Ag safety

Cutting it Close: Safety in Agricultural Services

Draft 7.29.2011

Experience doesn’t guarantee safety“Wilson said Vargas's screams would have been drowned out by the noise of the chipper as it stripped and shredded branches.” Accidents might happen, but with

awareness, they can always be prevented

• 44-year-old Miguel Vargas had worked for Dwayne Wilson Tree Service for seven years.

• A rope around a branch Vargas was feeding into a wood chipper became tangled around his neck, and pulled him into the machine.

• Vargas’ boss, Wilson, immediately turned off the machine – when he looked at Vargas, the machine had already decapitated him.

Two teens electrocuted by

irrigation system

• Fourteen-year-olds Jade Garza and Hannah Kendall were working in a cornfield in northwestern Illinois.

• While removing tassels from corn, the two friends were “electrically shocked by a center pivot irrigation system.”

• An OSHA investigation into the deaths is ongoing.

"I heard them yelling. I went over to help,“ Tristen Dudley, 13, of

Rock Falls, said. "I didn't do anything because I would have

been sucked in."

Youth employment and deaths in the agricultural sectors

• 1.12 million children and adolescents under the age of 20 live on farms – 2006

• 590,000 of these youth perform work on the farm

• An additional 307,000 children and adolescents were hired to work on U.S. farms in 2006

• From 1995-2002, 113 youth die annually from farm-related injuries

Deaths in Ag services at higher rate than most private sector industries

• According to the 2009 Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) there were 4,551 fatal occupation injuries

• In the agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting industries, there were 575 fatal occupational injuries

• 12.6 percent of deaths occurred in this sector

• The overall fatal work injury rate for the U.S. in 2009 was 3.5 fatal injuries per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers

• The rate of death in the agricultural, forestry, fishing, and hunting industries in 2009 was 27.2 people per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers– This is one of the highest rate

of deaths among all industries covered by OSHA

• Causes of fatalities in ag services industries in 2009:– Contact with objects and

equipment (170)• Struck by object (97)• Caught in or compressed by

equipment or objects (58)– Transportation incidents (284)– Falls (32)

Provide workers with the right training

• The best way to stop preventable accidents and deaths from occurring is to educate the workforce

• It’s the law• This investment might seem

unnecessary in the short-term, but in the long-term it saves lives and costs less than having to pay worker compensation and legal battles

Areas of Ag services in which workers must receive training according to

federal law:

• Temporary Labor Camps – 1910.142• Logging – 1910.266• Hazard Communication – 1910.1200• Cadmium – 1910.1027• Roll-Over Protective Structures for

Tractors Used in Agricultural Operations – 1928.51 (d)

• Guarding of Farm Field Equipment, Farmstead Equipment, Cotton Gins – 1928.57 (a) (6(i) through (v)

• OSHA standards 1910 apply to all non farming operations and only in certain operations on farms.

Provide workers proper protection

• The employer is responsible for providing personal protective equipment, [PPE] - 1910.132(f)(1)

• Agricultural services rely on machines and tools that are dangerous if used improperly and without protective shielding.

• Workers should wear helmets, gloves, goggles, and other PPE that will prevent injury and even death.

The eye pictured of above is a patient who was mowing without protective safety goggles. His retina was irreparably damaged, blinding him in that eye.

Provide workers with the right tools

• To create a safe work space, employers must give their employers proper working tools.

• Workers should pay attention when using electrical tools; these implements can shock and burn workers if used carelessly.

• Damaged electronic tools should be removed from the work space and discarded.

• Tools should receive routine maintenance and cleaning, which allows safe use and maximum utilization.

• Hazard moving parts, such as the rotating metal of a saw, must have guards to protect workers from injury.

Factor in weather conditions• Never work in adverse weather

conditions.• Before working on trees, look at

weather reports and determine if any storms could endanger yourself or your workers.

• Trees act as large conduits of electricity – in a lightning storm, standing beneath a tree is one of the most dangerous places to be.

• Rain causes slippery surfaces on which workers can trip and fall.

Beating the heat – a special note on working in warm weather

This summer, we’ve had record highs. Just because the sky is blue and the sun is shining doesn’t mean conditions are safe for workers. Make sure to provide employees with the following amenities when they’re working in the heat and sun.

"Heat illness is 100 percent preventable, and it starts with a three-step process -- water, rest

and shade -- and employers need to make sure their employees have access to free drinking

water and frequent rest, given the high heat and humid conditions we've had.” –

Indiana Department of Labor spokeswoman

Stephanie McFarland

Ways to cool off in hot temperatures and to protect the body from harmful UV rays

• Wear loose-fitting, light-colored, long-sleeved shirts and pants (cotton)

• Wear a wide-brimmed hat; baseball caps don’t shade the head as well

• Use sunscreen – minimum SPF 30• UV-absorbent sunglasses• Limit exposure whenever possible

Skin protection

Protection from heat and humidity

• Drink small amounts of water frequently

• Take breaks in the shade• Avoid caffeine, alcohol, sugars• Work in the shade if possible• Know if any prescriptions turn deadly

in high temperatures

How to trim and fell trees safely

Assess the area

• “To fell a tree” doesn’t mean just cutting it down.

• Felling incorporates the action by which tree trimmers designate a safe area in which the tree can fall.

• More people are killed felling than during any other logging activity.

Things to remember when felling trees

• Determine felling direction• Take into account dead trees,

direction of pressure, and other trees that could complicate the process

• Provide retreat path for logger• Keep tabs on all workers’

locations• Types of preferred tree felling:

– Top cut– Bottom or under cut– Back cut

Avoid and clear power lines

• Tree trimming and removal work done within ten feet of a power line requires trained and experienced tree trimmers who know how to create safe cutting environments.

• In addition to training, a second trained trimmer must be within the vicinity to assist the first worker in case something were to go array (1910.269(r))

• Employing that second working and paying for training might seem pricey in the short-run, but the long-term payoff is significantly beneficial.

Ensure a safe working environment at all heights

• Falling is the leading cause of workplace death among all industry occupational fatalities recorded by OSHA• “Lift controls shall be tested each day prior to use to determine that such controls are in safe working condition.” - 1910.67(c)(2)(i)•When working from an aerial lift, a body belt should be worn and attached to the boom or basket by a lanyard•Weight limits specified by the manufacturers should never be exceeded

• “…an average of two tree care workers die every week on the job. There are about 200,000 tree care workers nationwide. Electrocution, falling from heights and being struck by falling branches are top hazards.” – Mike Garvin, CEO of Tree Care Industry Association

Noise – don’t let it get to you

• Noise is a common workplace hazard workers in the various ag services

• OSHA’s permissible exposure limit, or PEL, is 85 dBA for all workers for an 8 hour day

• Many of the machines workers use routinely exceed OSHA’s dBA limit.

• The best solutions– Invest in machines that have

vibration reduction technology; they significantly aid in noise level reduction and worker health

– Purchase ear protection for all workers

Essential practices to remember when using tree trimming machinery

Chainsaws • Before use, check the parts of the

chainsaw to make sure it will function properly

• Start the saw on the ground; drop starting is NEVER allowed

• Clear away debris, branches, rock and metals away from the chains path

• Maintain balance and focus when operating the saw

• Wear PPE to protect your body• Do not wear loose-fitting clothes• Be careful that the branch or tree

being cut does not bind the chainsaw• Be careful about chainsaw kickback

– To avoid this, DO NOT saw with tip

– Keep tip guard in place

Wood chippers• Understand the manufacturer’s

guidelines for machine operation• Undergo thorough training of the

machine• NEVER reach into the chipper while it

is turned on• Chippers make a lot of noise and

chew up and shoot out debris – wear PPE, including earplugs, safety glasses, hard hats and gloves

• Maintain a safe distance (two tree or log lengths) from chipper operations and other workers

• Remember to use the lockout system to prevent the chipper from restarting when servicing the chipper

Farming Safety

Farming can be a rewarding job. But there are many dangers inherent in farming. The profession involves heavy machinery, potentially deadly chemicals, animals, and incorporating family into the work force. Also, farms are in rural, remote settings far from the care of hospitals or doctors’ offices. Preventative measures outlined in OSHA guidelines and regulations will help farmers and their farmhands maintain safe working environments.

Tractors and Large Machinery

Quick tips for tractor safety (OSHA Standard 1928)1. Avoid steep slopes2. Buckle up3. Properly secure the brakes4. Make sure the path on which you’re

driving the tractor is clear of people and obstacles

5. Do not allow riders

• Most farm accidents involve heavy machinery

• All farming implements should have proper guard protection, much like any other tool in any other industry

• Routine maintenance to tractors and other machinery keeps machine functional and operating safely

• Tractors must have sufficient rollover protective structures that meet OSHA standards - 1928.51

• Just as when driving a car, tractor drivers should be aware of their surrounding. Blind spots endanger fellow farm hands or family members on the ground.

Chemical Safety• Short-term and long-term exposure

to certain farm chemicals can cause irreversible adverse health effects

• There are numerous ways pesticides and other farming chemicals can enter the body: the skin, clothes, or breathing

• The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 10,000 to 20,000 poisonings happen every year among agricultural workers.

• To prevent poisoning and other dangerous health complications, make sure to do the following:– Be trained to use the chemicals

you’re spraying on crops– Be aware that at any given time,

there might be pesticides on the plants, in the soil, irrigation water

– Keep chemicals in restricted areas– Wash before eating or any activity

involving the hands– Wear PPE to protect the body– Shower after working with

chemicals– Wash your work clothes separately

from other laundry– If contact is made with a chemical,

wash it off immediately and seek medical attention

Family and Child Safety•Farming, unlike many other occupations, involves an area co-inhabited by a residence and workplace•Members of the family become de facto farmhands to help the family business•Injury rates are highest among two groups: workers over 65 and the youth, ages 15 and under•Children playing around the house and the barn are subjected to many dangers.

– Machinery– Animals– Chemicals

•Not only should workers on the farm undergo proper training to deal with the dangers associated in everyday farming, but the family should be educated to ensure their normal day-to-day lives are not disrupted by preventable accidents

Cody Rigsby, 17, died at a grain elevator Tempel Grain operated in Haswell in Kiowa County. On May 29, 2009, he climbed a ladder and entered a grain bin, where the grain continued to flow and engulfed him, suffocating him, according to court documents. – Liz Navratil, Denver Post, July 27, 2011

Education is the best means of prevention

This presentation scratches the surface of all the safety guidelines and regulations OSHA enforces to protect the United State workforce in agricultural service industries. Before starting work in any industry, workers must educate themselves with proper training to protect themselves; it is also their employer’s responsibility to provide that training. A class can go a long way to ensure workers’ safety. Investing in safety might mean a short-term set back, but employers who take the time to create a safe working environment benefit the most by having healthy employees and profitable business endeavors.

Further

• This ppt was prepared by Trevor Eischen as a preliminary aid for people required to work in agriculture services.

• Thanks to John Newquist, Tonya Ford and Janet S. for corrections and suggestions.

• This is not an official OSHA publication. Those will be on the OSHA.gov website.

• [email protected] is my email if you see any errors. This is just a draft as of the cover date.