Safety Counts, Protect What Matters- National Farm Safety Week is Sept 21-27

National Farm Safety Week is September 21^st-27^th.  As Agriculture continues to be one of the most dangerous occupations, we need to observe safety measures not just next week, but every week to make sure that we are protecting ourselves and others.

Today’s busy lifestyles seem to have people on the road and in a hurry to get at super-highway speed, but America’s rural roadways are not equipped for that speed and therefore present several safety hazards to contend with.  Roads that were engineered decades ago can be narrow and winding, constructed of gravel, and have unguarded intersections and railroad crossings. On rural roads, drivers will find large farm equipment moving slowly from field to field and taking up a large portion of roadway.

People can be distracted from the primary responsibility of driving while texting or using hand-held and wireless phones, operating laptop computers, or visiting with passengers in the vehicle. Taking the attention of the driver off the roadway and diverting it to other items is dangerous on four lane roadways, and it can be deadly on the rural roads.

Farm equipment needs to be checked on a regular basis to ensure that all lighting and markings are in working order and visible to the motoring public. Farm equipment operators need to take heed when making left turns into fields and farmsteads. Farm operators should also use turn signals when a tractor or combine is so equipped and use hand signals for older equipment. Operators of farm equipment should always look behind before attempting a left-hand turn to be certain no vehicles are trying to pass them.

The motoring public needs to be aware that farm machinery will turn left into fields or farmsteads and to drive defensively when attempting to pass farm equipment. Remember: drivers may only pass farm equipment in designated “passing” zones; it is illegal to pass farm equipment in “no passing” zones. It may be difficult for farmers making a left-hand turn to see passing vehicles in their rear view mirrors if those following vehicles are too close. Taking time to pass safely can be the difference between life and death.

Leaving home a little earlier and allowing more time to make it to a destination can allow for a more pleasant drive that will be safer for drivers, passengers, and other vehicle operators who share the road.

Equipment safety isn’t the only thing that we should pay attention to.  We often associate farm safety with properly using equipment. However, there is a danger that many forget to protect themselves from – sun damage.   One in five Americans will develop skin cancer. Risk for basal cell carcinoma, a skin cancer, is 40 percent higher in UV exposed workers compared to indoor workers. This includes farmers, who spend hours working outdoors.

Part of Farm Safety is Preventing Sun Damage:

·        Use a broad spectrum sunscreen (even on a cloudy day)

·        Use a waterproof sunscreen so it isn’t easily with removed sweating, apply 1 ounce, every two hours

·        Cover Up, Wear pants, long-sleeved shirts

·        Wear lightly woven, bright-colored clothing

·        Wear a hat (preferably wide-brimmed), The highest risk for skin cancer is on your face and scalp

Another safety measure that often gets overlooked is the use of personal protective equipment (PPE).  Never underestimate the importance of safety glasses, gloves, ear plugs and masks.  The use of personal protective equipment not only helps to protect you, but also improves productivity. Unfortunately, 70% of farmers experience some type of hearing loss compared to 10% of the general public, and eye injuries are the leading cause of blindness in farmers (not old age).  Not only can your hearing and sight be saved by the use of PPE, but many farm related injuries could be prevented with the use of personal protective equipment.

For more information on Farm Safety, contact the McLean County Cooperative Extension Office at (270)273-3690.  Educational programs of the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability or national origin.