Last week, we discussed the first fundamental reason for having someone on your staff—even if it’s you—dedicated to safety. Having a single point person fulfilling this role is critical to maintaining the clear, consistent communication that optimizes safety among your employees. 

As we celebrate National Farm Safety Week, we’re reminded of the mission and purpose of the week—to raise awareness on the importance of safety in agriculture to help keep our farm families safe.

This ag-designated week also gives farm owners and operators a chance to pause and reflect, asking themselves these two questions: Are we being as safe as we could be? Are we focusing enough on safety? 

This week, while farmers continue or begin harvest, we pause and reflect on the importance of safety on farms and farm-related businesses. Although we believe that farm safety should be preached every single day, it’s important to help our industry advocate continually for safe agriculture practices.

Good Day’s Work is excited to celebrate National Farm Safety Week this year, and we hope that you will do what you can to join us in our mission to promote a safer environment in agriculture.

If you’re running an agribusiness, you probably rely on a few key people for their expert opinion or advice, like your vet or crop specialist. Now that you’ve decided to ramp up the operation’s ag safety program, you might be looking to expand that list of trusted advisers to include a safety director.

Did you know that 167 lost-work-time injuries are suffered by ag workers each day?  

I caught up with a friend last week who owned a large dairy farm and now works for a farm co-op in his “retirement.” When I mentioned ag-safety programs and OSHA compliance, he quickly rolled his eyes and sarcastically said, “Ugh,” with a chuckle.

As the dedicated safety leader for your farm, you probably know OSHA's core safety-compliance standards quite thoroughly. As you understand all too well, knowing the core farm-safety standards is an ongoing—never-ending, actually—practice, and it is essential that you and your fellow safety-team members monitor and adhere to OSHA's most current regulations specific to agriculture. It is better to keep up with OSHA training requirements and overall safety standards than to have to meet an OSHA safety inspector face-to-face after an incident.

When you and your harvest crew gear up for fall harvest, we hope you first follow our tips on how to prep your farm for this season. After you have, take a look at these common combine hazards, so you're as safe as possible on the job.

Although we believe that farm safety should be practiced every single day that you are on the job, it’s even more exciting when a whole week is dedicated to celebrating and encouraging safety in agriculture.