Vol. 10, No. 5, July 2009

Contents Thoughts & Quotes New: Tree Nursery Safety Manual & Program Model Emergency Preparedness On-line Video by the CSB Propane Safety Stretches & Postures at Work Gardening is Hard on Feet Know Where Abandoned Wells Are Fire Safety Reminder When Moving Work Safely From Heights Invest Seconds, Save $$ (Activity Showing Shortcuts Do Not Save Time) Children’s Farm Task Guidelines Now Searchable On-line About Safety News & Notes

---

THOUGHTS & QUOTES

[top]

New: Tree Nursery Safety Manual and Program Model

Florida AgSafe, the University of Florida Extension Ag Safety program, has just released a manual and PowerPoint presentation that tree nurseries can use in a safety program for their employees. It includes the publication “Manager’s Toolkit for Creating a Safety Program for your Tree Nursery Operation” (PDF) and “Safety Policies and Procedures for a Tree Nursery Operation” (PPT). Also linked are NIOSH incident reports that can be used as examples in training.

[top]

Emergency Preparedness On-line Video by the CSB

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) has released a 20-minute safety video, "Emergency Preparedness: Findings From CSB Accident Investigations." This video dramatically demonstrates the need for emergency response agencies, companies, and communities to work closely together to prepare for the kinds of tragic chemical incidents the CSB has investigated over the past decade. This video is excellent with great animations and graphics. It grabs (and holds) one’s attention in the first 5 seconds! It was released in June. You can also request a free DVD, including multiple copies if you are doing a training, workshop, or seminar.The video is also available on YouTube.

[top]

Propane Safety

Since this is the season for grilling and using propane, a few propane safety reminders are appropriate. Suburban Propane has several fact sheets containing consumer safety information. Many are in both English and Spanish. Also, propane tanks are commonly misused in thefts of anhydrous ammonia for meth labs. (There was one such incident of exactly that nature that occurred on a farm just outside of Gainesville recently).

[top]

Stretches & Postures at Work

The Farm Safety Association, Inc. of Canada, recognizes the repetitive nature of work in the agriculture industry. With assistance from Ergonomics in Motion, they have reproduced the stretching booklet. With the safety and health of the worker in mind, this stretching booklet helps in preventing injury, decreases worker fatigue and increases worker productivity. This 16-page booklet is on-line in both English and Spanish. Stretching Booklet (English) Stretching Booklet (Spanish)

[top]

Gardening is Hard on Feet

Many people garden as a hobby or way to relax. In this article at Hobby Farmer.com, a medical director reveals why gardening causes foot problems and offers ways to prevent feet aches and pains. It is important to use proper footwear when gardening. There are also some suggested exercises

[top]

Know Where Abandoned Wells Are

This news article is a story that happened recently in the area. A calf fell into an abandoned well in a rented pasture. The calf’s owner did not know the well was there. With more people moving to the country, there is an important need to know what is on the property. Kids, animals, etc. can easily fall into old wells. Contact your local officials to find out requirements for plugging abandoned wells in your area. There may be specific local codes as well as specified requirements for materials and procedures that may vary by region or area. In the meantime, if you find one, fence it off or find some way to cover it so that it cannot be tampered with.

[top]

Fire Safety Reminder When Moving

In the next month, many people will be moving into apartments or other housing as students across the country head off to college or as recent graduates head off to new jobs. A recent apartment fire serves as a reminder to be aware of a common fire hazard. During the moving-in process, people may use the flat surface of the electric stove top to set boxes and other stuff on. This is especially significant if the utilities have not been turned on yet. A burner may have been switched on, even by being jarred when setting stuff on the stove. So when the electric gets turned on, we now have a ‘fuel’ sitting on a heat source and hence a fire. In the recent case, some new apartment dwellers left the apartment during their move. While they were gone, the electricity was turned on. The apartment sustained major fire damage.

[top]

Work Safely From Heights

Although written with the construction industry in mind, this article certainly provides beneficial information for people in agriculture who have to work from heights such as grain bins and silos. "The Construction Chart Book, Fourth Edition," published by The Center for Construction Research and Training, indicates that falls are the leading cause of fatal injuries and the second most common cause of nonfatal injuries in construction. In 2005, 32 percent of 1,243 work-related deaths from injuries in construction were due to falls. Working from heights -- whether on a roof or from a scaffold, aerial lift, crane, or ladder -- is clearly hazardous. These hazards are exacerbated when crew members are in a rush to complete the job, have not had adequate safety training, are not using the appropriate protective equipment, or have limited literacy levels. The article includes links to several OSHA and NIOSH publications that address fall protection. Failing to provide fall protection continues to be in the Top Ten List of OSHA violations, ranking second in 2008.

[top]

Invest Seconds, Save $$
(Activity Showing Shortcuts Do Not Save Time)

An activity has been developed to demonstrate that the time ‘saved’ by using a short-cut method vs. a safer practice for doing a task is quite insignificant when compared to the risks of injury/death. One of the examples used was to show people the time they “supposedly” saved by stepping over the PTO instead of walking around the tractor -– yet putting themselves at considerable risk. We did this by using a light-beam alarm to simulate the height of a PTO. This was a very effective demo used at fairs and ag expos.

[top]

Children’s Farm Task Guidelines Now Searchable On-line

The National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety has recently announced a new way to access one of its most important resources: Searchable NAGCAT Guidelines. The North American Guidelines for Children’s Agricultural Tasks (NAGCAT) were developed to assist parents in assigning farm jobs to their children 7-16 years of age living or working on farms. The guidelines take tasks often assigned to children and pose questions about a child’s developmental abilities, their training, and adult supervision to determine if the task is appropriate to a specific child. Lists of the guideline posters have been available on-line to professionals and groups who interact with farm parents. Now, a new search tool allows parents to locate guidelines by entering key words about farm tasks for their children. The search will return those guidelines which most closely match the tasks selected. For more information about the guidelines, or any products or resources of the Children’s Center, email the Center at NCCRAHS@mcrf.mfldclin.edu.

[top]

• Florida AgSafe Web site
• The Disaster Handbook
• National Agricultural Safety Database
• Extension Disaster Education Network
• Florida State Agricultural Response Team (SART)