Farmers always make the mistake of believing that they are not susceptible to danger in their farms (especially farmers who have been active for 10-15 years), this belief has led to avoidable accidents that cost lives and damage equipment. There is an acclaimed formula for safety on farms, which is;

Safety = Good Working Equipment + Capable and Attentive Operators

Another instance is when farmers spend on new machines, they pay attention to learning the basic operational and servicing techniques and make the mistake of not building the mentality of the operators and also failing to educate them on safety drills also.
Accidents on farms happen many times, not because the machine malfunctions but because the operators are either tired, distracted or unprepared.

We highlighted ten safety hacks you should employ whenever you are on your farm;

1. Dress appropriately: This is one of the steps to ensuring your safety on your farms. Make sure you wear your complete farming gear and boots irrespective of your mode of farming (Manual or Mechanical). This goes a long way in avoiding injuries.

2. Be in your best mental state: Ensure that you are well rested and mentally balanced before going to your farm to work. Many farmers have collapsed because they never get full rest before embarking on their farms to work. Avoid distractions, stay focused on your current task till you finish.

3. Store all chemicals in a safe place: Storing your chemicals in safe areas helps to reduce the risk of poisoning and fire outbreak. Most of these chemicals are poisonous and combustible and if they aren’t stored properly, there might be hazardous consequences.

4. Check your machine before operating: Make sure that before you start operating your machine, you check fuel and oil levels, nuts and bolts if they are properly screwed. Don’t forget to make proper alterations to your farm equipment to ensure they are properly conditioned for the day’s work.

5. Follow Federal and State Laws: Laws and policies made by the government to guide and protect farmers must be followed to the end especially by farmers. Following laws will help you to avoid fines which in turn helps to maintain proper flow of revenue.

6. Get all your safety gears in place: Fire extinguishers, First Aid Box and other safety equipment should be made available and accessible whenever work is being done on the farm. Like they say, “A stitch in time saves nine”.

7. Keep equipment in order: Ensure that your rakes, shovels, hoes and other farm equipment with sharp edges are properly positioned. Do not leave them on the floor carelessly.

8. Educate young farmers: Children should be equipped with basic safety knowledge as well as amateur farmers you just employed. Make sure everyone working on the farm is properly educated on-farm risks and trained in first aid.

9. Protect your ear: When operating machines on the farm, there is usually a high level of noise emanating from these machines. Wearing earpads is very important to protect damage to your ear.

10. Draw up an emergency plan: An emergency plan is vital. Make sure that you drill your workers through safety routines and what to do in case of emergencies. Draw up a route to the nearest hospital and regularly drill your workers on what to do during emergencies.

Taking these steps will help you scale on the right path towards safety when working on your farm. Paying attention and practicing them regularly will help you form a habit.

A habit that will save you from accidents.


SOURCE: http://www.habgito.com/new/ten-safety-hacks-for-farmers/

FarmTech, Pavore, Lalasticlala, mynd44

Great article