AG SAFETY S.T.A.T. - SAFE TACTICS FOR AG TODAY
Vol. 6 No. 11 November 2013

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THOUGHTS FROM THE EDITOR – National Rural Health Day and Assessing the Quality of Life for Ohio Farmers

A SECOND ON SAFETY (and HEALTH)

OHIO AGRABILITY TO CONDUCT COUNTY WORKSHOPS

MACHINERY MAINTENANCE – Chain Saw Safety

CHAIN SAW SAFETY CLASS – Ohio Forestry Association

INJURY PREVENTION – Don’t Get Wrapped Up In Machinery

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT - Emergency Action Plan vs. Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Plan

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THOUGHTS FROM THE EDITOR – National Rural Health Day and Assessing the Quality of Life for Ohio Farmers
Dee Jepsen - State Agricultural Safety and Health Leader

Each November, on the third Thursday, is a time to reflect on rural health issues. It is a time for many communities to highlight the rural area as a wonderful place to live and work.

Rural areas are unique and vary between the geographic regions where they are found. Rural doesn’t just mean ‘farming,’ although agriculture is an important component of the rural economy. Small businesses and economic development are vitally important facets of a thriving rural America.

To learn more about National Rural Health Day and various promotion resources available, visit the website http://celebratepowerofrural.org.

A study, sponsored by the Ohio AgrAbility program, will be launched this fall to determine the Quality of Life for Ohio Farmers. Ohio agriculture is very diverse, from the commodities produced, the income generated, and the hours worked. Farming is no doubt a hard-working lifestyle. The rewards received from that occupation (and lifestyle) are often subjective measures, and may vary depending on external factors that farmers face. A survey will seek farmer input on the factors that affect their work environment and ultimately their outlook on life. To learn more about the study, please contact the Agricultural Safety and Health Program at osuagsafety@gmail.com or Dee Jepsen at Jepsen.4@osu.edu.

A SECOND ON SAFETY (and HEALTH!)

Over 59 million Americans live on 80% of the United States’ total land area, however make up only 19% of its population. National Rural Health Day is a day set aside by the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health and its partners to "Celebrate the Power of Rural!"

OHIO AGRABILITY TO CONDUCT COUNTY WORKSHOPS

Kent McGuire – Ohio AgrAbility Program Coordinator

In an effort to reduce injuries and help aging farmers remain productive in agriculture, Ohio AgrAbility will be conducting “I’m not as young as I used to be!” farming and gardening workshops throughout Ohio. The workshops will be about 2 hours in length, featuring topics on safety for older farmers, assistive technology used for farms and gardening, and tricks of the trade for aging limitations. Workshops scheduled to this point include:

November 14th – Stark County 6:30 – 8:30 pm

December 10th – Shelby and Auglaize Counties 1:30 – 3:30 pm

January 24th – Hancock County – 1:00 – 3-00 pm

March 11th – Ashtabula County – time TBD

Additional workshop sessions are available to be scheduled in your area. For more details about hosting a workshop contact Kent McGuire, OSU Agricultural Safety & Health, at mcguire.225@osu.edu or 614-292-0588. For more information about the Ohio AgrAbility Program visit agrability.osu.edu

MACHINERY MAINTENANCE – Chain Saw Safety

Dewey Mann – Safety Research Associate

· Have the right saw for the job – The same saw for felling a 16-inch butt diameter tree will not be the right saw for limbing the tree once it’s on the ground.

· Properly maintain the saws – Dull and loose chains can increase the risk of dangerous kickback. A clean air filter, good spark plug, fresh fuel, and effective muffler will ensure a well running chain saw, and will make your work more effective and safer. Also, periodically check and ensure the lubrication reservoir is full.

· Wear the proper personal protective equipment (PPE) – Hardhat, eye and face protection, hearing protection (chain saws can easily reach noise levels greater than 110 decibels), gloves, above the ankle steel-toed boots, and close fitting clothes (saw resistant chaps are recommended).

· Start the chain saw on the ground or firm support – NEVER ‘drop start’ a chain saw.

· Clear away debris and limbs from the saws path – Look for metal in the tree from nails, spikes, or fencing material before starting the first cut.

· Keep your hands on the saw’s handles and maintain secure footing – Do not over reach with the saw, and avoid cutting at heights above your shoulders.

· Plan before felling timber – Know where the tree needs to land, and make sure there is a clear path of retreat when moving away from a falling tree. Leave enough of a hinge at the starter cut (notch) that the tree does not bounce or roll after it falls.

· Have a secondary plan if tree does not fall with the felling cut – Wedges can be used to start and control the direction of the fall. Stand to the side when driving the wedges in case they eject from the tree.

· After the tree is down, make carefully planned limb cuts – The tree will continue to move as limbs are removed, and some limbs may have tension on them. While cutting logs and limbs to the desired size, take the time to remove them from the area to minimize trip hazards.

· Be cautious of saw kickback – To avoid kickback, do not cut with the tip of the blade, which is likely to occur when reaching for and cutting tree limbs.

· Never attempt to refuel a running or HOT saw – Allow the saw to cool, or have multiple chains saws to rotate (refuel and use the ‘cool’ saw).

Spending time in the woods gathering firewood can be a physically and financially rewarding activity. With proper planning, a safe end to the day is more likely.

CHAIN SAW SAFETY CLASS – By the Ohio Forestry Association, Offered on Nov. 8 or Nov. 9, 2013

A workshop at the Miller Conservation Farm in Tiffin, Ohio will teach practices and techniques to help improve the safety and efficiency of chain saws. This class will be extremely relevant to both the experienced users and the more casual users. During this day-long course, participants learn about PPE, safety features of the chain saw head, five point safety check, components of the saw tooth, angles, and their functions. The afternoon portion is hands-on in the woods. Participants MUST provide their own personal protective gear; chaps, hard hat, safety glasses, eye protection, leather gloves and steel-toe boots. Participants must also bring their own chainsaw. Registration is limited to the first 12 individuals.

For more information contact the Ohio Forestry Association at 614-497-9580.

INJURY PREVENTION – Don’t Get Wrapped Up in Machinery

Kathy Mann – Agricultural Safety and Health Program Coordinator

Farms use various pieces of equipment to increase the ease and efficiency of production agriculture. Common pieces include tractors, mowers, combines, grinders, augers, balers, and the list goes on and on. Although each piece of equipment is unique and designed with a specific purpose in mind, all farm machinery shares one-commonality, risk points. They include places with gears, chains, cutting edges, and revolving shafts. Each piece of machinery usually has more than one risk point. By becoming familiar with the risks associated with operating farm machinery, you can protect yourself from serious injuries or an untimely death.

Wrap points include any exposed machine parts that rotate. The most common examples are power take-off shafts or PTOs, but there are several others. A few not commonly recognized include beater bars on self-unloading ensilage wagons and blades on manure spreaders.

Engineers have developed numerous guards to prevent accidents with wrap points. Master shields enclose the area where PTO drivelines connect to the tractor. Stub shaft shields cap exposed PTO stub shafts when not in use. Shaft shields enclose PTO drivelines. Implement shields are similar to master shields; however, they are attached to the implement and cover the rear PTO connection point.

Here are some tips to protect yourself or others:

· Remove drawstrings from jackets and sweat shirts before working around equipment with wrap points.

· Never wear jewelry when working with or around farm machinery.

· Keep long hair pulled back when working with all equipment and especially when working around equipment with wrap points.

· Never wear loose or frayed clothing when working with or around equipment.

· Shield all potential wrap points when possible.

· Replace damaged or bent shields immediately. Mangled shields are as dangerous as no shields at all.

· Never step over or crawl under rotating shafts.

· Never reach over, under, or around potential wrap points.

· Shut down all equipment and wait for all moving parts to stop before performing any maintenance or repairs.

· Place warning labels on all possible wrap points.

For more information check out: http://ohioline.osu.edu/aex-fact/0994_3.html

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT – Emergency Action Plan vs. Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Plan

Kent McGuire – OSU Ag Safety and Health

Often times there is some confusion over the difference between an Emergency Action Plan and Business Continuity Plan. It is important to be prepared for a fire, flood, tornado, or other emergency that can impact the well being of the business and it’s employees. In simple terms, an Emergency Action Plan is implemented during the time of an emergency and a Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Plan is implemented shortly after the emergency in an effort to continue conducting business.

The purpose of an Emergency Action Plan is to facilitate and organize employer and employee actions during workplace emergencies. A well developed emergency plans and employee awareness will result in fewer and less severe employee injuries or less structural damage to the facility during emergencies. At a minimum, the plan should include following elements:

- Means of reporting fires and other emergencies.

- Evacuation procedures and emergency escape route assignments.

- Procedures to be followed by employees who remain to operate critical plant operations before they evacuate.

- Procedures to account for all employees after an emergency evacuation have been completed.

- Rescue and medical duties for those employees who are to perform them.

- Names or job titles of persons who can be contacted for further information or explanation of duties under the plan.

Business Continuity refers to the activities required to keep your organization running during a period of displacement or interruption of normal operation. Disaster Recovery is the process of rebuilding your operation or infrastructure after the disaster has passed. Following an incident that disrupts business operations, resources will be needed to carry out recovery strategies and to restore normal business operations. The plan will need to consider the following elements:

- What to do with employees

- Locating office space, furniture and equipment

- Technology that is essential (computers, peripherals, communication equipment, software and data)

- Saving, storage, or retrieving of vital records (electronic and hard copy)

- Maintaining or locating production facilities, machinery and equipment

- Maintaining or establishing inventory including raw materials, finished goods and goods in production.

- Essential utilities (power, natural gas, water, sewer, telephone, internet, wireless)

- Utilizing third party services unaffected by the emergency / disaster

For more information about Emergency Management contact Kent McGuire, OSU Agricultural Safety & Health, at mcguire.225@osu.edu or 614-292-0588.