During busy seasons, farm safety can take a backseat to other business priorities critical to success. However, safety needs to be part of your critical success factor. Just one accident could affect your ag operation personally and financially, especially if it could have been prevented. Plan your pre-harvest training and safety meeting now to set tone for how your agribusiness will operate for the remainder of the year.

Slip, trip and fall (STF) injuries are common in agribusiness, especially in the winter time. Prepare now to minimize slip, trip and fall hazards around your facilities and before the ice and snow arrive.  Grab a clipboard and pad and make a list of the top 3-5 most obvious areas that have given employees problems in the past. Then get feedback from employees where they feel STF hazards are around the operation. Next do a walk around to find areas that are potential walking and working surface hazards. This should include areas where there is clutter, reduced or blocked exits, uneven surfaces and areas where water, ice or snow can accumulate.

While those of us who run ag operations in colder climates are happy about the warmer temperatures that Spring brings, it’s a fact that the mud and rainfall of the season will make our working conditions more treacherous. The risk of slip, trip, and fall injuries increases significantly with the warmer weather – and not just because we can finally get back outside again.

Slips, trips, and falls in the workplace are no laughing matter. In fact, they account for more than 225,000 injuries a year. And 70% of these incidents occur on level surfaces with falls from less than four feet above ground!

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. 

Slips, trips, and falls in the workplace are no laughing matter. In fact, they account for more than 225,000 injuries a year. And 70% of these incidents occur on level surfaces with falls from less than four feet above ground!

Slips, trips and falls constitute the majority of general industry accidents.

Agriculture is no different than any other industry when it comes to slips, trips and falls (STF’s). Similar to construction, changes in walking surfaces is part of the landscape. STF’s are a major challenge for safety managers and account for roughly 15.2% of all injuries that require time off work.

Traditional Solutions                                                                                     

Most traditional solutions zero in on physical factors like obstructions, wet and slippery floors and uneven surfaces. Those issues are commonly addressed in three ways:

• rules and procedures
• regular maintenance
• proper equipment

A sound housekeeping plan, warnings of raised surfaces and employing anti-slip materials go a long way to prevent STFs in the traditional sense.

What About Non-Traditional Solutions?

While those of us who run ag operations in colder climates are happy about the warmer temperatures that Spring brings, it’s a fact that the mud and rainfall of the season will make our working conditions more treacherous. The risk of slip, trip, and fall injuries increases significantly with the warmer weather – and not just because we can finally get back outside again.