LONDON, Ohio — Farm safety has been a hot topic at every Farm Science Review since 1963. And with good reason. Agriculture is considered one of the most dangerous industries in the U.S.

 Dee Jepsen, an Agricultural Safety & Health Specialist, teaches community safety programs for farmers and ag businesses, high school agricultural safety programs, collegiate safety and health courses at Ohio State University and is an OSHA outreach trainer. Jepsen and her Grain CART (Comprehensive Agriculture Rescue Trailer) rescue simulator are a regular fixture at each Farm Science Review.

 “We’re here every year and we need to be here every year,” says Jepsen, who points to a constant stream of farm accidents and fatalities on farms each year. “Farm accidents are continuous, and it’s not just happening to the older farmers. Accidents are happening to new and beginning farmers, as well as to those returning to the farm.”

Jepsen has been with the OSU Agricultural Safety and Health Program since 1992. She has responsibility for teaching, extension and research in occupational safety and health.

 “Injuries or death can strike those on the small farm, too. People with a small property and perhaps a small tractor can find themselves in harm’s way as those small tractors have all the dangers all the others to,” she said.

Tractor rollovers are the top cause for death on the farm. Jepsen says tractor rollovers become lethal when operated on unstable terrain without adequate rollover protection or proper operator training.

 “Nearly 59 percent of Ohio farm-related rollover fatalities could be eliminated if every tractor had a roll bar device with a seatbelt,” Jepsen said. “Retrofit kits are available for any make and model and typically cost between $800 and $1,200.”

Right behind in terms of fatalities are farmers who get caught in the power take-off shaft. Left uncovered, a PTO shaft can entangle a farmer’s shirt sleave or trouser cuff.

 “We’re seeing fewer fatalities or injuries from PTOs the past few years as they’re now encased and there’s guards now,” she said. “The engineering on these PTOs are much better, but if the farmer chooses to take these guards off they’re putting themselves back in danger.”

 Another danger is when farm equipment meets the public on a rural road.

 “We’ve kept statistics on roadway safety for the farm since 1962 and it still remains a problem to this day,” Jepsen said. “As you hit the roads in the spring, ensure that your tractor and equipment lights are working properly. The state of Ohio was the first to put extremity lighting into law. If you have dual wheels or a piece of equipment trailing behind that blocks the view of the extremity lights on the tractor, you’re required to operate with the proper lighting and marking, especially from sunset to sunrise. It’s also good practice to have an escort vehicle behind equipment on roadways.”

 While rollovers, PTOs and rural road hazards are high on Jepsen’s list of trouble spots, there are many others, she says.

 “Rollovers happen all too often and these tragedies make the headlines, but there are dozens of dangers lurking on any farm,” Jepsen said.

 Jepsen says equipment like harvesters, balers and augers can cause severe injuries when safety measures fail. Grain bin and silo accidents are always a farm tragedy waiting to happen.

 “Proper training of operators and regular equipment inspections can greatly reduce the chances of accidents,” she said. “With bins and silos, suffocation from being trapped in grain or exposure to gases is a persistent threat. Installing proper ventilation systems and using safety harnesses can significantly reduce these threats.

 “Now is the time farmers enter their bins to check on them, unload, and clean them,” Jepson said. “Grain dust is a hazard farmers need to protect themselves from while sweeping out their bins. And the only thing to really protect you from that level of contamination is the N95 respirator, an N99 respirator, or a P100 respirator.”

 Jepsen says that lower on the threat list, though still problematic, is livestock handling, chemical exposure and falls.

 “Animals can be unpredictable,” Jepsen said. “Even experienced farmers can face injuries from being kicked, bitten or crushed. Proper use of restraining equipment, such as cattle chutes and harnesses, can help reduce risks. Pesticides, fertilizers and other dangerous chemicals may cause short-term and long-term health risks when not handled with proper equipment and protection. Falls are a big problem as well. Farms often have elevated work areas like silos and lofts, where falls can cause serious injury or death.”

While many manure pits are now underground; they still can cause issues through the gases.  “It’s mostly the gases from those manure pits when people run into problems. Recently they were four members of a family from Colorado that they were working on their dairy farm and were overcome by the fumes from manure pit. Sadly, one went down and they kept trying to rescue each other and they all eventually succumbed.” 

 Still, some manure pits remain above ground. Reed Hosteler, 31, died on his family’s dairy farm in Marshallville, Ohio, on March 5. He drowned in a manure pit after the tractor he was driving overturned.

 Crashes, lacerations, punctures, burns, head and spinal injuries are reported incidences that Jepson sees on a regular basis. Even electrocution can occur.

 “In April, a 45-year-old man from Leesburg, Ohio, was electrocuted after his farm tractor hit a power line. His tractor was pulling an agricultural sprayer when one of the sprayer’s booms made contact with an overhead power line,” she said.

Just as safety management gets implemented on the farm, so should stress management.

 “We should be talking to farmers about resources to manage stress and discussing the particulars of farm stress with counselors, therapists, and crisis hotlines,” she said.