It has long been known that farming is one of the most dangerous occupations on the face of the Earth.
Every day farmers place their lives and the lives of their workers at risk to help feed the world. When you think about farm safety one of the first things that comes to mind is safe operation and use of farm equipment. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, “In 2020, 368 farmers and farm workers died from a work-related injury, resulting in a fatality rate of 18.0 deaths per 100,000 workers. Transportation incidents, which include tractor overturns were the leading cause of death for these farmers and farm workers.” While accidents do happen, it is our job to stay safe and keep our workers safe while on the job. Most tractor related accidents are not due to equipment failure, they usually stem from operator error. So often an operator gets careless or even too comfortable while operating equipment. Although many operators are putting in 12 and 14 hour days it is important to stay focused and not take shortcuts with proper equipment operation. Before startup it is critical that safety checks are performed that insure all safety equipment and shields are in place and in good repair. More often than not accidents could have been prevented if the proper equipment and shields were in place. Unlike many other industries farming does not have mandatory rest periods for operators, but it is a critical that operators stay awake and alert. At any time if fatigue shall set in it is important, not only for your safety but the safety of those around you, to take a break and get the required rest to operate your machinery to the best of your ability. At the end on the day one of the most important things we can do is make sure we stay safe and are able to come back the next day and do it all over again. Remember, the world is counting on you.
