The Role of Agricultural Structures in Safety and Health

Issues

By

Richard Steffen

Southern Illinois University

Ag Injury Problem

• Consistently Ranks in top 3 most hazardous occupations

• Poor injury reporting systems in agriculture make determining rates difficult

• estimated 210,000 injuries in Ag (NIOSH)

Uniqueness of Ag Work Sites

• Remoteness of work site

– May not be able to summon aid

– may be hours before victim is discovered

– may talk longer for emergency services to respond

Uniqueness of Ag Work Sites

• Lack of regulations– agriculture exempted from most

regulations• Family Farms• Farms 10 employees or less• Farms 11 employees for more• Ag related businesses

Uniqueness of Ag Work Sites

• Unique environments– ag has environments not found in

industrial setting– environments have unique characteristics– characteristics create unique hazards– workers need to understand those hazards

• Work site, play site & home

Role of Structures in Safety & Health

• How much are structures involved in injuries?– Few current tracking systems report

injuries by structure

– classified by injury event• falls

• animals

• stuck by objects

Role of Structures in Safety & Health

• Past research – extent of the problem– 24% of accidents in Saskatchewan occur

in structures• Pahwa et al. (1995)

– 73% of flowing grain entrapments occur in bins• Kelly & Field (1996)

Role of Structures in Safety & Health

• Past research – structures– Environment

– Structural

Structures in Ag

• Used for long periods - often past planned obsolescence– slows adoption of newer and safer

designs

Structures in Ag

• changing needs– new methods

Structures in Ag

• changing needs– new methods

Structures in Ag

• changing needs– modified

structures

Structures in Ag

• changing needs– modified

structures

Types of Hazards

• Slips & Falls

• Struck by objects

• Engulfment by stored materials

• Crushed by materials

• Electrical shock

Types of Hazards

• Atmospheric Hazards– toxic gasses

– dusts and molds

– asphyxiation

• Biological Hazards– pathogens

– rodents & insects

Types of Hazards

• Fire• Poor lighting• Weather• Mechanical Hazards

– machinery

– automated equipment

• Poor Housekeeping

Confined Spaces in Ag

• Large enough and configured for an employee to enter and work

• limited means of entry or exit

• not designed for continuous human occupancy

Permit Required Confined Space (PRCS)

• Contains or has potential to contain a hazardous atmosphere

• Contains materials with potential for engulfment

• Internal configuration that can trap or asphyxiate an entrant

• Contains any other recognized safety or health hazard

Permit Required Confined Space (PRCS)

Permit Required Confined Space General Requirements

• PRCS must be identified• Employees must be informed of

existence, location and danger of spaces

• Written program must be developed• Entry permits must be developed &

used

Permit Required Confined Space General Requirements

• Safe entry– Isolating

– Purging & ventilating

– Testing & monitoring

– Communication

– PPE

Permit Required Confined Space General Requirements

• Training requirements– Duties of entrants

– Duties of attendant

– Duties of supervisors

• Rescue & emergency services

• Other standards (Lockout – tag out)

Machinery Storage/Repair Structures

• Slips & falls

• fire

• stored chemicals

• asphyxiation (exhaust)

• electrocution

• crushing

Barns and Livestock Facilities

• Slips and Falls

• Livestock

• Crushed

• Electrocution

• Atmospheric

Manure Storage Structures

• Toxic atmospheres

• oxygen deficiency

• drowning

• entanglement

• respiratory problems

• Pathogens

Silos

• toxic atmospheres• oxygen deficiency• falls

– unstable surfaces– heights

• entanglement• respiratory problems

(dusts)• pathogens• fire

Grain bins and pits

• engulfment• oxygen deficiency• falls

– unstable surfaces– heights

• entanglement• respiratory problems

(dusts)• pathogens• fire

Grain bin safety Research

• Schwab et al. (1985)– forces on a mannequin in grain

• Aherin (2001)– safety harness systems

• Burroughs (1999)– farmer’s attitudes on grain safety

• Freeman et al. (1996) Kelly & Field (1996) Kingman et al. (1999)– studies on engulfment fatalities

Recommendations

• Additional research to clarify role of structures

• Meaningful evaluation of current intervention efforts

• Research to develop new “user friendly” safety devices

Recommendations

• Include manufacturers in Safety and Health efforts - take an active role in education and promotion of safety devices

• distribute safety information using avenues that farmers utilize. Integral part of these media.

Recommendations

• Study future and current exemptions to Safety and Health regulations carefully