‘Tis the season for family, fun, and festivities. You’ve worked hard all year, and now it’s time to slow down and enjoy a little well-earned celebration. You’ve earned it. Just remember, for the sake of both you and your loved ones, to practice a little personal safety this holiday season.

‘Tis the season for family, fun, and festivities. You’ve worked hard all year, and now it’s time to slow down and enjoy a little well-earned celebration. You’ve earned it. Just remember, for the sake of both you and your loved ones, to practice a little personal safety this holiday season.

The holidays are a time for loved ones to gather and celebrate the season. But let’s not forget to practice personal safety – for both you and your family – during this festive time.

“Nobody likes getting older, but it’s better than the alternative…” is a phrase that we hear often in regards to aging.  When it comes to safety on the farm, we need to respect the fact that as we age we don’t have the same reflexes, strength, flexibility or agility that we had in years past.  This progresses faster in some people, and slower in others.  We must learn to gauge our own abilities and be realistic in the activities we choose to do—and how we choose to do them.

Many things can happen in an ag business to make it a really bad day, and one of the worst might be a day that OSHA decided to stop by for an unannounced audit.  For some businesses that have regular inspections it may not be a major event, but for most operations it could be an expensive review.

With so few official OSHA training regulations for agriculture, you might think that you have covered all your bases in your farm-safety training and meeting OSHA's training requirements. On the contrary, staying current on all OSHA requirements is an ongoing project for you and your safety team.

Safety issues must become a top priority. That means creating a strategy that safeguards your employees’ and managers’ safety and fosters a solid expectation for everyone’s complete compliance with OSHA guidelines. These goals will help establish the foundation of a safety culture that, in turn, could lead to higher productivity and profits for your farm. 

If your agribusiness operation doesn’t present enough opportunity for slips and falls, wait for a snow or ice storm!  Even without a storm, freezing temperatures can create additional hazards due to the freezing of existing wet or muddy areas.  Take time now to identify areas where some additional grading or surface changes could reduce the water or moisture subject to freezing.  Some of these areas include downspouts from roofs, low spots in parking areas, runoff from lots, etc. 

Per the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA), from 2006 to 2010, there were 830 structure fires in livestock or poultry barns, stockyards and animal pens.  These fires cause millions of dollars in property damage, loss of animals, and injuries and deaths to farmers and farm workers.

Regular safety meetings play an important role in communicating your company’s safety program information. They are a vital means of providing training for your employees about their workplace hazards and expected safe work habits. Safety meetings are also a great way to provide a quick refresher of previous training and reinforce the safety culture of your operation.

Thank you. It’s not hard to say, but until this time of year, many of us rarely slow down enough to think about what we’re truly thankful for in our lives. Here at Good Days Work, we have so much to be thankful for—our families, our health, the opportunities ahead—the list could go on and on. But, first and foremost, we are thankful for you, the farm families that serve our communities.