C U Safe
Youth Day Camps Reminder Once Again
One measure that has been implemented to educate our youth
on the safety precautions required around the farm are farm safety day camps —
a one-day, hands-on workshop that teaches farm children and their parent’s safe
farm practices.
One such camp
that is available is the Progressive Farmer
Farm Safety Day Camp. They have reached
hundreds of thousands of farm families across the country. Progressive Farmer is taking
applications for 2004 Camps. For more
information, call 1-888-257-3529 or go to: http://kea.ae.iastate.edu/about/default.asp.
Go to: http://kea.ae.iastate.edu/about/7_2004Application.pdf for 2004 applications.
These applications need to be turned in by the 1st of July.
We have
already had two of the seven camps scheduled for this year. Two camps are coming up in June (Beaufort and
York).
Charles V. Privette, III
Farm
Safety Mini-Grants
Deadline
Extension
Proposals will be accepted
until June30, 2003.
Proposals
will be accepted that address new farm safety programming efforts and those
that support current on-going programs.
These proposals can be on the county or multi-county level.
Questions or inquiries may be directed to Charles Privette, privett@clemson.edu or
864.656.6247 or if you are attending the SCACAA summer meeting in
Lawn Mower Safety
The National
Safety Council estimates that last year over 60,000 people in the
Mower
Always read and follow owner’s manual.
Inspect mower and check safety devices before mowing; operator presence switch and discharge chute.
The operator presence switch, or dead-mans
switch, is the switch that must be held in place to keep mower running. This switch can be located under the seat or
as a handle bar. The operator must be on
the seat or holding the handle bar in a fixed position to keep the mower
running. This prevents the operator from
being able to come in contact with the blade while the mower is running.
The discharge chute keeps objects that are
expelled from the mower at low trajectories.
Inspect Yard
Inspect yard for foreign objects which may be run over by mower such as balls, toys,
sticks, rocks, etc.
Make sure grass is dry.
Proper Operation
No extra riders.
Never unclog a mower while it is running, always
shut it off - With blade speeds approaching
200 m.p.h., a person can be cut many times before they can respond.
For steep slopes: Riding mowers should be driven
downhill. By driving down hills, you
eliminate the chance of a side rollover.
Push mowers should be pushed across the hill. If a person pushes a mower down a hill and slips,
he/she can end up under the mower. The
opposite is the case if he/she pushes the mower up a hill. If a slip occurred, the mower could end up on
top of him/her.
Keep bystanders away - Objects can be expelled at 200 m.p.h. from a
mower.
Never leave an unattended mower running.
Maintenance
When fueling mower, make sure mower is off and
engine has cooled down. A muffler and engine heat up to high
temperatures while in operation. These
high temperatures can cause severe burns. The other concern with a
hot engine is fueling. Gasoline can be
explosive and cause severe burns.
Note: Fuel should be stored in appropriate
containers with labels.
Always disconnect the sparkplug when working on
mower.
When a person is working on a
mower and turns the blades, an engine can possibly crank. If this occurs, you are near the blades and
can be severely injured.
Personal Protection Equipment
Eyes - Safety glasses or goggles.
Ears - Ear plugs or ear muffs.
Hands - Gloves.
Feet - Closed-toe leather shoes or boots - No
flip-flops or sandals.
Legs
- Long pants (especially w/push mower).
Heat/Sun
Safety
SKIN CANCER
Skin cancer is the result of
overexposure of the unprotected skin to the invisible, ultraviolet (UV) rays of
the sun. The head, neck, forearms and
hands are the most common sites of skin cancer. More than 90% of all skin
cancers occur in these locations.
Cancer Warning Signs:
See your physician if you notice a new growth, mole or discoloration or a
sudden change in an existing mole. Early detection of skin cancer is the first
step for a successful cure.
Wear protective hats to shield the head and neck from
direct sun exposure. Baseball caps only
provide protection to the forehead. Wide
brim hats will provide protection to most of the face as well as to the ears and
back of the neck.
Use a sunscreen product on unprotected skin. Select a sunscreen with a skin protection
factor (SPF) of at least 15, which is also water resistant, to avoid dilution
from sweat. Apply the sunscreen at least
30 minutes prior to exposure.
Wear protective clothing consisting of long-sleeve shirts
and trousers.
Limit exposure if possible. The sun’s rays are more
intense between the hours of
HEAT ILLNESS
Heat illness is much
easier to prevent than to treat, but it takes time and preparation.
Step
I: Respect the heat. Allow yourself frequent short
breaks for cooling and thirst quenching.
Step
II:
Drink one third more liquids than your thirst dictates. Natural juices,
milk, soups, diluted thirst-quenchers (mixed half with water) and frequent
small sips of water will do the job.
Step
III: Nutrition. A well-balanced diet supplies essential protein,
calories, vitamins, and minerals for muscle wear and tear. A handful of raisins
have more energy and minerals than a salt tablet or a quart of thirst
quenchers.
Step
IV:
Protective clothing. A light-colored loose long-sleeved shirt and trousers
reduce solar burn. A wide brim, open-weave hat will help to keep the entire
head cool.
Step V: Look for early signs and
symptoms of heat illness. Headaches, dizziness, confusion, slowed speech or
reflexes, unusual irritability, lack of concentration, hot dry skin or lips,
and dark concentrated urine are all early warning signs.
Step
VI:
Stop, rest and cool off. If any
of the early signs develop, don’t take any chances! Learn to respect the heat
and live with it. No one is immune to heat illness.
This
information was made available from the Agromedicine
Program at MUSC. For more
information on these topics contact:
Department of Family Medicine - MUSC
(843)-792-2281
This publication is written
and designed by Charles V. Privette, III. If you have any questions, concerns,
or ideas for future articles, please send to Charles V. Privette, III, 224 McAdams
Hall, Box 340357, Clemson, SC 29634-0357, privett@clemson.edu,
or (864)-656-6247.
This publication can be found
at www.clemson.edu/safety/newslett.htm.
Clemson University
Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to people of all ages, regardless
of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, disability, political
beliefs, sexual orientation, marital or family status and is an equal
opportunity employer.