Don’t Learn Safety by Accident
Marion Barnes, Senior County Extension Agent, Clemson University

National Farm Safety and Health Week serves as a yearly reminder to the general public and the agricultural community of the dangers of living and working on a farm. The 2024 National Farm Safety and Health Week theme is Don’t Learn Safety by Accident. During the weeklong observation, various agricultural groups will focus on different aspects of farm safety each day by recognizing common agricultural hazards.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 2021 data indicates that agriculture is still one of the most dangerous occupations in America, with 453 fatal injuries or the equivalent of nearly 20 deaths per 100,000 workers. According to a 2022 report from the National Children’s Center for Rural and Agriculture Health and Safety, 33 children are injured daily in agriculture-related incidents.
What is agricultural safety? Agricultural safety can be described as a concept that covers all aspects of health and safety, including proactive measures to reduce risks and hazards and prevent injuries to workers, family members, and others on the farm.
Why is agriculture such a dangerous occupation? Farming is one of the few industries where family members, including children, who share the work and live on the premises are at risk for fatal and nonfatal injuries. Where the farmstead is also the workplace, hazardous situations are close at hand. Agriculture has more older workers than any other industry, with 1 in 3 farmers over the age of 65. Aging can make a hazardous situation more dangerous with hearing and vision loss, slower reaction time, and balance and coordination issues faced by many senior farmers. Farming has become highly mechanized and dependent on large and powerful equipment. Transportation incidents, including tractor rollovers and roadway collisions, are a leading cause of work-related fatalities for farmers and farm workers.
Accident or incident? Many times, the term “accident” is used, especially in the media, to describe a situation that results in an injury or fatality on a farm. Poor judgment or human error, not just bad luck, is often the cause of agricultural-related injuries. The term “accident” suggests the situation could not be anticipated or predicted. Incident would be a more appropriate term since most agricultural-related injuries are predictable and preventable.
Every season presents unique risks for a farming operation. Environmental factors, such as weather conditions, pose challenges on a daily basis. Each farm has its own set of safety hazards. Livestock operations face different hazards than row crop operations. Working with large, unpredictable animals that may transmit certain diseases requires a different approach to staying safe than growing and harvesting corn, cotton, or soybeans.
It’s all about attitude. Creating a safety-conscious work environment can significantly reduce the risk of injuries and fatalities. The proper safety attitude is the first step in developing a safe farming operation. Let’s face it, as farmers, we deal with various risks every day, from handling chemicals and working with livestock to operating heavy equipment. How we respond to these risks will determine if we avoid an injury on the farm. Recognizing hazards and taking the appropriate corrective action in a timely manner is the foundation of a sound farm safety program.
The following are suggestions for developing a safe work environment for your farming operation.
- Encourage regular communication with family members and workers about safety issues on the farm. Take a few minutes on “slow” or rainy days to discuss a safety topic or provide training/ updates on the safe operation of equipment, pesticide handling and application, livestock handling, etc. Safety training provides workers and family members with the awareness and information needed to avoid hazards and protect themselves on the farm.
- Develop a farm emergency response plan. At some point, almost every farm will experience an emergency situation. Having an emergency response plan will not stop bad things from occurring but can prevent injuries and reduce potential damage from an emergency situation on the farm.
- Report and discuss “near misses” or unsafe situations or practices. Take the appropriate steps to reduce or eliminate the hazard.
- Lead by example. Remember, someone is always watching, especially youths and children. Inexperienced workers often learn by watching someone complete a task. Always set a safe example for everyone to follow, especially in hazardous situations. Remember, your actions speak louder than your words!
- Recognize and reward safe work practices—set goals for reducing injuries or eliminating unsafe practices/ situations.
- Ensure age-appropriate tasks for younger workers. Ensure they have the experience, knowledge, training, and protective equipment needed to complete the task safely.
- Livestock handling is one of the leading causes of injury on a farm. Realize that animals are unpredictable. Understanding livestock behavior enables workers to avoid injury to themselves and the animal. Proper handling techniques also reduce stress on the animal. Never work with livestock alone and use extreme caution when handling bulls and cows with newborn calves.
- Provide and use personal protection equipment (PPE) when handling pesticides. When working with pesticides, it is required by law to follow all directions on the product label. Ensure handlers and applicators are appropriately trained and follow all label directions.
- Farmers and agricultural workers are exposed to the sun during peak hours of the workday. Ensure they adopt sun protection measures to avoid skin cancer.
- Encourage the use of sunscreen, wide-brim hats, and long-sleeved shirts when working outdoors. See a dermatologist or health care provider regularly.
- Promote safe equipment operation. Follow operating, maintenance, and safety instructions in the operator’s manual and review them periodically. Keep all guards and shields in place and replace damaged or missing shields.
- Ensure all equipment operators are well trained and NEVER allow extra riders on equipment.
- Use warning/ flashing lights during roadway travel. Ensure all farm equipment has slow-moving (SMV) emblems that are clean, not faded, clearly visible to motorists, and properly mounted. Avoid busy roads whenever possible and consider using escort vehicles when moving large farm equipment on the highway. Obey all traffic laws.
Developing a safer lifestyle on the farm is not an easy task. Changing old habits and attitudes takes time. During National Farm Safety and Health Week this year, let’s make it a point to take a closer look at our farming operations, improve our safety practices, and incorporate them into our daily activities.
Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to people of all ages, regardless of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or family status and is an equal opportunity employer.