Fall harvest can be one of the busiest and most dangerous seasons for the agricultural community. Every September, AgriSafe joins with partners across the United States to raise awareness about current safety and health issues facing the agriculture community. This year, National Farm Safety and Health Week (NFSHW) is September 15 to 21.
“NFSHW provides valuable information agriculture operations can use throughout the year whether you are in the shop, field or operating equipment. This is the perfect time to re-start the safety conversation,” says Dan Kent, Loss Control Consultant for Agri-Services Agency.
“Every operation is unique,” says Kent. “I look at the claim history for each operation and identify trends in the data. Some incidents we see frequently are slips/trips/falls, working too fast with livestock and equipment, and repeated incidents with the same employee. I work with the operation to develop a tailored program to help them mitigate their risks.”
This season, start thinking about where your employees are spending most of their time and consider three key aspects of your operation:
- Facility: General maintenance and upkeep, including signage, fire extinguishers, and electrical work.
- Training: New hire orientation, cross-training employees, and documentation
- Equipment: Proper maintenance and guarding
AgriSafe will be hosting free webinar topics each day of NFSHW. Webinars are free to attend and offered in English and Spanish at 11 a.m. CDT and 1 p.m. CDT.
- Monday, September 16: Equipment and Rural Roadway Safety
- Tuesday, September 17: Health and Wellness
- Wednesday, September 18: Generations of Farming
- Thursday, September 19: Confined Space
- Friday, September 20: Reporting Ag Injuries
Click
here to view the full schedule.
Agri-Services Agency also offers specific training for some industries, like Dairy Worker Safety Training — a program designed to educate dairy workers on how to handle and work safely around dairy cows and other general dairy farm safety topics.
Click
here to fill out the contact form and connect with an agent or (877) 466-9089.