Farm Safety Fact Sheets
Carle Center for Rural Health and Farm Safety provides these fact sheets as a service to our community. They are available as a PDF for easy download and printing.
Ag Youth Work Guidelines
Agriculture Safety Tips for Families
Children:
- Don’t ask to ride along in tractors. Even though it’s fun, passengers on a tractor can interfere with safe operation of machinery.
- Always get permission to visit a parent or adult while they are working on machinery, and remain in a visible area to ensure the adult sees you. Blind spots create dangerous conditions when machinery is in use.
- Be cautious when handling or feeding animals, and only enter pens that have been approved by your parents. Livestock can be unpredictable.
Teens:
- Only use a cell phone when not working, but keep it close in case of emergency. Cell phones can be a lifesaver or a deadly distraction.
- Be informed on child labor laws. Teens can only work in certain situations under legal guardians.
- Be a role model and demonstrate safe behavior on the farm. Siblings and younger children look up to and take pride in older children and teenagers.
Parents:
- Keep the rollover protection structures (ROPS) in the upright position and always wear a seatbelt to prevent a tractor rollover injury or fatality. Tractor rollovers represented nearly half of all of Illinois fatalities last year, so the ROPS should only be folded down in low-clearance areas and when absolutely necessary.
- Always wear hearing protection – such as ear plugs or protective ear muffs – to protect from hearing loss. It only takes 2 hours for an open cab tractor to become dangerous to the human ear without proper hearing protection.
- Schedule enough time for sleep. Lack of sleep inhibits productivity and memory, and slows response time.
Grandparents:
- Think about your actions. Unsafe actions don’t always result in harm, but the risk isn’t worth it.
- Recognize personal health and safety to avoid injury. Take caution when lifting heavy items or climbing in unsafe areas. If something looks dangerous or unpredictable, don’t do it.
- Keep a cell phone handy at all times in case of emergency. Cell phones allow for easy access when help is needed.
Wellness Works
Miscellaneous
Child Labor Requirements In Agricultural Occupations – DOL
HOSTA – National Safe Tractor and Machinery Operation Program
Grain Bin/Silo Entry Checklist
Pesticide Safety Programs of the US Environmental Protection Agency
Agricultural Youth Work Guidelines
Farmers and Asbestos ExposureStatistics
NIOSH - National Ag Safety Database (NASD)
Traumatic Occupational Injuries
Childhood Agricultural Injury Fact Sheet
Organizations
Association of Equipment Manufacturers
Childhood Agricultural Safety Network
International Society for Agricultural Safety and Health (formerly NIFS)
Marshfield Clinic – National Farm Medicine Center
National Children's Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety
National Education Center for Agricultural Safety (NECAS)
Progressive Agriculture Foundation
University of Illinois Extension – Agricultural Safety and Health
US Department of Labor – OSHA – Agricultural Operations
Agricultural Safety & Health Council of America
Helpful Applications
The American Red Cross First Aid Application (app)
This app is unique as it covers topics specific to rural and farming communities including ATV safety, dust explosions, auger safety, tractor safety and grain bin safety to name a few.The app is FREE and available for download from the Apple App Store or Google Play for Android devices. Get the app by texting "GETFIRST" to 90999.
The app allows workers and supervisors to calculate the heat index for their worksite, and, based on the heat index, displays a risk level to outdoor workers.
The OSHA-NIOSH Heat Tool is available in English and Spanish for Android and iPhone devices. To access the Spanish version, set the phone language to Spanish.