Some of the world’s most disastrous accidents are related to sleep deprivation and fatigue; Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and The Challenger Explosion.  These well-known global catastrophes are a reminder that sleep is utterly crucial.

 When push comes to shove, many of us, when confronted with completing a task will extend our work day by first robbing our sleep time. Our sleep time is simply undervalued. The common link between these 5 disasters are; lowered alertness, inattention, and delayed reaction due to sleep deprivation.                 (also see Harvest Safety - Preventing Fatigue)

Combines have been rolling throughout the Midwest through mostly very dry conditions.  Clouds of dust can be seen for miles where combines have been.  These dry, dusty conditions also make it ideal for combine fires.  One component in fire protection I’d like to cover is the pressurized water extinguishers. Though normally seen on balers, we also see them on combines. 

Grain augers are a necessity on many agricultural operations and deserve a high level of attention due to the many safety risks associated with them. Common injuries include amputations, entanglements, electrocution, lacerations, and broken bones. Which is why augers have been recognized to be one of the more dangerous pieces of equipment per hour of use. 

Are you dreading breathing in dust this harvest season?  The way it makes you feel crappy, stuffed up, having a runny nose, a cough and affecting your overall health?  It’s certainly understandable.

Having a crisis communication plan is essential for the long-term health of your business.  A very brief definition for a crisis is anything that threatens the reputation of your business. As the saying goes;          "it’s not of matter of if, it’s a matter of when"  you’ll have a crisis to deal with says Steve Richardson of the Brighton Agency. 

If your operations’ equipment is involved in an accident on a public highway, can you defend yourself? Can you show you took steps to train your operators on road safety, made your equipment visible and comply with transportation regulations?

Many people may assume that agriculture in general is exempt from OSHA standards. The truth is agriculture is not exempt from OSHA.  However, there is a small farms exemption. Understanding the exemption could be vital to your operation. Before we get into the exemption, lets first examine the General Duty Clause as it sets up the framework for understanding who is and who isn’t covered.

National Farm and Safety Health Week is September 17 to 23, 2017.  This year's theme is "Putting Farm Safety Into Practice."  According to National Education Center for Agricultural Safety (NECAS) this theme hits home and reminds us that it is everyone's responsibility for safety both on the farm and the rural roadways of America. 

When getting your combine ready for harvest, have you thought about combine fire prevention?  A combine fire extinguisher can put out a small fire before it grows out of control.  Let’s review some basics of fire, review the type of fire extinguisher needed and view some combine recommendations: 

Now is a great time to assess manure pit dangers and bone up on identifying hazardous gases as fall approaches. Many deaths happen late summer and fall when crops come off and producers are emptying pits. Everyone who works in or around manure storage (tanks, pits & lagoons) should understand manure gas hazards.   A good resource for information is the Great Plains Center for Agriculture Health fact sheets at www.gpcah.org.