FARM S.O.S. (Strategies on Safety)

(Source: The Ohio State University)

FARM S.O.S (Strategies On Safety) is an agricultural safety education series developed by the Ohio State Agricultural Safety and Health Program. The Farm S.O.S curriculum consists of 13 topics and involves an easy-to-use presentation that includes speaker notes as well as educational videos for some topics.

Target Audiences

The target audiences for Farm S.O.S include farmers, farm family members, and agricultural employees.

Curriculum

The FARM S.O.S. topics are listed below. Topics marked with an asterisk (*) include a short video for use by the presenter as an introduction or a brief educational message. To access the FARM S.O.S. curriculum, click here to be directed to the Ohio State University Agricultural Safety and Health website. 

1. All Shook Up. Topic provides an overview of vibration, information about risks and symptoms associated with vibration, and strategies to prevent or reduce injuries.
2. *Beyond the Wheel. Topic explains the various hazards related to tractor rollover, tractor runover, power takeoff (PTO) entanglement, tractor lighting and marking, and roadway safety.
3. *Consumed by the Fumes. Topic outlines respiratory concerns and hazardous atmospheres found on a farm and provides tips on ways to measure gas levels and decrease exposure.
4. *Danger: No Entry. Topic provides an overview of how confined spaces are defined, various types of confined spaces that can be found on farms, existing hazards, and ways to manage/reduce the risks associated with these areas. An additional discussion on lockout/tag out practices is included.
5. Down on the Farm. Topic includes an overview of injuries related to working with livestock, animal behavior traits and characteristics, warning signs of irritated animals, appropriate ways to approach livestock, proper care of livestock, and safety precautions to follow around livestock.
6. Health Hazard. Topic provides an introduction to pesticides and common chemicals on a farm operation; an overview of chronic and acute toxicity; and information about various routes of exposure, ways to protect oneself from exposure, and proper storage and disposal of pesticides.
7. On the Ground. Topic discusses the hazards of the eight points of peril (wrap, pinch, cut, free wheeling parts, burn, crush, thrown objects, and stored energy), demonstrates reaction time, and provides strategies to reduce injuries involving agricultural equipment.
8. *Particles in the Air. Topic provides an overview of dust types, respiratory conditions, and proper personal protective equipment (PPE) recommended for a person working in dusty work environments on a farm.
9. Protecting your Ears. Topic addresses methods for measuring noise, ways to reduce noise hazards, the proper protection needed, prevention against hearing loss, and signs that might indicate that someone needs medical attention.
10. *Riding Safe. Topic provides information about the characteristics, uses, operation practices, and hazards of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and utility-type vehicles (UTVs) and recommendations related to the use of safety gear when operating an ATV or a UTV.
11. *Sharing the Road. Topic provides an overview of the risk factors involved when operating machinery on roads, including information about hazardous traffic patterns, slow-moving vehicle (SMV) emblems, local laws and regulations, closing distance, and proper lighting and marking schemes.
12. Submerged. Topic focuses on the various drowning hazards in farm operations, risk factors related to these hazards, and steps to take to decrease drowning incidents.
13. *Watch Your Step. Topic discusses the contributing factors of most falls, various types of falls that may occur on farms, injury types, and prevention strategies.

Evaluation

A standard evaluation form provided on the FARM S.O.S website can be used for each curriculum topic in the series.

Funding

This program was developed by the Ohio State University, Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Agricultural Safety and Health Program with funding support from the US Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Rural Health and Safety grant number 2012-46100-2014.