University of Wisconsin - Extension

Contact: Curt Wilke, 608-261-1196, ccwilke@wisc.edu

A spate of farm-related fatalities in recent weeks across Wisconsin has farm safety officials again urging citizens to be extra cautious while at work.

"These are grim reminders for all of us," said University of Wisconsin-Extension associate outreach safety specialist Curt Wilke.

"Farming continues to be one of the most dangerous occupations in the country," Wilke stated. "All family members and all workers should think about farm safety every day, with every task they do."

It is imperative that citizens be vigilant when working on or around tractors and machinery, historically the leading cause of farm fatalities every year, said Wilke.

According to 2002 Wisconsin labor data, 14 of the 24 farm-related fatalities involved tractors or machinery. The four recent fatalities, all involving machinery, reinforce the need to always use mechanical lockout devices, parking brakes and chocks when working on, under or near machinery, says Wilke.

When working under machinery, Wilke stresses to never rely solely on the hydraulics to keep a loader, combine head or anything raised. Hydraulic levers can be moved inadvertently and hoses or other components of the hydraulic system can fail, which causes the object to fall suddenly.

Additionally, if machinery does not have mechanical lockout devices, one should position sturdy, wide-base jacks in multiple places under the equipment before working under or near it, says Wilke. He also says not to use automobile scissor or ratchet jacks.

Solid, wide wooden blocks can be used and should be stacked so they will not fall over or break under a sudden load. Cinder blocks may appear sturdy but are in fact brittle and will break under less weight than wood, say farm safety officials.

When working on tractors or other self-propelled machinery, Wilke reminds farmers to keep the machinery in neutral or park with the parking break set. He also cautions farmers to turn off the machine while working on it, keep the keys in your pocket, and only start and run the machinery from the operator's seat after checking that the surrounding area is clear of bystanders.

As a preventative safety measure Wilke recommends routinely walking around the farm and specifically looking for hazards and elimination or guarding them can help prevent future incidents.

A Farm Hazard Inspection Checklist can be obtained from your local county UW-Extension office, or on the web via the UW-Extension Publications site at http://cecommerce.uwex.edu/pdfs/A3619.PDF

For more information on farm safety tips, please contact Curt Wilke at 608-261-1196, by e-mail at ccwilke@wisc.edu, or visit http://www.wiscash.uwex.edu.