Farm safety at the forefront
By Justin R. Lessman
The list of potential farm — and farm-related — dangers is long.
However, Lakefield Ambulance Service Director Elsie Kruger said, a little forethought and common sense can help everyone — farmer and non-farmer alike — make it through the upcoming harvest season safe and sound.
“We’re lucky in Jackson County that we typically don’t see a lot in the way of farm-related injuries,” Kruger said. “But we all want to make sure we keep it that way.”
To that end, Kruger recently compiled a list of common farm and farm-related hazards all should keep in mind during the upcoming harvest season.
The first is falls.
“We tend to see falls as real issues when farmers are working alone — either up on top of buildings or bins or even up on large pieces of equipment,” Kruger said. “They’ve been up there so many times before, they might not even think of the dangers associated with it, or they get a little sloppy and then something happens.”
Kruger advises farmers to always make sure somebody is with them or knows where they are when they are working and, if they are working up high, to make sure they have proper safety equipment in use.
Another common injury sustained by farmers is slices.
“Farmers are working around sharp edges, fences and other things that can cut,” she said. “Even pressure washers can slice skin.”
Kruger advises farmers first to be exceptionally careful around these hazards and, secondly, to know what to do to mitigate an injury until help arrives.
“Farmers know their equipment and should know how to handle an accident until help arrives,” she said. “And it’s so important for farmers who may be injured to seek help. Too often, farmers who are injured maybe don’t call for help or seek medical care even when they really should.”
Other common farm hazards include livestock, augers and power takeoffs, said Kruger, who added farm-related hazards even extend to non-farmers.
“People out traveling local roadways need to be aware of slow-moving vehicles and large equipment turning into and out of traffic, sometimes without a whole lot of warning,” she said. “And drivers also should be aware of the increased threat posed by deer this time of year. As farmers harvest fields, it stirs up the deer and makes them more active and more of a threat on the roadways.”
The list of potential farm — and farm-related — dangers is long.
However, Lakefield Ambulance Service Director Elsie Kruger said, a little forethought and common sense can help everyone — farmer and non-farmer alike — make it through the upcoming harvest season safe and sound.
“We’re lucky in Jackson County that we typically don’t see a lot in the way of farm-related injuries,” Kruger said. “But we all want to make sure we keep it that way.”
To that end, Kruger recently compiled a list of common farm and farm-related hazards all should keep in mind during the upcoming harvest season.
The first is falls.
“We tend to see falls as real issues when farmers are working alone — either up on top of buildings or bins or even up on large pieces of equipment,” Kruger said. “They’ve been up there so many times before, they might not even think of the dangers associated with it, or they get a little sloppy and then something happens.”
Kruger advises farmers to always make sure somebody is with them or knows where they are when they are working and, if they are working up high, to make sure they have proper safety equipment in use.
Another common injury sustained by farmers is slices.
“Farmers are working around sharp edges, fences and other things that can cut,” she said. “Even pressure washers can slice skin.”
Kruger advises farmers first to be exceptionally careful around these hazards and, secondly, to know what to do to mitigate an injury until help arrives.
“Farmers know their equipment and should know how to handle an accident until help arrives,” she said. “And it’s so important for farmers who may be injured to seek help. Too often, farmers who are injured maybe don’t call for help or seek medical care even when they really should.”
Other common farm hazards include livestock, augers and power takeoffs, said Kruger, who added farm-related hazards even extend to non-farmers.
“People out traveling local roadways need to be aware of slow-moving vehicles and large equipment turning into and out of traffic, sometimes without a whole lot of warning,” she said. “And drivers also should be aware of the increased threat posed by deer this time of year. As farmers harvest fields, it stirs up the deer and makes them more active and more of a threat on the roadways.”
