1. Staying Safe in an Agriculture Workplace
David W. Smith
Farm Safety Programs
Texas Cooperative Extension
Texas A&M University System

2. What makes agriculture work dangerous?
Environment
Personal factors
Work activities
Social, economic and political factors

3. Environmental Factors
Weather
Work sites overlap with residence, office
Delayed response of emergency service
Isolation from others
Difficult to maintain good personal hygiene
Hazards and exposures not monitored (noise, vibration, lighting, dusts, etc.)

4. Personal Factors
Young children frequently exposed to hazards beyond their understanding
Senior workers continue working despite physical limitations
Work sometimes pushes physical limitations
Routine medical surveillance uncommon

5. Work Activity Factors Long work hours Erratic work pace
Irregular work routine
Trade learned by observation and experience
Work activities dependent on uncertainty of weather

6. Social, Political, and Economic Factors
Day care often not an option
Absence of health and safety regulations
Long-held cultural belief that little can be done to improve safety
Safety attitude stems from culture and outcome of experience performing dangerous activities

7. Who is at risk of injury? Co-workers Visitors Family members
Subcontractors
Farm animals and wildlife

8. What are the dangers? Tractors Machinery and implements Livestock
Electricity
Chemicals
Fires
Ponds and open water bodies
Sun exposure
Material storage facilities
Manure pits
ATVs

9. Tractor Hazards Overturns Runover incidents Highway accidents Falls
Contact with other objects

10. Tractor Overturns Accounts for over half of all tractor fatalities
Occurs when the tractor’s center of gravity falls outside of it’s base of stability
Includes both side and rear rollovers

11. Physics of Tractor Stability

12. Side Overturn

13. Rear Overturn

14. Preventing Tractor Overturn Injury
Drive at appropriate speeds
Lock brake pedals together when on highway
Set wheel tread as wide as possible
Stay away from steep slopes
Don’t drive on soft shoulders
Keep front-end loader loads low to the ground
Drive forward down hills and back up hills
Equip tractor with rollover protection and wear seatbelt

15. Tractor Runovers Major Causes of Runover Accidents
Bypassing the ignition switch to start tractor
Failure to set parking brake on slope
Falling or jumping off of tractor
Failure to acknowledge bystanders

16. Preventing Runover Accidents
Only start tractor while sitting in the seat
Don’t disable safety switches
Place guard on starter terminals to prohibit bypassing
Always set parking brake before dismounting
Look for bystanders before starting tractor

17. Tractor Highway Accidents
Most tractor accidents occur:
During planting and harvesting seasons
Between 3 pm and 6 pm
Where posted speed limits are greater than 50 mph
Most caused because of excessive speed of other vehicles

18. Safe Operation on Highways
Make sure the tractor is safe to drive (steering, brakes, etc.)
Make tractor visible to other drivers (SMV emblem, flashers, lights)
Drive at controllable speeds
Stay off of soft shoulders

19. Machinery and Implement Hazards
PTO and drive shaft entanglement
Contact with rotating parts
Pull-in injuries
Crushing injuries
Electrocution

20. PTO Entanglements
Usually occurs when clothing, hair or jewelry gets caught on bolt of drive shaft
Results in multiple, severe injury, loss of limb, strangulation, and/or death
PTO’s turn from 540 to 1000 revolutions per minute

21. PTO Safety
Replace all damaged or missing PTO shields and drive shaft covers
Wear tight-fitted clothing
Put up hair
Remove all jewelry
Don’t climb over or under drive shafts

22. Other Machinery Hazards
Shear and cut points
Pinch points
Wrap points
Crush points
Free-wheeling points
Pull-in points
Springs and chains
Hydraulic systems

23. Machinery Safety Don’t wear loose clothing around moving parts
Never reach over or work near rotating parts
Turn off machinery before performing maintenance
Never rely solely upon a machine’s hydraulic system to keep equipment suspended
Replace all missing and damage shields
Never place yourself between a tractor and implements when hitching
Never crawl under a machine or implement without first chocking or blocking
Never allow anyone near a chain when it is under stress

24. Livestock Hazards
Crushing injuries
Property damage
Diseases
Parasites

25. Livestock Considerations
Vision
Cattle have near-360-degree panoramic vision
Horses and swine have near-300-degree field of vision
Hearing
More sensitive than humans
Loud noises frightening
High-frequency sounds painful.

26. Livestock Considerations
Temperament
Each animal has its own personality
Become uncomfortable when personal space is threatened
Routine is calming
Instinct
Females become aggressive when offspring are threatened
Males aggressive when herd threatened and during mating period

27. Livestock Diseases and Parasites
Brucellosis
Tetanus
Ringworm
Salmonella
Leptospirosis
Rabies
Trichinosis
Lyme Disease
Keep vaccinations current
Wear boot coverings when on other farms
Isolate sick animals from the herd
Keep children and visitors away from sick animals

28. Livestock Safety Maintain a non-threatening distance
Use a calm voice and deliberate movement
Don’t startle the animal
Never prod an animal that has nowhere to go
Don’t be abusive
Stay away from newborns

29. Electricity Hazards Contact with overhead transmission lines
Absence of proper grounding
Overloaded circuits
Damaged wiring
Missing safety shields
Center pivot irrigation systems
Pond pumps

30. Contact with Power Lines
Many workers have been electrocuted when moving irrigation pipe (20 feet sections) and contact overhead power lines
Workers also electrocuted when moving grain augers and when contacting power lines with front end loaders

31. Electrical System Maintenance
Can you identify any problems?
Metal + electricity – water protection – grounding = an accident waiting to happen

32. Extension Cords Don’t use extension cords in wet areas
Don’t try to repair them, replace them
Don’t use them to tie or secure objects
Never run over cords with vehicles
Unplug cords from outlets when not in use

33. Chemical Hazards Pesticides/herbicides Anhydrous ammonia
Water well contamination
Fertilizers
Animal medicines

34. Spraying Chemicals
Read and follow chemical material safety data sheets (MSDS)
Wear appropriate personal protective equipment
Follow label instructions for mixing and cleanup
Warn others of your intent to spray
Have an emergency plan in place

35. Anhydrous Ammonia
Used as a fertilizer in agriculture and a coolant in food processing
Stored as a liquid under pressure
Will freeze-burn skin upon contact
Vapors will burn skin, eyes, and can be fatal at high concentrations

36. Anhydrous Ammonia Theft
Key component in production of methamphetamines
Often stolen from temporary storage tanks located on farms and dealerships
Usually stolen in small quantities, multiple times, to avoid detection

37. Fire Hazards Fueling and fuel storage Electrical problems Heaters
Dry, dusty confinement areas
Hay storage
Machinery
Welders and torches

38. Fueling and Fuel Storage
Store fuel tanks at least 40 feet from buildings and barns
Ground storage tanks in case of direct lightning strikes
Never fuel a hot tractor or vehicle
Post no-smoking signs that are clearly visible
Erect barriers around tanks to prevent vehicles from running into them

39. Hay Baling and Stacking
Allow cut hay to dry sufficiently before baling
Uncured hay will increase cause temperature to increase in bales or hay stacks resulting in spontaneous combustion
Provide adequate ventilation around hay stacks to avoid overheating
Keep hay stacks at least 100 feet from buildings and don’t park tractors near stacks

40. Tractor Fires
Oil, grease, dirty rags, and trash on machinery can result in devastation.
Be sure to grease and oil machinery on a regular basis.

41. Material Storage Hazards
Engulfment
Asphyxiation
Suffocation
Falls from elevated surfaces
Contact with conveyance machinery

42. Grain Bin Engulfment
Grain inside a bin can form a crust on top, that when broken can engulf a person in a matter of seconds
Never enter a grain bin without proper lifeline support
Always let coworkers know when you must enter a grain bin

43. Asphyxiation
Stored silage will release toxic gases during the drying process
Opening the top of a silo from the top could result in asphyxiation and cause you to fall
Always wear proper respiratory equipment

44. Other Dangers ATVs Ponds Irrigation canals Uncapped wells Sun exposure
Heat
Snakes, spiders, bees, etc.

45. ATV Safety
Never carry extra riders on an ATV not designed for passengers
Attend an ATV rider safety course
Know the limitation of the ATV
Always wear a helmet, long pants, gloves, and riding boots

46. Ponds and Open Water
Never swim in an irrigation canal or unfamiliar pond
Post no-swimming signs
Install a safety post with rope and flotation device at the edge of ponds

47. Sun Protection Wear a wide-brimmed hat and long sleeve shirt
Wear sunscreen
Drink plenty of water
Perform difficult tasks in the morning or evening

48. Things that bite, sting, and cause rashes
Rattlesnake
Yellow jacket
Black widow
Mosquito

49. For more information on these topics visit the Agricultural Safety and Health web site @