Introduction to Farm Hazards
Keep your farm safe from farm hazards through early detection and the right safety procedures.
Safety
Top 10 workplace safety statistics
Keep your farm safe from farm hazards through early detection and the right safety procedures.
Farm hazards are activities, items, practices, and equipment that can cause harm to farm workers. These hazards should be identified before any farm work to be addressed immediately and ensure the safety of workers at all times.
According to the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), some of the most common farm hazards are the following:
Animal bites and excretions that can cause sicknesses and injuries
Respiratory problems from grain bins, chemicals, and weather changes
Physical harm from farm equipment breakages and misuse
Heat-related illnesses from harsh hot weather
Falls from high places and trips over stray equipment and plants
Musculoskeletal injuries from repetitive strenuous movement
Extensive unprotected exposure to harsh chemicals such as pesticides
General health problems from overwork
Vehicular accidents that can lead to injuries
Hearing loss from loud equipment
It is important to address farm hazards as soon as they are spotted. The farming industry is one of the most hazardous industries in the world as it involves many strenuous activities, heavy equipment, and hours under harsh conditions. In the US, there are at least 23.4 deaths per 100,000 farm workers yearly as of 2018, with at least 2 million youth exposed to farm hazards yearly.
These statistics are reflected around the world with varying degrees, such as in Australia where, in 2021, agriculture was deemed as the highest-risk occupation in the country with eight times the fatality rate compared to other industries. An average of 79 farmers die yearly, with a majority of them getting life-threatening injuries from vehicle and machine use.
Different farms will have different hazards to consider and ways to address them. Some ways to keep your farm safe include:
Follow the hierarchy of controls in identifying, mitigating, and addressing risks
Perform regular agricultural inspections, risk assessments, safety audits of your farm and your items
Keep children away from hazardous items on the field
Keep necessary agricultural equipment and machinery in good working order
Promote good hygiene practices at all times
Regularly keep pathways and fields clear of tripping and flammable hazards
Train employees on the proper safety procedures and how to deal with farm hazards
Stay updated on weather changes and work around them accordingly
Create and follow safety protocols for different situations
Record injuries, equipment issues, and risks in one place to better analyze them for the future
A good way to manage farm safety, in general, would also be to use a digital auditing solution to keep track of farm hazards and risks, injuries, and other important data. By centralizing your risk assessments, injury and incident reports, and hazard identification forms, you can better create and manage farm safety plans, thus improving the safety and well-being of your workers.
One solution you can use is Mitti (by SafetyCulture), a mobile-ready digital auditing and operations platform with a focus on streamlining processes and improving safety in any and all workplaces. Use a farm hazard identification or risk assessment form from the Public Library to get started and edit it as you see fit to best capture and document incidents and hazards encountered. All files are then stored securely in the cloud for easy access anytime and anywhere, allowing you and your workers to perform daily farm tasks efficiently.
Mitti (by SafetyCulture) also allows you to do the following:
Report farm hazards and other safety issues as they are spotted
Assign corrective actions for every farm hazard encountered or identified and set priority levels for them
Train employees through their mobile devices to ensure they are aware of the proper farm safety procedures and monitor their progress
Monitor and manage farm equipment and assets as they are used to ensure they are safe for use
Communicate with your staff from anywhere on your farm all at once by raising a Heads Up
Schedule farm hazard identification sessions and safety talks through the app
Keep lone farm workers safe even from afar with SHEQSY by Mitti (by SafetyCulture)
Provide employees with the right Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for farm work from Mitti Supply
