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COLLEGE OF FOOD, AGRICULTURAL, AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

June 2017

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

NEW: Small Farm and Garden Safety Series Factsheets

A new series of factsheets was developed specifically for the small farmers, community gardens, and backyard gardeners. Many of these agricultural audiences use equipment (tractors, tillers, hand tools, ladders, sprayers, etc), but they are smaller or more specialized for the crop.

Hiring Youth for Seasonal Agricultural Jobs this Summer?

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Agricultural Hazardous Occupations Orders (AgHOs) regulation prohibits 14 and 15-year-olds from operating farm tractors and attached powered equipment unless (1) they are working on a farm owned/operated by their parent or legal guardian, or (2) the youth has successfully completed an approved safe tractor and machinery operation-training program.

OSU Sun Hats are Available

The OSU Agricultural Safety and Health Program has sun safe hats for sale. These sun safe hats are great for Master Gardeners, field researchers, golf enthusiasts, farmers, OSU alumni, and those traveling to sunny vacation destinations!

Ladder Safety Training

Is barn painting on that to do list this summer? Training modules for your summer farm employees that will be reaching new heights via ladder can be found at the American Ladder Institute’s Ladder Safety Training, https://www.laddersafetytraining.org.

Don’t Let Arthritis or Chronic Pain Stop You from Gardening

Laura Akgerman – Disability Services Coordinator for Ohio AgrAbility: It’s spring, and time to get out in the garden. If you one of the many American’s who have a chronic pain condition, you may worry that your pain-free gardening days are over, but they don’t have to be. With a few changes to your routine, you can continue gardening without increasing your pain.

Safety Considerations for Hay Baling Season

Kent McGuire – OSU Ag Safety and Health Coordinator: As we progress into summer, hay baling moves to the forefront of things to be done on the farm. Hay baling season can come with its own set of hazards that can cause injuries. These include equipment hazards, working in hot temperatures, lifting injuries, and even the stress of getting hay down, dried and baled in a narrow window to beat the weather.

Things To Remember When You Hope For Those Sunny Days

Lisa Pfeifer – OSU Ag Safety and Health Education Coordinator: A day in the life of a farmer can mean sun exposure from sun up to sun down. Farmers would be hard pressed to avoid the sun entirely. Performing work tasks requires time in the sun, often for the entirety of the workday.

Summer Childcare on the Farm

Lisa Pfeifer – OSU Ag Safety and Health Education Coordinator: The long hours in the field during the busy months of planting and the beginning of hay harvest leave many farmers missing their young children. While it is tempting to spend some time bonding by bringing the little ones along on the tractor, remember it flies in the face of recommended safety practice.