How will you farm if you are hurt? What if a family member or employee are injured? With 25 fatalities per 100,000 people, agriculture is the most hazardous occupation in the U.S., exceeding even mining or construction work. Any accident can result in a severe Full story

Any building that’s located in an area with below freezing weather and snow is subject to damage from frozen pipes, water leaks, or roof collapses that can damage buildings and interrupt business or a home. These losses also occur during cold or snowy periods which makes repair and restoration difficult...Full story

Concerns and Hazards

Metal working operations use a wide variety of equipment, from brand new items to decades old machines. But no matter what type they are, metal working machines often present similar mechanical hazards. Injuries from machine operation are typically very serious but can be prevented with proper machine safeguarding...Full story

Imagine an emergency situation: You see smoke coming from a trash can. Is the nearest fire extinguisher blocked? Or maybe you need to reach an eyewash station quickly but can’t because it’s walled off by boxes.

Safety stations and equipment are not useful if they are not accessible. Simple guidelines can...Full story

A well-organized and clean operation lowers production costs by making it easier to focus on value-added production work. It also reduces non-productive time spent searching for material and tools and makes better use of floor space. A clean operation reduces non-value-adding tasks like emergency cleanup work, time spent looking for...Full story

Nearly every manufacturer, and many other businesses, use welding in production or maintenance as part of their operation. To weld safely, a welder needs to consider the welding method, amount of welding, metal that is being welded, and duration of the weld.

Welding Hazards

Hazards associated with welding include:

• Respiratory hazards from inhalation...Full story

Spring and summer are good times to review emergency response procedures for tornadoes and severe weather.

General Response and Shelter

Everyone must be familiar with the severe weather warning signal and where the nearest shelter is located. It’s very important to know how to respond before an event to reduce time...Full story

In a confrontation between you and mobile equipment, you will always lose. Most contractors, and many otherbusinesses, use mobile equipment every day, ranging widely in variety from wheeled vehicles, to large tracked equipment, down to bobcats. In fact, it’s rare for a jobsite to not have exposures from mobile equipment...Full story

The thought, “it will only take a minute,” has led to many catastrophic accidents related to shortcuts in machine safeguarding practices. Reduce machine related accidents by keeping guards in place, note hazards where additional guards are necessary, and follow lockout procedures.

Be alert to these basic safety practices when working around...Full story

Failure to follow lockout/tagout rules on equipment is responsible for about 10% of all industrial accidents. Never forget that that these accidents almost always cause a severe life-changing injury or even death.

For equipment that has been properly de-energized, most accidents occur when someone fails to follow basic rules regarding locks....Full story

Metal working and forming operations can work with a wide variety of metals and alloys. Each presents its own risks to health. Hexavalent chromium (CrVI) can pose a significant hazard to people who work with stainless steel or other alloys. It is a hazard that must be addressed even when...Full story

Vehicles that aren’t used or maintained properly are a risk not just to others on the road, but anyone behind the wheel or even near a vehicle. Tractor and highway-related accidents account for 49% of agricultural fatalities each year.

Equipment Safety

• Seat belts, rollover protection, and...Full story

Whether you’re a first-generation farm owner or farming has been in your family for decades, you know that managing risk is vital to your success. Any loss to your crops, animals, or equipment can have devastating consequences for your business.

Indirect losses are not...Full story

Your hearing changes as you get older, but that’s not the only thing that can affect how much you can hear. Loud noises— either sudden ones like an explosion or constant sounds like in a manufacturing plant — can also cause hearing loss.

Noise is measured in decibels:

• Whisper: 20 decibels
• Speech: 50...Full story

While most incidents involving particles or material in the eye are addressed by flushing and basic treatment, many are more severe and can lead to long-term negative effects on eyesight. OSHA estimates that 1,000 eye injuries occur every day in U.S. workplaces and that most eye injuries can be prevented...Full story

All-terrain vehicles (ATVs) are a familiar site on farms, in big backyards, and anywhere people can ride for fun. Four wheelers can be useful for hauling equipment or getting from one place to another quickly. But their increased use has also led to more serious...Full story

It only takes a few adjustments...

• Keep your neck straight.
• Keep your shoulders relaxed.
• When typing, keep forearms parallel to the floor and wrists straight.
• Make sure your back has full contact with the backrest (sit all the way back in your chair)and that your lower back fits into curved lumbar support.
• Keep your thighs...Full story

Grain dryer fires can be devasting, especially when they occur during key harvest periods. They destroy crops that cannot be replaced and impair drying operations. Fires also endanger people who are working nearby, as well as other storage bins, buildings, and equipment. Reduce your...Full story