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tripping hazard

Safety: Unsafe conditions

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Recognize unsafe conditions and take action to eliminate and mitigate them.

It is possible to eliminate the majority of unsafe conditions in our workplaces and on our farms in order to prevent injuries on the job. It is necessary to recognize these kinds of conditions exist around you, and take action to eliminate or mitigate them. There is an endless list of possible unsafe conditions in any workplace. Two types of unsafe conditions that can be found in almost any workplace are slip, trip, and fall hazards and pinch point hazards.

  • Slips, trips, and falls are responsible for many injuries on the job year after year. Many of these incidents are a direct result of an unsafe condition.
  • Objects on the ground are a common example.
  • Other unsafe conditions that lead to slips, trips, and falls injuries include slippery floors, unmarked changes in elevations in walking surfaces, cluttered work areas, unprotected edges, etc.

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Safety: Climbing ladders safely

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Not maintaining three points of contact when climbing ladders can lead to injuries. Three points of contact is defined as always having one foot and two hands, or one hand and two feet in contact with the ladder at all times.

While maintaining three points of contact is important, maintaining three points of control is critical. Three points of control involves a worker using three of their four limbs for reliable, stable support while climbing a ladder.

Climbing a ladder with a tool in your hands can maintain contact with the ladder but not a firm grip (control) on the ladder rung. Communicate and practice three-point control. It provides for a greater level of safety when climbing ladders.

Other ladder-related best practices include:

  • Inspecting the ladder prior to climbing.
  • Facing the ladder at all times.
  • Hoisting tools rather than carrying them.
  • Keeping the belt buckle between the rails of the ladder.

Safety first in everything you do – on and off the farm.

REMEMBER TO ALWAYS:
Get proper rest. Look after yourself. Slow down. Never take shortcuts.

Work safe. Farm safe. Home safe.™

Grain storage bins

Preparing silos and bins for harvest

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Be safe while preparing silos and bins for harvest

We all know that farming is potentially a very dangerous occupation if precautions and safety are not top-of-mind in everything we do. We may, or can easily take for granted every action we perform every day, working at the things we love. Harvest is an exciting time for everyone, but please, take the time to plan every step of the way and come home safe to your loved ones. Read more

forklift safety

Lifting and rigging safety

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Lifting and rigging work is considered a high hazard task.

Protect yourself, your coworkers and the people around you while performing any hazardous type of work–on the job or at home.

There are a lot of associated hazards that accompany lifting any loads with cranes or equipment. It is important to not only understand proper rigging techniques, but also the other hazards that accompany this type of work task.

Lifting and rigging incidents

The first type of incident regarding lifting and rigging is some type of breakage of a sling, wire rope, or chain resulting in a dropped load. While these type of incidents usually have the most severe consequences, there are often many other types of less severe incidents that cause the majority of injuries or property damage.

Some of the other injuries and incidents that occur are sprains, falls, crush injuries, electrocutions, and struck-by incidents.

Hazards such as swinging loads, manual handling of heavy rigging, holding on to tag lines, moving equipment, pinch points, working on elevated surfaces, trip hazards, slippery surfaces, etc. can all be present during lifting operations.

Safe work practices

  • Anyone in a work area where a lift is being performed should be properly trained on the work scope, hazards, and mitigations of the task.
  • Inspect all rigging prior to using it for a lift.
  • All rigging should be properly stored after lifting operations are complete. Proper storage helps prevent the rigging from being damaged.

Summary

Proper planning and forethought is important to eliminate hazards and avoid incidents.

Be aware of the hazards that affect you and your coworkers on each unique lift that is completed.

The safety of our employees, customers, contractors, suppliers, visitors and the community is of the utmost importance to us.

Work safe. Farm safe. Home safe.™

 

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Day-to-day work around the farm doesn’t have to be painful

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Here are some tips to avoid injury by evaluating activities and preparing for them

Farmers take their aches and pains as part of their work, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

Understanding factors that contribute to on-farm injury can be a start to reducing risk of getting hurt.

Why it matters: Farmers are busy, especially in certain seasons of the year, so reducing risk of injury when they need to be at their physical best can have important farm business implications.

Julie Anceriz, Syngenta Canada’s territory health and safety manager, told a recent Whole Farm Health seminar put on by the Ag Women’s Network, that there are ergonomic factors that affect risk of injury no matter what type of work one does, whether sedentary at an office chair or in a combine or tractor, or active, lifting and doing heavy work. Read more