Agricultural Safety & Health

National Workshop to Address New Technology Risk Issues in Agriculture

Agriculture has seen advances in autonomous robots and other machines that will impact future production practices, business management, and safety practices. Developments like artificial intelligence now enable fully autonomous machines like full-sized tractors to till fields, machines that control weeds, and robots that milk cows and feed calves. These machines depend on sensor-based information and have prompted important questions for the ag sector regarding safety protocols, risk management, implications for rural communities, and changes in the agricultural workforce.

Combine Fires: Don't Let a Fire Ruin a Challenging Harvest Season

Combine fires are preventable and predictable. Harvester fires (combines, forage harvesters, cotton pickers, and other machines) often start as a result of accumulated debris like crop residue, leaked oil, or other material. Fires also require an ignition source. Often, this is heat from the engine through an exhaust component like a manifold or turbocharger. Other heat sources include electrical malfunctions that can cause arcing or heated components or worn bearings and other parts. Learn about prevention and the correct selection and use of extinguishers in this article.

Summertime Heat: A Critical Workplace Hazard

Summertime can be a big challenge for farmers and their employees as they work through long days with high temperatures and humidity levels. We usually begin to hear about heat stress in the later weeks of May or early June through shortly after Labor Day. Heat-related illness can develop quickly and can then rapidly progress into deadly stages. Because heat stress (that includes heat exhaustion and/or heatstroke) affects our thinking and mental processes, sometimes we do not recognize or feel the negative impacts.

Current State Requirements are Not Enough for Highway Safety

Current state requirements for farm tractor and machinery (IoH) marking and lighting are simply not enough. Contrary to current nationally-recognized ASABE engineering safety standards, WI does not require turn indicators and other important features. Data on WI farm work-related deaths include a number of highway fatalities. Federal regulations cover post mid-2017 machines, but Wisconsin's baseline requirements for most pre-2017 are quite different.

How Can Agriculture Match the Safety Record of Other Industries?

In 2020, there were 481 fatal farm injuries and over 110,000 injuries in the U.S. The “rate” of fatal injuries was 20.5 per 100,000 workers. Of the more than 80 million U.S. annual passengers who flew on commercial airlines each year in recent years, nobody has died because of an "accident." If airplane passengers died at the same rate as farmers and hired workers, we would see over 16,000 fatalities a year. Can you imagine the outcry? In agriculture, we can and should do better.

Silage Season Safety - Pre-Season Preparation

Fall harvest can be busy and dangerous. The best way to prevent tragedies is to invest prep time to get equipment ready for the coming season. Adjustments required improve safety often also help maximize the quality and value of your crop. Think of your role in the same way an airplane pilot or race car driver would. That means you need to establish a comparable pre-flight or NASCAR-style pre-race checklist — a run-through and shakedown to make sure all systems are “go.” Consult your operators’ manuals.