Clemson Agricultural Safety

Ag Injury News Report – June 2025

4/29/2025: Tragic Machinery Failure Kills Minnesota Farmer: Sheriff

4/24/2025: Ohio man killed after farm tractor hits power lines

4/19/2025: Tractor accident claims life of Gattman man

4/19/2025: Ryan Twp. children injured in UTV crash in farm field

4/18/2025: Man trapped under farm tractor for nearly an hour in Lairdsville

4/11/2025: 58-year-old Indiana woman dies in grain bin accident

4/6/2025: Local man dies after being found badly injured in cow pen on his farm

Center Pivot Safety Quiz – June 2025

Questions

  1. What voltage are center pivots generally operated at?
  2. What types of outlets should be installed around center pivots?
  3. Before working on a center pivot, what should your first step be?
  4. True or False: If someone is being electrocuted, you should immediately reach out and grab them.
  5. True or False: Entanglements can occur in the moving parts of pivots, and you should never wear loose clothing or jewelry around them.

Answers

  1. 480 Volts
  2. GFCIs
  3. Lockout/tagout all equipment
  4. False
  5. True

Center Pivot Safety – June 2025

Center pivots are vital to South Carolina agricultural operations as they provide needed water to crops to ensure that agricultural operations can provide the necessary crops for the state. While they are very important, many hazards are associated with them. Before you ever begin to work on a center pivot, ensure that all power supplies are locked out/tagged out to ensure that you do not get electrocuted. 

Type of Hazards

  • Electrical Hazards
    • High Voltage: pivots are generally operated using 480V 3-phase electricity
    • Common mistakes:
      • Working on equipment with wet hands
      • Not following proper lockout/tagout procedures
    • Safety Tips:
      • Always call on a trained professionals to make electrical repairs to center pivots.
      • Always assume electrical wires are live.
      • Install GFCIs on all outlets near irrigation systems to help protect all circuits.
  • Mechanical Hazards
    • Moving parts:
      • Drive shaft
      • Wheel gears
      • Tower motors
    • Injury Examples:
      • Loose clothing or jewelry caught in shafts while they are moving
      • Crushing injuries from tire rotation or pivot towers
    • Safety Tips:
      • Keep a safe distance from center pivots while they are running.
      • Never remove or bypass safety guards, they are there to keep you safe!
      • Exersice caution when driving equipment near or around center pivots.
  • Environmental Hazards
    • Wet and Slipper Conditions:
      • Center pivot wheels create deep ruts, tripping and ankle injuries are a common concern.
    • Weather Risks:
      • Pivots often act as lightning rods in fields, never work around a center pivot during a thunderstrom.
      • High winds can damage and topple center pivots in seconds.
    • Wildlife and Insects:
      • Check control boxes for snakes and insect nests before working on the pivot.
    • Safety Tips:
      • Wear boots with lots of traction when working around center pivots.
      • Schedule maintanence when the ground will be dry around the pivot.
      • Always check openings and boxes before opening them.

Emergency Preparedness

  • If someone is electrocuted:
    • Do not touch them directly! Use a non-conductive object to seperate them from the source.
    • Call 911 immediately!
    • Begin CPR is trained and safe to do so.
  • If the system collapses or tips:
    • Shut down power from the main disconnect.
    • Keep others away until the structure is stable.
  • First aid and communication:
    • Keep a waterproof first aid kit in nearby shops and vehicles.
    • Use two-way radios or cellphones to communicate hazards when working around center pivots.
  • Emergency Info:
    • Post clear maps showing pivot locations.
    • Ensure everyone knows where and how to disconnect electrical connections to the pivot.

Ag Injury News Report – May 2025

Ag Injury News Report

4/3/2025: 7-year-old girl killed in ATV crash in Nemaha Co.

3/18/2025: 27-Year-Old Wilmington Woman Killed in Tragic Collision with Tractor in Clinton County

3/15/2025: Leacock Township toddler killed in farming accident over the weekend

3/10/2025: Man trapped under tractor dies from injuries

3/9/2025: Man hospitalized after allegedly driving tractor into Laclede County pond under influence

3/8/2025: Douglas County man recovering after heavy log falls off his tractor, hitting him

3/3/2025: Preston Co, WV – One Injured in Tractor Rollover on Dogtown Rd

Sting and Bite Safety Quiz – May 2025

Questions

  1. How should you remove the stinger if it is still present after a sting?
  2. Before putting on shoes that have been left outside, what should you do first?
  3. If you are working in a high snake traffic area, what kind of shoes should you wear?
  4. True or False: You should never run from or swat at a bee or wasp.
  5. True or False: If you get bit by a snake, you should immediately suck the venom out.

Answers

  1. Scrape it out, never squeeze it out.
  2. Check for spiders or snakes that may be hiding in your shoes.
  3. Snake boots
  4. True
  5. False

Sting and Bite Safety – May 2025

Insects and other pests are an every day hazard when working outdoors. By being prepared and aware of them around you, you have the potential to lessen any effects that you may feel from being stung or bitten. Always be prepared with a first aid kit in the event that you encounter one of the many stinging or biting pests found on the farm. 

Common Risks:

  • Insects: bees, wasps, hornets, fire ants, mosquitoes, ticks
  • Animals: snakes, spiders, rodents, potentially aggressive livestock or other animals such as dogs or cats

Prevention Tips:

  • Wearing the right clothing can help prevent stings or bites. Wear long sleeves, long pants, gloves and closed-toe boots/shoes exposes less skin and reduces the risk of being bitten or stung. If you are working in an area that has high snake traffic, such as dense grass, it is recommended to wear snake boots.
  • Try leaving the perfume, scented lotion, and cologne at home. Strong scents can attract stinging insects such as bees and wasps. They might suspect that you are flower with nectar.
  • Always inspect your workplace before getting started. Insects and other pests often build homes in the areas that you may be working, check for nests and shake out any clothing that has been left out before you start working. If you leave shoes outside, check before putting your foot in for spiders or maybe even snakes.
  • Invest in bug repellents! Before working in the field, apply a healthy amount of insect repellent to keep the bees, bugs, and flys away!
  • Always be on the lookout for nests, hives, and burrows. Disturbing them can anger the insects or pests that call them home and they will be more prone to attact you.
  • Remain calm if a stinging insect approaches you. You should never swat at a bee or wasp, calmly walk away. If you run, the insect may follow you and they may bring their friends!

First Aid Tips

  • Stings
    • If the stinger is still present, remove it. Never squeeze it out, only scrape it out.
    • Use soap and water to wash the area where the sting occurred.
    • Apply ice and take an antihistamine for swelling and itching.
    • If the site of the sting gets worse with time, contact your doctor for additional information and guidance.
  • Bites
    • Clean the bite thoroughly
    • Apply an antiseptic and a bandage as needed
    • Seek medical attention for signs of allergic reaction or infection
    • If it is a snake bite, call emergency services. Never try to suck the venom out or use a tourniquet.

When Should I Seek Medical Attention?

  • If you develop difficulty breathing or swelling of your face/throat
  • Rapid heart beat or dizziness
  • Severe pain or allergic reaction
  • Signs of infections around the bite or sting

Location of Grain Rescue Devices in South Carolina

Grain entrapments, while not all that common in South Carolina, are still an utmost concern for Fire and Rescue Teams across the state. Throughout the state, South Carolina sees roughly 3 grain entrapments a year. As preventative measures, many departments throughout the state have begun to receive training on how to safely rescue an entrapped victim. During these trainings, fire and rescue personnel explore the causes of entrapments and engulfments, learn entrapment and engulfment prevention strategies, receive an overview of various rescue equipment, and receive hands-on training on the proper procedures necessary to safely rescue an entrapped victim.

As part of these trainings, departments get the opportunity to become familiar with the equipment necessary to complete a rescue. Such equipment includes, but is not limited to, the Great Wall of Rescue, the Turtle Tube Rescue Sleeve, and the GSI Res-Q-Tube.

As a means to decrease the time required to rescue an entrapped victim, a comprehensive list and map have been created of the equipment type and location of the rescue devices.

https://arcg.is/4jHy51

Ag Injury News Report – April 2025

2/13/2025: Ohio’s first human case of bird flu in 2025 reported in our area

2/10/2025: Churchill County dairy farm worker tests positive for new strain of bird flu

2/8/2025: Former GA representative recovering after being injured due to a farm accident

2/6/2025: Missing Jefferson Co. man found dead in family farm pond, JCSO says

1/31/2025: Ashton Man Taken To Hospital After Pickup Vs. Farm Tractor Accident

1/29/2025: Man stuck inside Dillon County grain bin rescued, sheriff says

1/24/2025: OCSO: 72-year-old man dead after being pinned under ATV in Oklahoma County pond

Electrical Safety Quiz – April 2025

Questions

  1. What type of fire extinguisher should you use on an electrical fire?
  2. Who should you call before digging?
  3. If you are in a tractor that comes in contact with a powerline, what should you do?
  4. True or False: If someone is being electrocuted, you should immediately grab them and pull them off the sources of electrocution. 
  5. True or False: A GFCI should be placed at the end of your circuit. 

Answers

  1. Class C Fire Extinguisher
  2. 811
  3. Stay on the tractor and call for help. If a fire breaks out, jump from the tractor without touching the tractor and ground at the same time and then bunny hop away from the tractor to safety.
  4. False
  5. False

Electrical Safety – April 2025

Electricity is a vital part of all farming operations, just like it is a vital part of our homes. Farms utilize electricity to power irrigation, heating, lighting, and much much more! While electricity is vital to the functionality of farming, it is still very dangerous and can result in electrocution, fires, and damage to personal property. Awareness of the hazards of electricity can drastically reduce the risk of an accident. 

Common Electrical Hazards in Agriculture

  • Overhead Powerlines
    • Machinery, portable augers, and sprayers can come in contact with overhead powerlines, energizing the equipment and the ground if the powerline falls.
    • Step Potential:
  • Underground Lines
    • Before every digging, always call 811 to mark underground lines.
    • This practice will help reduce the risk of damaging property and the risk of electrocution.
  • Wet and Damp Areas
    • When running electicity in wet or damp areas, always use Type NMC wiring. This wiring does not have paper insulators inside and reduces the potential for corrosion.
    • Always use GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interupters) when wiring in damp/wet locations. GFCIs work by closing a circuit when a voltage drop is detected by the current taking an alternative path.
      • GFCIs should always be placed at the beginning of the circuit to ensure the whole circuit is being protected.
    • All wiring should be ran in conduit. PVC conduit is preferred over metal because it will not corred in wet/damp areas.
  • Improper Use of Extension Cords
    • Extension cords should never be used in wet areas.
    • Never try to repair a damaged extension cord that has been cut or the plug removed. The extension cord should be immediately thrown away.
    • Never use extension cords near sharp objects, heat, oil, or any other solvents that could damage the insulation around the cord.
    • Never overload an extension cord, this can cause the extension cord to heat up and damage the cord its self, along with the potential of starting a fire.

Safe Practices for Working Around Agriculture

  • Disengage power before working on electrical components on equipment or working on circuits.
  • Use Lockout/Tagout kits to ensure that power cannot be restored to equipment or circuits while you are working on them.
  • Make sure you have on the proper PPE before working around electricity.
    • Rubber Gloves
    • Rubber Boots
    • Safety Glasses

Emergency Reponse to an Electrical Incident

  • If someone is electrocuted:
    • Call 911 immediately
    • Turn off power – never touch the person till power has been disengaged. If the power is still on the current will flow from them to you!
    • Using a non-conductive object, such as wood or rubber, move the person away from the source of electrocution.
  • Electrical fire:
    • Use a Class C fire extinguisher to put the fire out – never use water!!!
    • Disengage power.
    • Call 911 and evacuate the area.