Why is safety in the farm important to you? There are three big reasons:

· Accidents hurt

· Accidents cost

· Accidents can be avoided

Here’s why these reasons are important.

ACCIDENTS HURT

· Just ask the farmer who lost part of his hand before he didn’t turn his corn picker off before trying to unclog it.

· Or the fellow who spent 45 minutes up to his neck in creek water, trapped under his tractor. He had been watching his plow instead of where he was going.

· Or the woman who was crushed under a tractor that tipped over backward when she was trying to drive it forward out of a deep ditch.

These people and thousands of others know that accidents hurt … badly.

ACCIDENTS COST

Safety is too expensive to learn by accident. Can you afford an injury?

TIME = MONEY

An average of 10 working days are lost for each farm accident, according to a National Safety Council survey. How much money can you lose in 10 days? What happens to your crops or livestock during that time? Will you ever be able to do the same work you did before “it” happened?

MEDICAL ATTENTION = MONEY

Hospital bills, doctor bills, medical supplies and rehabilitation costs can be a big financial burden.

HIRED HELP = MONEY

Will you have to hire somebody to do your work for you?

PROPERTY DAMAGE = MONEY

Nobody knows the cost of farm machinery and equipment better than you.

INTAGIBLE LOSSES = MORE THAN MONEY

Some things can’t be measured in dollars and cents – like permanent handicap or the loss of your health. What effects would a disability have on your lifestyle? On your family? Your earning power?

ACCIDENTS CAN BE AVOIDED

State and federal governments are becoming more involved in attempts to provide a safe and healthful environment for agricultural workers. You must do your part, too. Most accidents result from human error. Laws and safety regulations won’t prevent all accidents. Only operators like you can. Think about it.

WHY WORRY ABOUT SAFETY?

The National Safety Council considers agriculture one of the most hazardous occupations in the United States. And accidents disable people and cost money. That’s why you should practice safety when working with agricultural machinery.

Farm and ranch residents in the United States have about 570,000 disabling injuries and 6,400 death from accidents each year, according to the NSC. In 1973 only five percent of all U.S. workers worked at agricultural occupations, but these workers suffered 17 percent of all work injuries. Of all types of accidents, those involving farm machinery were the most common.

ZEROING IN ON A CHALLENGE TO OPERATORS

1. Know your limitations. Machinery is designed to work indefinitely at specific jobs under hard conditions, but humans are not. Consider your limitations and allow time for work breaks when operating farm machinery. Many accidents happen because the operator is tired or exhausted.

2. Learn about common machine hazards. Avoid practices like dismounting from a tractor with the engine running to adjust attached equipment. Such shortcuts can lead to accidents and injuries.

BE YOUR OWN SAFETY DIRECTOR

Many industries have safety directors or engineers who work continuously at keeping their plants or workshops safe. There is no safety director in your farm. You must be your own safety director. Start by learning safe work practices for using farm machinery. Finish the job by practicing and enforcing these suggestions. Also, refer to the specific machine operator's manuals for the machines you operate. These manuals can help you learn or review safe and correct use of machine controls.