Have you ever had the “safety talk” with your employees?

August is a good time to take pause and check your inventory of PPE before going into harvest. 

No matter what you do, you have a reason to work safely and watch out for the safety of others.  Purchase quality products that meet safety standards and are appropriate for work you will be doing. Employees are more likely to wear PPE products that fit well and are comfortable.

As your business ramps up after lockdown, investing in a COVID-19 health and safety policy now can protect your employees and pay dividends for at least the next few months. Following this guide can protect your coworkers and help prevent another lockdown due to an outbreak – it’s mutually beneficial.

Here, we’ll help you translate the CDC and OSHA COVID-19 guidelines into a plan of action that works for your specific situation, whether you’re looking to assess your current policy or create a new one from scratch.

Implementation Tip – Who Writes The Guidelines?

As the supervisor or boss, you are responsible for the safety and health of your employees in the workplace.

• your experience is valuable in creating guidelines that are tailored to your workplace and your needs

       AND

• your credibility is necessary to create a policy everyone can agree on and follow.

If you are unable to write the COVID-19 workplace guidelines yourself, make sure that you are heavily involved in the process and involve individuals who are qualified and experienced in health, safety, and human resources.

 Utility Task Vehicles (UTVs) are common on many farm operations with many uses, attachments and benefits.  They can go by a variety of names such as side by sides (SxSs) and multipurpose recreational off-highway vehicles (ROVs) and I'm sure many more.  Many if not all also double as a recreational vehicle with high performance features.  That being said, power and speed are key components of agricultural  injuries and fatalities.

What should you know when having employees operating UTVs in "non-recreational" farm tasks?  

This winter, are you prepared for the "silent killer"? When the cold weather comes and working indoors becomes more necessary, the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning increases. You may keep your equipment running indoors and think, "It's just for a little bit, I'll be okay." But even a little carbon monoxide exposure makes an impact on your body and health. Make sure you and your employees are up to date and trained on how to avoid and respond to this deadly gas. 

Over the last ten years, grain dust explosions have occurred at an average of 10 explosions per year. You might look at that number and think that grain dust explosions aren't something you need to worry about. However, the magnitude of these explosions can be devastating. These explosions can bring down entire operations, causing injuries and even fatalities. But with prevention, grain dust explosions can be avoided.  

Anhydrous ammonia (NH₃₎ is the perfect example of something that's commonly found in agriculture, but is also really dangerous. Because it's so common, people grow very comfortable using and being around it and forget that it's a hazardous chemical.

Anhydrous ammonia causes serious injuries, like severe frostbite, serious burns, blindness, suffocation or lung damage, and even death, all in a matter of seconds. Many injuries can be avoided by properly handling the product and respecting it each and every time you work with it. Personal protection is the responsibility of the employer and the employee.

It's time to talk about respiratory protection

When it comes to your health, have you ever thought, "I wish someone would've warned me about this a long time ago?" Don't let this happen to your employees. 

Most respiratory protection isn't mandated, and employees may not know enough to protect themselves.  It's the responsibility of a business to educate their employees, so they can take responsibility for their health and make informed decisions that will protect their health now and in the future. If you as an employer fail to educate in the first place, employees will pay a health price long term.

That’s why the topic of non-mandated respiratory protection is so important. In particular, the voluntary use of a disposable particulate dusk mask, also referred to as filtering face piece, mechanical filter or particulate respirator.   

Grain augers are a very common piece of equipment on farms and other agricultural businesses, but per hour of use, they're also one of the most dangerous pieces of machinery. Since they are so common, it's easy to become a little too comfortable operating them. Injuries received from augers can include electrocution or amputations, broken bones, and lacerations due to entanglement. With harvest season bringing an increased usage of augers, it's important to make sure you're observing the best safety practices.

As a safety director, manager, or business owner, do you often feel that it's you against the employees  when it comes to safety? Do you want your employees to feel ownership and responsibility for not just their safety, but for everyone else's? 

This is where the DuPont Bradley Curve is helpful. It's a tool to help businesses shift their employees from following safety protocol because it's what is required, to a place where everyone from the top down is actively participating in the safety culture of the organization. Obviously, anytime someone is practicing safety is a positive, but it's even better if people are following protocol because they have a genuine desire to keep themselves and their coworkers safe.