(Source: Penn State Ag Safety & Health)
Use the following format to cite this article:
Identifying and correcting hazards on your farm or ranch. (2013) Farm and Ranch eXtension in Safety and Health (FReSH) Community of Practice. Retrieved from http://articles.extension.org/pages/69135/identifying-and-correcting-haz….
The majority of serious farm incidents involve machinery and equipment, but many hazards can be found in all areas of farm operations. Many of these incidents can be prevented through an inspection and correction of the hazard. The challenge is that most agricultural producers do not know how to properly assess and correct hazards on their farm operation.
The Farm/Agriculture/Rural/Management-Hazard Analysis Tool (FARM-HAT) was developed by the Pennsylvania State University and is the most comprehensive on-line tool for assessing and identifying ways to correct hazards in 11 major categories including, but not limited to, farm operations, dwellings, agritourism, and tractors. FARM-HAT can be used by farmers, extension educators, insurance agents and others that are interested in improving the safety of a farm operation, equipment or rural enterprise.
Take the inspection of your farm operation very seriously and also recruit other farm family members to participate in the process. Inspections can be done at various times of the year. Consider inspecting yours tractors and machinery over the winter so that you have time to complete repairs before the spring when you are preparing for the planting season.
In addition to FARM-HAT, other resources are available for specialized inspections including barns, machinery and tractors. Listed below are links to checklists for farm operations.
Resource Links – Pick a Site and Start Your Farm Inspection:
- FARM-HAT (Penn State University)
- Evaluate Equipment for Dangers (Iowa State University)
- Your Personal Farm Safety Audit (Agricultural Safety and Health Network)
Use the following format to cite this article:
Identifying and correcting hazards on your farm or ranch. (2013) Farm and Ranch eXtension in Safety and Health (FReSH) Community of Practice. Retrieved from http://articles.extension.org/pages/69135/identifying-and-correcting-haz….
Citations:
Farm/Agricultural/Rural Management Hazard Analysis Tool. (2010) Penn State Agricultural Safety and Health. Retrieved from http://extension.psu.edu/business/ag-safety/farmhat.
Folsom, R. (2009) Barn and farm inspection checklist. Virginia Cooperative Extension. Retrieved from https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/bitstream/handle/10919/48862/VCE_Barn_Farm….
Hanna, M., Schwab, C., and Miller, L. (1998) Evaluate equipment for dangers. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. Retrieved from http://nasdonline.org/2469/d002295/safe-farm-evaluate-equipment-for-dang….
Tractor Safety Checklist (n.d.). Canadian Agricultural Safety Association. Retrieved from http://aghealth.usask.ca/resources/documents/TractorModulePDF.pdf.