
   5. Are youth not involved in harvest being safe? Because a caregiver’s attention may be on harvest, ensure that children who are old enough to be left home alone are being safe. Set expectations, communicate often, and limit temptation by locking up any ATVs, firearms, or other hazards that require adult supervision.

Supporting grain bin safety

In the past 50 years, more than 900 instances of grain engulfment have been reported, according to researchers at Purdue University. Of those incidents, 62% were fatal. In 2020, grain entrapments led to 20 deaths.

“It only takes seconds, or a simple mistake, for an adult to sink in the quicksand-like flow of grain and become fully entrapped or engulfed,” says Brad Liggett, Nationwide’s president of Agribusiness. “Adding to the risk is a lack of rescue equipment available to local fire departments and emergency responders who are called for help when a worker becomes trapped.”

Since 2014, Nationwide has worked to address this issue with initiatives like the Grain Bin Safety program. The campaign strives to educate those entering grain bins about the hazards involved and the importance of implementing safe entry procedures. The Nominate Your Fire Department Contest is a centerpiece of the initiative. It is aimed at addressing the lack of specialized resources available to fire departments responding to bin entrapments.

“Nationwide has made it a mission to bring an end to this industry issue by raising awareness of the dangers and collecting funds to supply needed equipment to front line rescuers tasked with responding when accidents occur,” Liggett says. “With long-standing roots in agriculture, we’re thankful for the work America’s farmers do and for the contributions of our valuable partners who help us make a difference in rural communities.”

After receiving more than 1,000 nominations, Nationwide, in partnership with the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety (NECAS), awarded 48 fire departments with grain rescue tubes and training in 2021.

EDITOR’S TAKE:

Earlier in August we offered safety tips specifically aimed at keeping children safe on the farm. Because September is Farm Safety Month, we wanted to take a deeper dive into the topic. Our hope is that you can find some way(s) to support farm safety. Perhaps you can post this story on your website or send it directly to farmers/ranchers in your area via social media. Perhaps your fire department is trained in farm safety and could offer a seminar sponsored by your dealership – maybe by Zoom or another online provider, or better yet at your dealership. Farm safety not only benefits the farm/ranch family, but it also helps you maintain those all-important ag customers. Now is the time to help us put farm safety on the minds of every rural family and stop that accident before it ever has a chance to happen!