(Source: Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences)
Agriculture continues to be one of the most dangerous occupations in the United States. Penn State’s Agricultural Safety and Health Program has developed a best practices manual titled Safety and Health Management Planning for General Farmers and Ranchers. This manual assists farm owners and managers in developing health and safety management plans for their agricultural operations. The following five units of the manual outline the reasons a safety and health plan is needed along with hands-on activities and steps to take to develop a successful safety and health plan:
Click HERE for learning objectives and evaluation questions for each unit.
Click HERE for a copy of the Instructor’s Guide to be used in conjunction with Safety and Health Management Planning for Beginning Farmers and Ranchers.
Reviewed and Summarized by:
Linda M. Fetzer, Penn State University – lmf8@psu.edu
Dennis J. Murphy, Penn State University – djm13@psu.edu
Sam Steel, Penn State University (Has since retired)
Safety training is important in all workplaces, and production agriculture is no different. Think about all the equipment, processes, and tasks that workers complete daily on farms and ranches across the country. Farm and ranch managers may make assumptions that workers know how to do certain jobs, but those assumptions can be wrong. As a farm or ranch manager, you are responsible for ensuring that each worker understands how to safely complete the jobs he or she must do.
Job instruction training (JIT) is a systematic, fast, and effective method for teaching your workers to do a job correctly and safely. This method of training workers through a simple breakdown of steps is easy to understand and complete. By providing such training for your workers, you could reduce the risk of an injury or death to a worker, prevent costly equipment repairs, or avoid lost work time.
JIT Planning
When planning to conduct JIT, you must choose an effective trainer, identify an appropriate location and time for the training, and determine what information to convey to the workers. A JIT trainer should be familiar with all aspects of the job and should be a safe worker. Also, a good trainer is patient and has the desire and ability to teach the necessary skills. To enhance learning, provide the training in a realistic setting, using real tools and equipment. If you are training multiple groups, ensure that the training is the same for all workers. Provide ample time in the training for the trainer to present the information and for workers to demonstrate the job and ask questions. When possible, plan to hold training sessions during a slow time of the year at your farm or ranch to allow appropriate time for instruction and interaction. Use JIT to convey to workers any new information, techniques, or processes.
Steps of the JIT Method
When conducting JIT, the trainer uses the following four steps:
Preparation: Provide a positive learning atmosphere for the workers by putting them at ease, evaluating what they already know, and reiterating the importance of job safety. Treat the workers as peers.
Presentation: List and demonstrate individually each step, stressing key points, while the workers observe. Provide an opportunity for the workers to interact by asking questions.
Performance: Give the workers the opportunity to complete the steps of the process while they explain the key points. If workers cannot explain the key points, they have not internalized the instructions and explanations. They do not thoroughly understand the job and are likely to perform it incorrectly or unsafely. Repeat this step until the workers successfully explain and complete the task.
Follow-up: Monitor the workers’ performances as they complete the steps, and correct their actions before they become habits. Provide workers a means for follow-up by designating a contact person for assistance, and encourage them to ask questions as needed after completing the training.
Click the image below to view the JIT method in action.
A main advantage of the JIT method is that training is practical and realistic because work tasks are demonstrated in real-life settings that encourage personalized, hands-on learning. By using personalized training, you will be able to motivate your workers more easily and focus on areas of improvement or need specific to your farm or ranch. Be sure to evaluate the training session to determine whether the workers clearly understood the content and whether you should address additional areas in the future.
Resources
For information related to JIT, click here to read an article about job safety analysis.
(Photo Source: National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety)
Family farms and farm workers from multiple generations are common in production agriculture. Involving children in work activities teaches them valuable skills and makes them feel included in the family business. However, work activities can also expose children to hazards and risks if they are completing tasks that are not appropriate for their age. In the United States, about 38 children are injured in farm-related incidents each day, and every three days a child dies as a result of a farm accident.
The National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety (NCCRAHS) developed a website to help parents remember that they are a “Parent First, Farmer Second.” The website provides user-friendly information about child development and age-appropriate work guidelines for farm tasks.
Click here to be directed to the Cultivate Safety website. In addition to information about child development and work guidelines, the website provides information on preventing injuries and real-life injury incidents. Interactive features provide users with opportunities to upload stories, videos, and photos about child injuries to encourage families to learn from one another.
Reviewed and Summarized by:
Linda M. Fetzer, Penn State University – lmf8@psu.edu
Dennis J. Murphy, Penn State University – djm13@psu.edu
Every job has its hazards, but agricultural work consistently ranks as one of the most dangerous occupations. One of the most effective ways to improve workplace safety is to conduct a review of workplace hazards and the potential injuries that could result from the hazards. A job safety analysis (JSA), sometimes referred to as job hazard analysis (JHA), is a written protocol that identifies existing or potential hazards associated with each step or task within a particular job and integrates safety and health solutions to reduce exposure to those risks.
An effective JSA:
identifies hazards,
involves workers in the identification of potential risks related to their jobs,
provides a basis for training workers in safe operating procedures,
increases awareness of safety practices in the workplace,
decreases the number of injury-related absences, and
lowers costs for workers’ compensation claims.
After a JSA is completed, it can be used as a training resource in two ways:
as a tool with new employees to review their jobs and provide information about mandatory safety practices
as a refresher on hazards and recommended safety considerations when completing infrequent or unfamiliar tasks
Ultimately, the final result of a JSA should be a safe, productive, and efficient work environment on the farm or ranch. A current, complete JSA will foster communication as well as improve worker safety and health.
Steps Involved in Developing a JSA
There are four basic steps in the JSA process:
Selecting the job
Breaking down the job into steps
Identifying potential hazards
Developing solutions and recommended actions
Step One: Selecting the Job
Develop a JSA for all jobs, but give priority to those jobs in which workers have been injured or have a greater risk of injury.
When a new job is introduced at your farm or ranch, complete a JSA and use the JSA document to train your workers on safe operating procedures for the job.
Step Two: Break Down the Job into Steps
Break the job into discrete steps or tasks.
At this point, you are identifying what is done, not how it is done.
Include only four to nine steps in a job description, and make sure they are neither too detailed nor too general. If more than 10 steps are necessary to define a job, consider dividing the job into two segments, each with its own JSA.
Identify the steps in a job in several ways:
Observe an experienced workercompleting the job during a regularly scheduled time and at the usual location.
Ask workers to write the steps they take when completing the job. Make sure workers understand while developing a JSA that this process is not about their job performance but about determining the actions involved in completing a job. Consider workers’ suggestions for improving steps.
Consult multiple people familiar with a job to ensure that all steps are accounted for and listed in the correct sequence.
Begin the definition of each step with an action word and list steps in successive order.
Additionally, take note of the following:
unsafe shortcuts
necessary equipment maintenance
the physical space where the job is completed
Step Three: Identify Potential Hazards
Identify hazards and any actions or conditions in each step of the job that could lead to an injury. It may be useful to use a hazard-inspection form as a tool to identify the potential hazards.
Evaluate and discuss each potential hazard, identifying the types of injuries that might occur. Be sure to include those hazards that have a low occurrence rate or are unlikely to happen. The following questions can help you identify potential hazards or problems associated with a job or steps in a job:
Is the worker at risk for a slip, trip, or fall?
Is the worker exposed to fumes or dust?
Does the equipment or machinery used pose any hazards? Are there missing shields or guards, exposed pinch points, possible crush points, or potential entanglement areas?
Do any of the hand or power tools pose any hazards? Does a tool have missing shields or guards, a frayed power cord, or cracked handles? Does the tool lack a ground fault interrupt?
Could a worker sustain an injury from lifting, pushing, or pulling?
Is the worker exposed to excessive noise or vibration?
Are there environmental issues, such as weather, that could affect the safeness of the job?
Are workers wearing the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) for the job?
Is there adequate lighting in the work space?
Step Four: Develop Solutions and Recommended Actions
Determine ways to eliminate, control, or minimize the identified hazards. Ideally, you should attempt to eliminate the hazard by modifying the process, changing the equipment, or improving the environmental conditions. If you cannot eliminate the hazard, look for solutions that control or minimize the workers’ exposure to the risk. These solutions may require the use of enclosures, guards, shields, or designated work areas.
Provide a recommended action for each step, and state specifically how the step should be completed. For example, you may phrase a step as follows: “When lifting a box from the floor to the counter, use your leg muscles to accomplish the lift.” Identify PPE, hand signals, and any additional safety recommendations, such as lockout procedures, for each step.
Evaluation and Follow-Up
Evaluate the effectiveness of the JSA after any injury or illness that occurs as a result of the execution of a job.
Review the causes of the injury or illness, and change the procedures or add safety measures as appropriate.
When you introduce new equipment, processes, or materials or make environmental changes, modify or update the JSA to reflect any changes.
Review all JSA changeswith workers to ensure that everyone understands new procedures or preventative measures.
Final Recommendations
As you complete your JSA, pay close attention to the following details:
Be specific and carefully choose your words to describe each step thoroughly. Avoid using vague phrases, such as “be careful” or “use caution,” without specific guidance.
Investigate each job carefully to identify all potential hazards, especially those that you may consider less severe or that seem to have a low likelihood of occurring.
Fully describe the types and severity of hazards.
Align job steps and safety procedures so that each hazard or potential injury identified has a corresponding solution or mitigation strategy.
Sample JSA
You may find it helpful to review the completed JSA below—about hitching a tractor and a wagon—to better understand the JSA process.
The following templates provide a starting point for developing a JSA:
(Photo Source: National Children’s Center for Rural & Agricultural Health and Safety)
Farm and ranch operations continue to diversify by adding activities such as corn mazes, hay rides, and product sales (farm markets, pick your own, etc.). Although these new enterprises create additional revenue for the farm or ranch, these ventures also have their own set of potential safety hazards. The National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety developed a comprehensive website that will assist farmers and ranchers with usable information to minimize the risk of injury on their operations.
Click HERE to be directed to the “Integrating Safety into Agritourism” website, which provides an overview of agritourism safety and health. It gives you the option to select specific types of “walkthroughs” based on your operation. The Walkthrough tab on the home screen allows you to click on 11 different topics (animals, hand washing, machinery, etc.) that provide you with specific information about that topic. The walkthroughs use photos to contrast safety concerns and hazards with best practices and guidelines. Review questions and resource information accompany the photos.
Operating a business that involves working with the public can be challenging, and communication is highly essential when it comes to visitors to your farm or ranch. Many of these visitors will have little or no experience with agriculture, so it is important for you to minimize potential hazards and properly communicate information about hazards. Click HERE to be directed to a tutorial about communicating with your guests about hazards. The tutorial will assist you with the planning process and signage prior to and during your event.
The “Resource Section” of the website is a comprehensive list of resources divided into categories that will enable you to reduce the potential risk of injury through the use of proper planning, signage, policies, procedures, and health and safety guidelines. Click HERE to visit the resource page. It is divided into specific topic areas such as animal safety, corn maze safety, hayride safety, etc. Each topic area provides a checklist to use to “walk through” your operation and help you identify safety and health hazards. It also has resources you can use to address these hazards, including signage in both English and Spanish. All resources are free to download and use.
Reviewed and Summarized by:
Linda M. Fetzer, Pennsylvania State University – lmf8@psu.edu
Dennis J. Murphy, Pennsylvania State University – djm13@psu.edu
A fire can happen anywhere and at any time in a home. Fires and burns are the main causes of accidental injury deaths at home, with older adults and small children at the greatest risk. Careless smoking is the leading cause of accidental fires.
The recommendations in this article can help you reduce the risk of a home fire and prepare your family in the event of a fire. In addition to these recommendations, make sure that everyone in your house knows how to call 911 in the event of an emergency.
Smoke Detectors/Alarms
Smoke detectors are designed to detect fires and alert building occupants to the presence of smoke. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, the use of smoke detectors can reduce the risk of fire fatality by approximately 50%.
Smoke detectors are necessary on every level of a home and especially outside of sleeping areas. Maintain smoke detectors by testing them every month and changing the batteries twice a year. To help you remember to change the batteries regularly, make a habit of changing smoke detector batteries in the spring and fall when you change your clocks to adjust for daylight saving time. Residential guidelines for smoke detector installation and maintenance vary by state.
Fire Extinguishers
Multiple fire extinguishers should be located strategically throughout your home. Always keep an all-purpose ABC fire extinguisher (rated for ordinary combustibles, grease, and electrical fires) in your kitchen. Place the kitchen extinguisher in a location that is easy to reach in the event of a stove fire. Keep additional fire extinguishers in areas where fires are likely to start, such as the garage or near the furnace.
(Source: Pennsylvania State University. Agricultural Safety and Health)
Everyone in your household should know the location of fire extinguishers, and those family members who are capable should be trained in how to use them properly. To operate a fire extinguisher, remember the acronym PASS:
P – Pull the pin. Hold the extinguisher with the nozzle pointing away from you and release the locking mechanism.
A – Aim low. Point the nozzle of the extinguisher at the base of the fire.
S – Squeeze. Slowly and evenly squeeze the lever.
S – Sweep. Sweep the nozzle from side to side.
Fire extinguishers are affordable and can save lives and property. The most versatile type of extinguisher is a 10 lb., ABC extinguisher, which can be used on different types of fires. Each of the following types of fire extinguishers is designed to put out a specific type of fire.
Fires Extinguishers and Usage
Extinguisher Class
Usage
Class A
Fires of combustible materials such as clothing, wood, rubber, paper, and some plastics
Class B
Fires involving flammable liquids, such as grease, gasoline, oil, and oil-based paints
Class C
Fires that involve appliances, tools, or other types of equipment plugged into an electrical outlet
Class D
Fires involving flammable metals; typically found in factories
Class K
Fires involving vegetable oil, animal oils, or fats in cooking appliances; typically found in commercial kitchens, but the residential market continues to grow
Multipurpose
Different types as described in the categories above (for example, ABC or BC)
Like smoke detectors, fire extinguishers require regular maintenance. You should shake dry chemical extinguishers monthly to prevent the powder from settling. Follow the manufacturer’s directions concerning pressure testing and replace a unit if it will not charge or is damaged.
View the video below about fire extinguisher usage by the Fire Equipment Manufacturers’ Association.
Escape Routes and Plans
Before a fire occurs, develop an escape route with your family. An escape route should be planned for each area of the home and should include a designated family meeting area in an outside location away from the fire. Draw a map and practice the escape route so that every family member is familiar with the plan. Instruct family members to crawl underneath the smoke when escaping a fire and to “stop, drop, and roll” if their clothing is on fire.
If your home has multiple levels, purchase an escape ladder to provide safe exit from upper levels. All family members need to know the location of the escape ladder and be familiar with its use. Sleeping rooms should have two routes of escape, such as a door and a window. If a window is an exit route, make sure that the window opens properly. Once you and your family are out of the house, call 911 and do not go back into the house for any reason.
Resources
Click HERE to visit the U.S. Fire Administration website for information and resources to plan your home fire escape route.
Click HERE to be directed to a Fire Safety for Kids infographic provided by ContractQuotes.us.
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