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COLLEGE OF FOOD, AGRICULTURAL, AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

December 2015

Ag Safety S.T.A.T. – Safe Tactics for Ag Today is an electronic newsletter prepared by team members from the OSU Extension Agricultural Safety & Health Office. The goal is to provide seasonal safety news and activities that may be re-published in your own newsletters or programs. If you have safety-related questions or program ideas that you would like to share, please contact Dee Jepsen at jepsen.4@osu.edu
For a printable version please click here.

Announcements

Safety and Health Topics for your Upcoming Winter Programs

Please consider the Ag Safety Office when developing your winter and early spring producer meetings or Workers Compensation group-rating programs. Our staff will work with you to design a program specifically for your audience group, or feel free to select a topic from our “Most Popular List” below.

Ohio AgrAbility Would Like to Conduct an Educational Program in your Area

To help prevent back injuries for farmers and gardeners, Ohio AgrAbility will be presenting “Oh My Aching Back” presentations throughout the state. The 45-min presentation will focus on back strain and give tips and information for preventing back injuries for both the young and older farmers and gardeners.

Safety Ideas within your Tax Bracket

Dee Jepsen—State Agricultural Safety and Health Leader: As the end of 2015 draws closer, there may be families and businesses looking for ways to reduce taxes by lowering their reportable annual profit. While the OSU Safety Program does not typically provide tax advice, there are some great safety ideas that can help agricultural operations looking to make an investment in safety.

Reducing Stress for a Healthy Heart

Andy Bauer—Ohio AgrAbility Program Educational Coordinator: Fall harvest is complete in most areas of Ohio, and fall tillage is also completed in a lot of the state. Farmers may continue to experience stress related to marketing this crop with current prices, year end financial planning, planning for next years crop and the upcoming cold weather. Farming consistently has one of the highest rates of deaths due to stress-related conditions such as hypertension and heart disease.

Reducing Winter Work Injuries

Kent McGuire – OSU Ag Safety and Health Coordinator: Winter is around the corner and the day to day operations of the farm will continue despite bitter cold, freezing rain, or significant snowfall amounts. No matter what the conditions are outside, there is still work to be done around the farm. Individuals who continue to perform work activities in winter conditions are at a higher risk of a variety on injuries including: frostbite, overexertion, muscle strain, slips trips and falls, or...