Some years ago, I was out in the field on my parents' farm taking out steel fence posts. This section of the farm was too wooded for the tractor to get to, so I was pulling out the posts using a jack and a chain. There had been a lot of rain, so the ground was quite wet (farming is messy work!). I had just finished pulling out a post -- at least the hard part was done -- so I removed the jack and loosened the chain. Instantly, the high soil tension of the wet earth ‘sucked’ the post back into the ground just as I was standing up... and Whap!

Fortunately, I was not knocked out. I was working alone in a secluded area, and if I had been knocked out, it could easily have been a long time before anyone would have found me. As it was, the nearest medical facility was the local small-town clinic -- the nearest ER was 35 miles away. I got back to the house, and my mother (who did not drive) called a neighbor to come over to take me to the clinic.

A physician’s assistant at the clinic began to examine me. Every couple of minutes, he would pause and ask my name. Luckily, my irritation reflex had not been damaged, if anything, the pain in my head had heightened it. After a dozen of these queries, I felt like shouting, "Why don't you just look at my chart?" but I later realized this was just part of the diagnostic process. He said that everything appeared to be OK, but to tell my mother that she should take me into Fargo to the ER if I appeared to be acting strange. I asked him, "You mean stranger than normal?"

The next day my brother came to the farm. I was acting fine, but I was feeling very strange. I had a headache, was weak in the knees, and felt nauseous. He took me into Fargo, to the ER at the hospital where I had been born 38 years earlier. I was still in their filing system! The doctor said I was OK but had a mild concussion and would feel like this for the next several days. He explained how the brain gets bounced against the inside of your skull when you get a knock like that. Having a scientific explanation comforted me. I now knew what to expect.

After some days, the symptoms were gone. But I still wonder if I sustained a hairline fracture, because anytime the weather is really cold -- I mean Midwest cold -- I can tell you exactly where that fence post whacked me.

In this instance, a hard hat would have given me that ‘sure glad I had that thing on’ feeling, instead of the headachey, weak-kneed, nauseous, oh-my-goodness-my-brain-is-damaged feeling that I did have. Even though I was working in the area of agricultural safety, nobody had mentioned that using a hard hat should be recommended for certain farming practices. I was pulling posts, how could I get hit in the head anyway? This was an example of where something so simple -- proper head protection -- could have prevented what could have been a life altering experience.

Just this past week, I was reminded a couple of times of the importance of head protection. I received a newsletter with an excellent article about using hardhats, understanding when they need to be replaced, and knowing how to use them most effectively. Then, I ran into (no, not literally) a former colleague, who is now working with the Brain Injury Association of Florida, producing brain injury prevention programs for children, youth, seniors, and others. And I felt that little twinge on the side of my head.

References and links for the hard hat article and for the the Brain Injury Association (Florida and America) are included in this newsletter.

An article appearing in Green Industry Pros.Com covers the topic of electrical safety for the landscape services industry. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), employees in this industry are more likely to die from electrocutions (9.8% of their job-related fatalities from 2003-2006) than those in the U.S. workforce overall (4.4% of the job-related deaths during that same period).

Training materials for electrical safety:

• Tailgate training, Electrical Shock (English and Spanish)
• Tailgate training, Overhead Electrical Hazards (English and Spanish)

 A South Florida Landscaper was killed by lightning on Monday while mowing. The National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration says lightning causes more deaths in Florida than all other weather hazards combined, including hurricanes and tornadoes, and Florida has more lightning casualties than any other state.

Since this is the season for summer storms, check out the NOAA Web site about lightning safety. In fact, Lightning Safety Week is June 21-27. The theme for lightning safety week is “When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors”. Included are activities and fact sheets, survivor stories and more. Check out the new fact sheet, “Lightning Safety for You and Your Family.” Test your lightning safety IQ with Leon the Lightning Lion.

Technology Transfer Quarterly, the newsletter of the University of Florida Transportation Technology Transfer Center, features an excellent article, "Hard Hat Safety," on page 4 of its May newsletter. This useful article describes how to inspect the hard hat to see if it is still providing adequate protection.

OSHA Standards require employers to provide protective equipment: "Protective equipment, including personal protective equipment for eyes, face, head, and extremities, protective clothing, respiratory devices, and protective shields and barriers, shall be provided, used, and maintained in a sanitary and reliable condition wherever it is necessary by reason of hazards of processes or environment, chemical hazards, radiological hazards, or mechanical irritants encountered in a manner capable of causing injury or impairment in the function of any part of the body through absorption, inhalation or physical contact."

Traning materials for PPE:

• Tailgate Training, Properly Cleaning Respirators (English and Spanish)

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1.4 million Americans sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI) every year. Of these incidents, 50,000 are fatal, another 235,000 require hospitalization, and the remainder are treated in emergency rooms. About half a million of these incidents involve children.

Millions of American live with the long-term consequences of brain injury. The Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) is a national organization devoted to "injury prevention, research, education, and advocacy" in this area. BIAA has affiliates in 40 states. Many publications, including brochures, safety tips, and handbooks are offered in Spanish and English through the Florida affiliate's online Library.

Additional Head Protection Resources

• Equestrian safety on NASD (Visit the Animals topic page and scroll down to Horses)
• Heather on Horseback Interactive Story -- This is about a teenage girl who did not use her helmet and was paralyzed as a result of being thrown from her horse. (Visit the Kentucky Community Partners for Healthy Farming Project and scroll down to "Heather on Horseback")
• Equine Helmet Safety: Every Time... Every Ride (print material and videos)

Young farmers are at high risk of noise-induced hearing loss, yet they often don’t realize it until permanent damage has occurred. Working around noisy farm tractors, combines, chain saws, grain dryers and/or squealing pigs without using hearing protection are among the many ways permanent hearing loss can result.

One study of farmers and other rural Wisconsin residents found that nearly one quarter of the male farmers surveyed had experienced some hearing loss by the age of 30. That proportion rose to 50 percent by the age of 50. Fewer than 20 percent of the farmers surveyed reported consistent use of hearing protection in their farm-related duties.

Another study of vocational agriculture students in Wisconsin found an increased prevalence of noise-induced hearing loss among students actively involved in farm work, compared to their peers who were not involved in farm work. Specifically, more than half of the farm students showed evidence of early noise-induced hearing loss, yet the use of hearing protection devices was infrequent -- just 9 percent of the farm students surveyed reported using hearing protection when working in noisy areas.

Research has also shown a correlation between hearing loss and injuries on the farm. One study in Iowa showed that farmers who had trouble hearing normal conversation, even with a hearing aid, were 80 percent more likely than the other study participants to be injured in falls. The farmers who had trouble hearing were also more likely to suffer animal- and machinery-related injuries.

The Facts

Noise-induced hearing loss often occurs after repeated and prolonged exposure to noise levels above 85 decibels. Yet permanent hearing loss can also result from a single nearby shotgun blast, dynamite blast or other loud, instantaneous impact noise.
  
Many young farmers are exposed to dangerous noise levels both on and off the farm. A few examples are:

• Operating a tractor or combine without an enclosed cab.
• Using such tools as hand drills, circular saws, air wrenches and table saws.
• Listening to loud music at a rock concert or through the headphones of a personal music player.
• Operating an all-terrain vehicle (ATV), motorcycle or snowmobile without using hearing protection.

Regardless of your age, some early warning signs of hearing damage are these:

• You have trouble hearing normal conversation, especially when talking on a cell phone.
• Your co-workers, friends or family members need to raise their voices for you to hear what they are saying.
• You experience “ringing” in your ears. This noise -- which might also be hissing, roaring, whistling, chirping or clicking sounds -- is called tinnitus. If you have tinnitus, it’s likely that some level of hearing loss has already occurred.

Many farmers believe that a hearing aid will restore lost hearing. This is untrue. A good hearing aid can help amplify sounds, but once even part of your hearing is gone, it’s gone. Yet noise-induced hearing loss can be prevented by taking the following actions.

Important Tips

• Use hearing protection at all times you are exposed to loud noises. Hearing protector devices such as foam earplugs are inexpensive and can be purchased in bulk at your local hardware store or farm supply store. Try out different types of hearing protection and determine which style is most comfortable for you.
• Look for alternate ways to monitor equipment operation. Researchers have found that many farmers are concerned that using hearing protection will interfere with hearing sounds that could indicate equipment malfunction. Among the ways you can adapt are by watching the gauges on the dash and by paying close attention to changes in vibrations that could signal a malfunction.
• Keep hearing protector devices in a convenient location. Keep a supply of earplugs on your dresser and put some in your pockets each morning when you grab your cell phone. Hang protective earmuffs or canal caps (earplugs attached to a band) on your tractor’s steering wheel.
• Maintain farm equipment in good condition. Replace worn, loose or unbalanced machine parts. Keep equipment well lubricated and properly adjusted.
• Limit your exposure to loud noise. Keep cab doors and windows shut. Stay away from noisy equipment if you don’t need to be near it.

Free Resources

• They’re Your Ears: Protect Them -- Hearing Loss Caused by Farm Noise is Preventable
• Have You Heard? Hearing Loss Caused by Farm Noise is Preventable: Young Farmers’ Guide for Selecting and Using Hearing Protection
• Bulk copies of these brochures are available. Contact farm.noise@cdc.gov
• CDC Noise Topic Page