SASKATOON — Shut it off!
That simple three-word message could save lives and prevent serious injuries for many farmers, says a farm safety specialist.
Eric Jones of Alberta Agriculture said statistics show that leaving machinery running is perhaps the biggest cause of preventable farm accidents.
“The farmer leaves it running, gets down off it and does something,” he said.
They could be unclogging part of the machinery, doing a minor repair, hooking something on or just carrying out an inspection. Too often the result is severely injured hands and feet.
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“That is very hard behavior to correct, but we need to make the farmer aware it’s his biggest problem,” said Jones. “It’s been there a long time but right now it’s starting to stand out more than anything else.”
Alberta Agriculture has launched a publicity campaign to drive the message home, using a drawing of two human-looking tractors running in place in a field while a determined farmer holds up a STOP sign.
“Only YOU can stop injuries and death caused by running farm machinery,” says the caption.
Farmers say it takes too much time to shut machinery off and start it up again, an idea that Jones said is simply wrong. They’ll also say that it’s easier to fix certain kinds of problems while the machine is running. For example, if something is clogged, giving it a kick while it’s running may clear things up. Stopping the machine, digging out the blockage, then starting it up again is seen as a waste of time.
Some new models of tractors will automatically shut off when the driver stands up and leaves the cab. But some farmers will short-circuit that safety feature.
Jones said it’s not easy to get people to change their behavior. A half-hour lecture won’t do the trick, no matter how many statistics or gruesome tales are told.
“You really say to yourself ‘are we really winning’, or are they just going to go ahead and do what they want anyway,” he said.
There were 22 farm fatalities in Alberta in 1993. That’s the highest total in many years and reinforces the fact that farming is the most hazardous industry in the world, said Jones.
Alberta Agriculture has decided to try to improve the on-site treatment of those injuries by launching a first-aid-for-farmers program.
The St. John’s Ambulance is working with the department to develop a six-hour course to be taught at the local level, dealing specifically with farm-related injuries. Jones said the program should be available throughout Alberta later this year.
