Iowa AgrAbility

Agrability Chit-Chat, Newsletter
Vol. 2, No. 9 -- September 2000

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IN THIS EDITION:
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CONTENTS: Farm Safety and Health Issues

CARM'S COMMENTS

Farm safety and health - such a timely topic since harvest is just around the corner. It seems that each harvest season we hear of far too many accidents due to haste, fatigue and being just a little careless.

Everett has had some accidents that could have been much more serious than they were. One time, when we were first married, he went to the garage to work on an Allis Chalmers tractor. That particular tractor didn't have to be in neutral to move. He turned the starter and it lunged forward - through the garage door. He was fortunate and didn't get hurt.

Another time Everett drove into the machine shed, shut the tractor off and threw a tarp over the radiator. A little later he looked out to see fire. He was able to throw snow on the fire and get it out.

One other time Everett was feeding cattle on a hill when the tractor started rolling. He tried to stop it but fell down and the little Ford tractor ran over his side. He spent the night in the hospital and was sore for a few days but, again, he was very fortunate that he didn't get hurt worse.

Many of you have had much worse things happen. In addition, I understand from talking with some of you, you have health issues to deal with that are associated with your disabilities - such as skin break downs, wear and tear on the good arm or leg, or whatever. PLEASE, as harvest begins, be very careful.

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KEYS TO HARVEST SAFETY

"Workers with physical disabilities are at particular risk of sustaining injury during the harvest season," says Dr. Steven Freeman, a farm safety specialist at Iowa State University. Steve lists several ways that farmers and their families can have a safe harvest. He suggests some "smart" strategies to help the family prepare for harvest as well as safety tips during harvest. You can read the complete text of "Preparation, patience, alertness are key to harvest safety" by Steve Freeman, located at the end of this newsletter.

Steve and Tim Derrick (also from Iowa State University) just began research that will focus on shoulder and elbow injuries in farm children recruited from 4-H clubs. They will measure stress on the shoulder and elbow joints by having children carry five gallon buckets, a common activity on the farm. They want to find out if stress is high enough to cause injury. (LL)

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THE NUMBER ONE KILLER ON FARMS

Tractors are the number one killer on the farm. But, according to Charles Schwab, ISU Extension safety specialist, many deaths can be prevented. Did you know that more than half of the deaths occur when a tractor overturns? To help prevent injury or death, make sure there is a Rollover Protection Structure (ROPS) on your tractor.

Have you ever been run over by a tractor? Run-overs are another leading cause of tractor injuries, and death. People who are run over are often riders who fall off. Or, drivers who try a by-pass start may be knocked down and run over. To help prevent injury or death, please don't allow riders on your tractor (www.ae.iastate.edu/Safety.htm).

AN OVERLOOKED HAZARD

Electrocution is a quick and deadly killer! It may be one of the most overlooked hazards on the farm, according to ISU Extension farm safety specialist Charles Schwab. Anytime you move pieces of oversized equipment such as portable grain augers and combines--often a necessity during harvest season--you risk contact with overhead power lines. There are precautions you can take like: always lower a portable grain auger before moving it, plan routes so that you will avoid low-hanging power-lines, and never try to get back on equipment that is touching a power line until the utility line is turned off (http://www.ae.iastate.edu/safety/pm1265k.txt).

SAFETY FOR YOUTH AND CHILDREN

Did you know that 298 youth under the age of 19 were injured and 8 died in Iowa farm accidents during 1998? You can help protect your children from harm by understanding the stages of their growth and development, and the causes of accidents (www.ae.iastate.edu/safety/pm1518i.txt).

Four- to eight-year-olds face special farm dangers according to Lynn Graham, Iowa State University professor in child development. They are very adventurous but you shouldn't expect them to recognize a hazard or make good judgments. They need a set of thoughtful and strictly enforced family rules. A new book from ISU Extension will help you talk about farm dangers with your children BEFORE something happens. The book is called "What Would You Do?" For more information, contact your county extension office. Order forms are also available on the Web at www.ae.iastate.edu/Safety.htm

(LL)

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PERSONAL PROFILE: Dale Landt (written by Shirley Landt)

Prior to April 5, 1975, Dale was a fun-loving work-a-holic farmer who loved to play cards, dance (the faster the music the better), shoot a few baskets with the boys, or pass and kick the football. He walked the fields a lot to check crops, or the pastures to check the cattle.

Dale loved to hunt with our boys, friends, and relatives. During pheasant season our place was like Grand Central Station.

Those good ol' days were changed in the wink of an eye on a cold, wet, windy Saturday afternoon when a bale weighing approximately 1500 lbs slid down the arms of the loader of a 2010 JD tractor. The bale hit him in the head as it rolled off the tractor. His neck was broken and his spinal cord pulverized.

My life was also drastically changed as we no longer worked the land together. Dale could no longer open a door, hold a card or hammer, get a drink for himself, drive a tractor, car or pick-up, walk the land or even hold my hand. His positive attitude and sense of humor has enabled us to be what and where we are today.

Dale has taught the boys so much regarding farm operations, repairing equipment, and understanding. The sharing of his knowledge has been a priceless asset to others.

I am on the road a lot. I feel it is very important for caregivers to stay involved in something, and to get away for awhile if only a half hour at a time. While listening to others I have learned that if individuals don't share their deepest concerns with at least one person whom they can really trust, the situation can become devastating beyond our comprehension. (SL)

Dale's accident happened before the days of AgrAbility. Today Dale and Shirley attend the Freewheelers group meetings when they can. (CS)

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RESOURCES AND SERVICES

You will find a list of safety tips provided by farmers - for lower extremity impairments, upper extremity (arm) limitations, back injury or back problems, paraplegia, and quadriplegia at your county Extension office. This information is provided by the Easter Seals Iowa FaRM Program.

There is a wealth of information on the ISU Agricultural Health and Safety website at www.ae.iastate.edu/Safety.htm. Additional information can be found on the Safe Farm web site located at www.ae.iastate.edu/Safetyp.htm - an Iowa State University Extension project helping to make Iowa farms a safer place to work and live.

You will find a number of links to information on health and safety issues on the Iowa State University web site www.extension.iastate.edu/Pages/families. And then-- --for healthy food, click on Nutrition: Choices for Health. --for protective clothing, click on Other Families Programs, and then on Textiles and Clothing Extension. You will find Protective Clothing for Farm Safety, and Special Needs Clothing (Farm Safety, Children, Disabled and Elderly). --for reporting unsafe products, click on U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Central Iowa elementary and middle school students will learn how to avoid farm dangers at an event on Sept. 23. The program is a service project organized by ISU students in Sigma Alpha, the professional society for women in agriculture. The children will learn how to deal with hazards involving electricity, chemicals, tractors and livestock. The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Farm Bureau Livestock Pavilion, Kildee Hall on the ISU campus. For more information: Holly Blackford, 233- 9341.

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AGRABILITY FRIENDS AND FAMILY EVENTS

• · Make sure your equipment is properly maintained and ready to go before harvest gets underway. Taking the extra time to "fine tune" your equipment before you get in the field will prevent costly, and frustrating, breakdowns during the harvest. Remember, proper maintenance includes making sure all PTO shields and machine guards are in place.
• · Once your equipment is ready, give yourself a check-up as well. Prepare yourself physically and emotionally so that you will be alert while operating harvest equipment.
• · Train all workers. Be sure each operator is familiar with the operators' manual, and understands the appropriate procedures for possible emergency situations. Do not assume "experienced" operators will remember everything from the previous season - a thorough review is appropriate for everyone.
• · Before you begin harvest, check your fields for large rocks, tree stumps, holes, or ditches. If you can't remove obstacles, mark their locations with tall warning flags. Check the edges of ditches carefully for undercut banks.

During harvest

• · Make sure everyone takes short, frequent breaks to avoid becoming fatigued (this is particularly important for older operators). Stretch your arms and legs to increase blood flow, and allow yourself to relax mentally, as well.
• · Avoid operating equipment if you are ill, taking medications, drinking alcoholic beverages, or if you become overly tired. That extra hour in the field isn't worth the chance of wrecking your equipment or experiencing an injury.
• · Communicate. Two-way radios or cellular phones can be used to periodically check on workers, to improve work efficiency, and to provide critical communications if an emergency should occur.
• · Work efficiently but don't rush. When it comes to working on the farm, the old adage "haste makes waste" has a multitude of very serious meanings. Cutting corners in safety procedures will cost you more than money. If you're careless, eventually you will be injured.