Take 11

What’s one thing you could do to make your farm safer?

The FARMERS CARE Level 1 Program is a free, simple, and practical tool focused on agricultural health and safety hazards. It has been designed to help you find realistic ways to prevent injuries and potentially even save a life on your farm or ranch.

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Do you have 11 seconds to reacquaint yourself with the fundamentals of farm safety? Click any letter below to learn more.

Did you

know?

In 2019, the number one injury in agriculture in Alberta causing lost time was falls.

Workers Compensation Board of Alberta

FALLS

FALL FROM HEIGHT

What could cause a fall from a height on your farm?

Do you ever check bins & storage structures, work near roof edges, perform work on roofs, work in haylofts, climb ladders, use work platforms or scaffolding, climb into tractors or other equipment, walk on truck decks, walk near an area with unguarded edges, ride a horse, etc.?

✓ DO

✓ Maintain three points of contact when climbing up or down ladders and equipment

✓ Use fall protection equipment where there is a significant risk of injury (i.e., from the fall height, what may be contacted on the way down or landed on/in)

✓ Ensure anyone using fall protection is trained and competent

✓ Develop a fall protection plan for working at heights and update it whenever a change occurs

✓ Use locks, gates, guardrails and restrict access to elevated areas

✓ Have someone hold the base of the ladder or tie the ladder off to prevent movement

✓ Follow the 4:1 Rule when using extension ladders (for every four feet up, move the base one foot away from the structure)

✘ DO NOT

✘ Work from a height unless it is safe to do so

✘ Exceed the weight rating of ladders, scaffold, or work platforms

✘ Reach off the sides of ladders

✘ Place ladders on uneven or soft surfaces

✘ Allow anyone working at heights to perform work alone

✘ Work from a height using fall protection without having a rescue plan in place

✘ Climb ladders with tools or other object in your hands

✘ Leave cords and tools laying on walking areas, especially when working at heights!

Fall From Heights Video

3-Point of Contact

SLIP, TRIP AND FALL

What could cause a slip, trip or fall on your farm?

Do you ever walk on icy surfaces, work on wet or oily surfaces, walk on uneven or rutted ground, wear footwear with poor grips, find hoses or cords laying on walkways, find tools and other items laying on the floor/ground, or walk quickly/run in work areas? Are there changes in the elevation of the walking surfaces or changes in the type of walking surface on your farm (i.e., a transition from an area with a little traction to one with a lot of traction)?

✓ DO

✓ Clean up spills and clutter right away

✓ In wet or slippery conditions, remember to walk like a penguin!

✓ Replace footwear that has smooth, worn or uneven soles

✓ Keep the soles of your footwear free of buildup; sole scrapers are a simple tool that can help with this

✓ If you cannot remove a tripping hazard, bring attention to it using yellow paint, tape or signs

✓ Keep indoor and outdoor work areas bright enough to see properly

✓ Run pipes, cords and hoses along walls wherever possible

✓ Repair uneven floors, loose boards and any protruding nails

✓ Consider using textured floor coatings or cross hatched concrete where possible

✘ DO NOT

✘ Rush or run while working, if at all possible

✘ Carry items that block your view

✘ Wear the wrong type of footwear for the task and work environment

✘ Neglect housekeeping by not cleaning up spills or picking up clutter

✘ Wear ice cleats indoors or when climbing ladders

✘ Go into dark areas without turning on a light source or bringing a flashlight with you

✘ Ignore a slip, trip or fall hazard; it is important to do something about it right away!

Slip, Trip and Fall Video

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AIR QUALITY

RESPIRATORY HAZARDS

What respiratory hazards are or could be present on your farm?

Do you ever come across chemical mists, fumes, or vapors on your farm? Could you ever breath in exhaust, welding/brazing fumes, paint fumes, airborne dusts, molds from hay/straw/grain/silage, pollen, animal dander, airborne fecal matter (and zoonotic diseases), or medicated feed dusts?

✓ DO

✓ Identify the types of respiratory hazards present on your farm

✓ Eliminate the hazard or use engineered hazard controls (i.e., ventilation equipment) wherever possible

✓ Wear the right type of respiratory protective equipment for the task and work environment

✓ Ensure family members and workers are trained to use and fit tested with any respiratory equipment they will be using

✓ Always be clean shaven where the seal of the respirator seals to the face when using a tight-fitting respirator

✘ DO NOT

✘ Work around respiratory hazards without using the proper hazard controls (i.e., start work without turning on the ventilation system)

✘ Use respirators that you have not been trained to use or fit tested with

✘ Use damaged, defective, or contaminated PPE (i.e., an N95 respirator that is wet or soiled)

✘ Ignore a respiratory hazard, as it may not make you sick or injure you right away, but can over time

Air Quality Video

You Can't Rely On Your Senses Table

HAZARDOUS ATMOSPHERES

What hazardous atmospheres are present or could develop on your farm?

These may be an oxygen deficient, flammable/combustible/explosive or toxic/poisonous atmosphere.

Could a low oxygen environment develop as a result of rotting vegetables in a root cellar or in an enclosed space where rusting metal or growing fungi have used up the available oxygen? Could silage gases be present in silos, pits, or bunkers? Could fine dust from feed build up in enclosed areas? What about explosive chemical fumes, mists, or vapor collecting in enclosed or low-lying areas?

✓ DO

✓ Identify any hazardous atmospheres that are present, or could become present, on your farm

✓ Eliminate the hazard and use engineered hazard controls (i.e., ventilation equipment) wherever possible

✓ Use the right type of equipment and respiratory protective equipment for the task and work environment

✓Ensure gas detection equipment is calibrated and used by trained, competent individuals

✘ DO NOT

✘ Perform work in a hazardous atmosphere unless it is absolutely necessary

✘ Assume there is no risk if a bin or pit has been cleaned out recently or a crust is present overtop of organic materials

✘ Ignore existing hazardous conditions or hazardous conditions that could develop over time

✘ Use damaged, defective, or contaminated PPE

✘ Forget that conditions can change and become dangerous

Air Quality Video

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ROLL OVERS / RUN OVERS

ROLL OVERS

What could cause a roll over on your farm?

Could someone drive too close to ditches or embankments, drive on terrain with hidden mounds or dips, travel with heavy loads on a font-end loader, travel with totes or tanks that are partially filled with fluid, pull heavy loads that are hitched higher than the drawbar, overload the drawbar, or turn sharply on a steep slope?

✓ DO

✓ Slow down for curves, when turning and when pulling rear mounted equipment

✓ Drive forward down steep slopes, and back the equipment up them when necessary

✓ Install Roll Over Protection structures, or ROPS, on tractors, loaders and similar equipment

✓ Follow the manufacturers recommended operating speeds and drive according to ground or road conditions

✓ Ensure the load being towed is balanced and properly secured

✓ Install roll bars or crush protection devices on ATVs and consider one with a wider wheel-base or dual wheels on your next purchase

✘ DO NOT

✘ Operate equipment or machinery that you have not been trained and deemed competent to use

✘ Turn sharply on or at the bottom of a hill, if at all possible

✘ Drive across a steep slope

✘ Drive too close to an incline, ditch, or embankment

✘ Travel with partially filled fluid tanks or totes

✘ Drive too quickly into curves or when making turns

Roll Overs Video

RUN OVERS

What could cause a roll over on your farm?

Do you ever take extra riders on equipment with you or allow them to ride on a wagon/trailer deck/in a truck box? Could children or other bystanders be nearby when equipment is operating or approach equipment without the operator’s knowledge? Is it possible for someone to climb on or off equipment that has not come to a full stop? Could someone start a piece of equipment from the ground or pass start it?

✓ DO

✓ Prior to operating vehicles and equipment, perform a walk around to check under and behind it for children or animals

✓ Install manufacturer approved buddy seats where possible and only allow one rider per seat

✓ Always stay seated while operating tractors and machinery, so as not to get bumped off

✓ Wear a seatbelt if one is equipped

✓ Immediately stop the equipment if you lose sight of someone working with you

✓ Wait until the equipment operator makes eye contact with you and gives you a clear hand or radio signal before approaching

✓ Use chalks, or blocks, to prevent parked equipment from rolling

✘ DO NOT

✘ Operate a tractor or other machine without being properly seated

✘ Allow extra riders on equipment where there is no seat for them

✘ Start equipment by reaching up from the ground or short circuiting the ignition box

✘ Drive too quickly, particularly down driveways and in farmyards where children may be present

✘ Allow riders in truck boxes, on truck decks or wagons

✘ Forget or choose not use chalks, blocks, or a parking brake when parked on slopes or when going to perform work on equipment

Run Overs Video

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MACHINERY / MOTOR VEHICLES

MACHINERY

What could cause an injury or fatality involving a machine?

Do slow or oversize machines ever get moved on public roads or highways? Could someone ever use a machine with damaged/missing guards or shields? Does maintenance ever fall behind, resulting in a damaged machine not getting repaired right away or a machine that should be taken out of service getting used? Could someone operate machinery while distracted, using a spotter/signal person who is not trained, or perform repairs in a field? Could someone have their hair come untied, have on jewelry, or wear clothing that is loose?

✓ DO

✓ Ensure you are well rested and fit for work when operating machines

✓ Keep long hair secured and tight against the head to prevent it from getting pulled into moving parts

✓ Adjust all settings (seat, mirrors, computer, etc.) before starting operation

✓ Follow the manufacturers directions when operating equipment

✓ Ensure everyone using the machine is trained, competent and uses the safety features that have been built into the machine

✓ Ensure anyone acting as a spotter or signal person is trained

✓ Perform preventative maintenance regularly and repair damaged items

✓ Ensure equipment is turned off, that all safety features are engaged and/or blocked, and that it is safe to perform repairs before starting

✘ DO NOT

✘ Operate equipment or machinery that you have not been trained and deemed competent to use

✘ Operating machines while fatigued, distracted or under the effects of medications/ drugs/alcohol

✘ Disable or chose not to use safety features

✘ Wear loose fitting clothing or jewelry when working with machines

✘ Continuing to operate equipment after losing visual contact with your spotter or someone working with you

✘ Use a machine that has been or should be taken out of service

✘ Approach a machine without the operator’s knowledge and approval

✘ Start a machine without making sure it is safe to do so and that everyone/everything is out of harm’s way

TIPS: Moving Parts Video

MOTOR VEHICLES

What could cause an injury or fatality involving motor vehicles?

Could someone ever drive when there is poor visibility, low light, or poor weather/road conditions? Could wildlife or other animals be present on the road? Do the vehicles on your farm ever get behind on maintenance or not get repaired right away? Could vehicles ever be driven by someone who is inexperienced, under the effects or medications/drugs/alcohol, or is fatigued? Is it possible for someone to speed/drive aggressively, texting while driving, or not wear a seatbelt? Do spotters ever help park large equipment or hook up trailers?

✓ DO

✓ Always wear a seatbelt and ensure your passengers do as well

✓ Drive defensively to avoid the mistakes of others

✓ Be mindful of animals on the sides of the road or livestock when travelling in grazing areas

✓ Keep vehicles in good mechanical repair and properly equipped for road & weather conditions

✓ Follow speed limits and drive according to road conditions, delay travel if necessary

✓ Maintain a safe travelling distance back from the vehicle in front of you

✓ Reduce your speed and watch for ruts, sticks, branches, and stumps when travelling off road

✘ DO NOT

✘ Leave vehicles running when refueling, changing tires, installing tire chains, etc.

✘ Keep loose items in the cab or cargo area which could become projectiles and cause injury in the event of a sudden stop or collision

✘Talk on a cell phone, text, or adjust settings while driving

✘ Operate a vehicle while under the effects of drugs (prescription, non-prescription or illicit) or alcohol

✘ Operate a vehicle if very tired or unable to focus due to stress

✘ Operate a vehicle without an appropriate or current license

Motor Vehicle Video

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ENERGY ISOLATION

What could cause an injury or fatality involving a machine?

Tip: Potential energy is energy that has been stored and kinetic energy is energy that is in motion.

Are there pressurized steam/hydraulic/pneumatic lines or live electrical systems on your farm? Could someone repair or adjust tools or machines without disengaging the power, blocking all raised parts, or relieving pressurized systems first? Could someone start equipment while another person is working on it? Could someone work on equipment with springs/coils or cut pieces of metal apart? Could tools or material fall from a roof? Could someone contact a moving belt or rotating part?

✓ DO

✓ Take a moment to identify the sources of potential (stored energy) and kinetic (energy in motion) energy before starting a task

✓ De-energize, lock out and tag out all energy sources yourself

✓ Make certain that each person working on the system applies their own personal lock and tag

✓ Test controls to verify they are inoperative

✓ Block equipment/machinery against motion after it has been locked out and tagged out

✓ Relieve hydraulic and pneumatic pressure after equipment has been locked out and before performing maintenance

✓ Replace all guards before returning the equipment to service

✓ Ensure everyone is in a safe location before re-energizing any equipment

✘ DO NOT

✘ Pull fuses as a substitute for Lock Out Tag Out

✘ Fail to lock out the main power source in a circuit or system

✘ Remove guards for any reason until the machine is de-energized and locked out

✘ Perform maintenance or work on moving or energized machines

✘ Remove someone else’s lock or tag

✘ Perform work on an electrical circuit before testing it to confirm zero energy

✘ Assume that a circuit breaker will not be switched on by someone else

✘ Leave keys in locks, loan or share your lock or key with another person

Energy Isolation Video

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REMOTE WORK / WORKING ALONE

What could go wrong while someone is working remotely/working alone?

Could someone have a severe allergic reaction (i.e., to bee sting), a heart attack, experience heat stroke, or some other type of medical event? Could someone be attacked by livestock or a wild animal? Is it possible for someone to be caught in or crushed by equipment, be involved in a tractor roll over, or have an equipment fire? How would someone get help if they are sick or injured and cannot make a call themselves? Could there be a delay in getting help due to distance or if someone became sick or injured at an unknown location?

✓ DO

✓ Establish a communication plan and regular check ins with employees and family members working remotely or alone

✓ Have a plan in place should something go wrong and consider how long it could take for help to arrive

✓ Ensure someone is designated to assist in case of an emergency or missed check in

✓ Keep first aid materials readily available at the work location

✓ Communicate any changes to work plans or locations

✓ Wait for assistance if the task is high risk

✘ DO NOT

✘ Perform high risk work alone

✘ Enter a confined space or restricted space alone

✘ Work remotely or alone without a reliable, tested means of communication

✘ Miss scheduled check in times

✘ Change work locations without telling anyone

✘ Take short cuts or any other unnecessary risks

Remote Work/Working Alone Video

See Stats

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SECURE LOADS

What could go wrong while hauling or securing loads?

Could a load shift/roll/spill/fall off? Could someone decide not use load securement equipment, use load securement equipment improperly, or not use blocking/bracing /chocks to prevent movement of the load? Could someone use weak or inappropriate anchor points, under-rated load securement equipment, the wrong type of load securement devices, or damaged straps/load securement devices? Is it possible for someone to secure a load without the proper training? Could straps become cut or worn while rubbing against sharp edges during transport?

✓ DO

✓ Use the right type and amount of securement equipment

✓ Only use tiedowns that are marked with the Working Load Limit

✓ Pre-inspect tiedowns for damage or defects and remove faulty straps

✓ Protect your straps with softeners or corner protectors

✓ Follow applicable traffic safety and load securement laws and regulations

✓ Travel at speeds appropriate for the equipment and load you are hauling

✘ DO NOT

✘ Allow someone who is not trained and competent in load securement to tiedown loads

✘ Use rope or bungee cords in place of approved load securement devices

✘ Forget or choose not to tie-down loads, even if you will only be travelling on short sections of public road or staying on your own property

✘ Leave cargo in the back of a truck or trailer unsecured

Load Securement Video

Did you

know?

A sensitizer is a chemical that causes an allergic reaction in skin or lung tissue after repeated exposures. Once sensitized, individuals can have severe reactions to further exposures, even if the amount they are exposed to is very small.

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CHEMICAL EXPOSURE

What could go wrong when handling or storing chemicals?

Is everyone on your farm trained in WHMIS 2015 and know the hazards of the products that they work with/around? Do children/livestock/pets have access to chemicals (i.e., livestock eating treated seed)? Could a fire or explosion result from improperly handled hazardous products? Could hazardous products leak (i.e., fuel tanks or fertilizer totes)? Could hazardous products be kept in unlabeled or unsuitable containers (i.e., beverage or food containers)? Could a chemical used on your farm have the potential to cause serious injury, illness or death? Is it possible for pesticide mists to drift out of the intended area? Could someone be injected with a veterinary drug or breathe in medicated feed dust?

✓ DO

✓ Ensure everyone on your farm is trained in WHMIS 2015 and familiar with the products they will be handling and working around

✓ Have current safety data sheets (SDSs) readily accessible to everyone on the farm

✓ Store all products in a safe location, using suitable containers, and away from incompatible substances

✓ Always wear the correct type(s) of PPE

✓ Replace unreadable, peeling, or missing labels

✓ Have spill kits and/or spill containment readily available

✓ Have an emergency response plan in place for chemical or veterinary drug exposures and spills

✘ DO NOT

✘ Use a product that you are not trained in the handling and use of

✘ Remove labels from containers

✘ Transfer products into containers without properly labelling them

✘ Store incompatible products where they could come into contact and form toxic gases (i.e., ammonia and bleach)

✘ Take contaminated clothing home or leave it where someone else may come into contact with it

✘ Forget to wash your hands before eating or going on break

Chemical Exposure Video

Routes of Entry Diagram

Hazard Assessment: Farm Shop

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ANIMAL HANDLING

What could go wrong when working with animals?

Could there be weak pens or damaged gates present on your farm? Could there be unfamiliar people helping/present while you work livestock? Could an untrained or unfamiliar dog be present while handling livestock? Could someone work with animals alone, get too close to an animal, or lose their temper while working with animals? Could a squeeze or headgate not be working properly? Do people ever work with animals in areas with poor lighting or lots of shadows? Could animals be handled in a way that causes them to become excited and fearful?

✓ DO

✓ Approach all animals with caution

✓ Understand the behavior traits and flight zone for the specific livestock you are working with

✓ Understand the signs of animals becoming aggressive

✓ Have an escape route planned

✓ Move slowly and deliberately around livestock

✓ Keep a safe distance when working with animals

✓ Work with an experienced person if you are new to the task

✓ Avoid working with animals alone, whenever possible

✘ DO NOT

✘ Create loud noises or make sudden movements

✘ Allow untrained individuals to work with livestock

✘ Get between livestock and their feed source or between a mother and her calf

✘ Lose your patience when working with livestock; animals are more difficult to work with when they are excited and stressed

✘ Forget good hygiene during and after handling livestock

✘ Handle veterinary drugs which you are not trained to use or understand the hazards of

Flight Zone Diagram

Animal Handling Video

Working with Livestock

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RESTRICTED / CONFINED SPACES

Have you identified the restricted and confined spaces on your farm and the hazards of the confined spaces?

Use this checklist and flow chart to help you.

Are there bins, tanks, root cellars, manure pits/lagoons, culverts, sea cans, grain boxes, or crawl spaces on your farm? Could substances enter these spaces through pipes? Do any of these spaces have moving/rotating parts? Could any of these spaces have exhaust, welding, cutting, or chemical fumes present? What about chemical mists or vapors near the entrance or inside the space? Could these spaces have bacteria, mold spores, or dried feces present? Could there be feed dusts, grain dusts or other potentially explosive dusts built up? Could someone inside be exposed to loud noises, temperature extremes, electric shock hazards, or falling material?

✓ DO

✓ Identify the restricted and confined spaces present on your farm and the hazards that are or may become present

✓ Use locks, gates, fences, and post signage keep unauthorized individuals out of confined spaces

✓ Eliminate the hazards or use engineering controls, wherever possible

✓ Have an attendant or person outside the space who can provide assistance and call for help if it is needed

✓ Make certain everyone on the farm has reviewed and understands the rescue plan for that space

✓ Wear all required PPE and ensure any tools or equipment used in the space are safe and appropriate

✓ Be aware that conditions in the space can change, sometimes quickly and without you realizing it

✘ DO NOT

✘ Create loud noises or make sudden movements

✘ Allow untrained individuals to work with livestock

✘ Get between livestock and their feed source or between a mother and her calf

✘ Lose your patience when working with livestock; animals are more difficult to work with when they are excited and stressed

✘ Forget good hygiene during and after handling livestock

✘ Handle veterinary drugs which you are not trained to use or understand the hazards of

Restricted/Confined Space Video

TIP: Grain Storage

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ELECTROCUTION

Where and when could someone on your farm come into contact with electricity?

Do equipment or high loads ever get parked near or moved under overhead powerlines? Do large items get stored near powerlines (i.e., hay bales)? Could truck boxes, loader arms, augers, or sprayer arms get raised near overhead powerlines? Could a line or trench ever be dug without the buried lines being located? Is it possible someone might attempt to lift a powerline themselves? Are electric tools in wet areas or are extension cords used as a permanent means of wiring? Could someone perform repairs on live equipment or machines without following lock out tag out (LOTO) procedures?

✓ DO

✓ Train workers and post signs to ensure electrical hazards are recognized; restrict access where possible

✓ Maintain 3 feet of clearance in front of all electrical panels

✓ Ensure tools are properly grounded or double-insulated

✓ Follow safe limit of approach distances when working around overhead powerlines

✓ Know the height and reach of your equipment when working around powerlines

✓ Know your farm’s emergency response procedures in the event of accidental contact with electricity or a downed power line

✓ Stay at minimum 7 meters away from powerlines and contact your utility provider if you must come closer than that with equipment

✓ Contact your utility provider or Utility Safety Partners before digging

✘ DO NOT

✘ Perform repairs on live equipment or machines

✘ Ignore lock out tag out procedures

✘ Remove the ground prong from a plug

✘ Look for buried lines with pointed tools, such as pickaxes or pointed bars

✘ Make repairs to tools or electrical systems that you are not trained and qualified to do

✘ Place materials, equipment, storage structures or feed bunks under or too close to overhead powerlines

✘ Approach a downed overhead powerline

✘ Underestimate the likelihood or consequences of arc flashes

✘ Measure line height or attempt to life a powerline yourself

Electrocution Video

Arc Flash

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What’s one thing you could do to make your farm safer?

FALL FROM HEIGHT

SLIP, TRIP AND FALL

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RESPIRATORY HAZARDS

HAZARDOUS ATMOSPHERES

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ROLL OVERS

RUN OVERS

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MACHINERY

MOTOR VEHICLES

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ENERGY ISOLATION

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REMOTE WORK / WORKING ALONE

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SECURE LOADS

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CHEMICAL EXPOSURE

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ANIMAL HANDLING

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RESTRICTED / CONFINED SPACES

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ELECTROCUTION

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