Anyone familiar with farming understands that safety measures are important, particularly during harvest season.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, there were 193 traffic accidents involving farm equipment last year, resulting in 64 injuries and three deaths. And agriculture remains the most dangerous of all economic sectors in the U.S. And the risks appear to be on the rise.

In 2017, a study by the Centers for Disease Control found that farm-related accidents accounted for 20.4 deaths per 100,000 workers. A recent study by the Bureau of Labor Statistics recorded 574 deaths, or 23.4 per 100,000 workers.

“We share your concern and focus on protecting your family and workers,” said Home Bank Chairman and CEO Joe Thomas. “I personally grew up on a farm and had my fair share of near accidents.”

Not surprisingly, farm vehicle and machinery accidents cause a majority of serious injuries. But there are also short and long term risks from pesticides and other chemicals, physical harm from handling livestock and safety issues that come with children, visitors or rookie farm workers unaware of the dangers.

The staff at Home Bank collected some farm safety resources for review during harvest season. They encourage farmers to put together a safety guide for workers as well as their own families. These can expand from the basics, such as proper clothing, livestock culling procedures, equipment safety, ventilation, washing stations and more.

“Most accidents can be prevented with proper planning and procedures,” Thomas observed.

Here is a review of farm safety tips and resources you can use to establish a healthy and productive work environment for all. The staff at Home Bank note that the list is not exhaustive, so be sure to explore and use these further resources to help prepare and evaluate your farm safety policies and procedures.

● USDA | National Institute of Food and Agriculture - Farm Safety - https://nifa.usda.gov/program/farm-safety

● USDA | National Agricultural Library - Agricultural Safety - https://www.nal.usda.gov/ric-subjects/agricultural-safety

● National Farm Safety and Health Week (NECASAG) - https://www.necasag.org/nationalfarmsafetyandhealthweek/

● OSHA - Agricultural Operations - https://www.osha.gov/dsg/topics/agriculturaloperations/generalresources.html

● Cultivate Safety - https://cultivatesafety.org/

● CDC | Agricultural Safety - https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/aginjury/default.html