Although National Farm Safety Week has passed, Dave Allen, CEO of AgriSearch, draws attention to the need for ongoing avoidance of hazardous situations on farms.  He correctly notes that agriculture is a dangerous industry with hazards in poultry houses, plants and warehouses.  Dave stresses the need for “solid safety habits”.  Areas requiring the attention of managers include: -

• Training of new employees during orientation.
• Arranging regular safety meetings where workers can make suggestions to eliminate hazards.
• Special attention to lock-out procedures for equipment during maintenance and cleaning.
• Preventing accumulation of egg material on floors and aisles that could lead to slips and falls.
• Always replacing factory-installed panels over moving parts including gears and chains in houses, along conveyers and in packing plants.
• Requiring workers in packing plants to wear appropriate head covering to prevent entanglement in equipment leading to severe de-scalping injuries.
• Ensuring that all injuries however minor are reported and documented.
• Providing workers with personal protective equipment when carrying out operations including washing, moving flocks and maintenance.

OSHA is becoming more active in investigating injury reports with follow-up audits to identify hazards.