Seasonal Safety Considerations

June is National Safety Month. (You can learn more in this bulletin from Ohio State)

It’s also an incredibly busy month for everyone involved in agriculture. Just this morning I was talking with a consultant in Ohio who has two farmers in the north part of the state just starting to get in the field to plant this week.

As farmers, retailers, consultants, and others are under pressure to make 2018 the most productive and profitable year they can, here are some considerations in light of it being a month to highlight safety.

There are many sprayers, tender trucks and airplanes making crop protection applications and traveling from field to field. Fred Whitford, Purdue University coordinator of pesticide programs says too many people driving applicator rigs either don’t know safe driving practices or don’t use them.

Another important application method is aerial—with more than 71 million acres annually applied via ag airplanes. And with more than 1 million drones registered with the FAA, it’s important everyone respects the shared airspace and each other’s safety. The National Ag Aviation Association shared these 7 tips for drone operators to keep their equipment and ag pilots safe this season.

I also discussed this topic with Chip Flory on AgriTalk:

And as the first crop of hay is put up, there are considerations to keep that feedstock and the barn it’s stored in safe from fire.  Ensure your hay is dry enough before you bale it; most wet bales catch fire within six weeks of baling, as the story by Anna-Lisa Laca details.

Here’s a video from the National Safety Council highlighting the current statistics of preventable injuries: