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St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Lee Enterprises

Tuesday, September 23, 2008 10:10 PM CDT
Farm safely â€” Protect YOUr investment

By AMY ROCHKES, For the JG/T-C

As agriculture continues to rank as one of the most dangerous occupations in North America and across the globe, the National Safety Council will put the spotlight on farming and the related health and safety issues September 21-27. This year marks the 65th year of the National Safety Council’s focus on agricultural safety.

The theme for 2008 is “Farm Safely — Protect YOUr Investment.” This theme highlights the value of the safety and wellness of the agricultural producer and the importance of protecting hearing, lung function, vision, skin, and the muscular-skeletal system.

How safe are you on your farm? Illinois farm-related deaths in 2007-08 totaled 29, compared to 22 deaths in the previous year, according to COUNTRY Financial. The number of deaths in the 2006-07 year was the lowest amount since 2002.

“Farm accidents resulting in death are not only a tragedy, but severely impact the lives of families involved,” says Jeff Gendron, senior vice president of property/casualty operations for COUNTRY. “That’s why COUNTRY participates annually in National Farm Safety and Health Week. We want to increase farm safety awareness to reduce farm-related deaths and injuries as well as financial losses for farm families.”

Injuries on the farm also impact families. Farmers usually lose four days of work for every injury suffered. They are at high risk for both fatal and nonfatal injuries, including work-related lung diseases, noise-induced hearing loss, skin diseases, and certain cancers associated with chemical use and prolonged sun exposure.

There are many safety precautions farmers can take to minimize their risk of being injured or killed. They include installing rollover protective structures, entering grain bins properly and monitoring farm equipment consistently. Farmers are reminded of these tips.

To learn more about how you can play it safe on the farm, check out the Farm Safety and Health Week website at http://www.nsc.org/necas/HeatlhWeek2008.aspx.

Amy Rochkes is manager of the Shelby County Farm Bureau.

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