| |
By Lindsey Grover
“Go to the barn and check the cows” is a common phrase heard by many rural teens across Alberta. On a cool, crisp April morning James Smith, a young man from southern Alberta, heard those words uttered by his father, as he has heard many times before.
On this morning James left the warmth of his home en route to a catastrophe that would change his life forever.
While Smith was tagging a new calf in a pen, like he had done many times before, the calf ’s mother viewed James as a threat and charged at him. James retreated to the safety of a panel; he didn’t realize it was the panel by the swinging gate. While James was scrambling up the panel the enraged cow hit the gate with such force that when the gate slammed into James’ ankle, the breaking of bone could be heard throughout the barn. The cow then charged again, this time breaking James’ forearm.
After the cow went back to her young calf, James was finally able to escape to safety. As he limped back to the house, his hand dangled in the wind as blood gushed from a gaping hole in his ear.
James now realizes he should have done things differently. “I should have thought ahead as to what could happen in the pen with the crazy cow and her new calf,” James said. By reflecting on his experience with the cow and her calf, James now thinks daily about the potential hazards that exist on a farm.
Thinking ahead or hazard assessment is an important aspect to everyday life. However, when farming or working with livestock, the skills required to assess situations becomes even more important. A hazard can be defined as something that could cause you or others harm.
A hazard assessment can be completed in a few simple steps and will result in the prevention of many incidents and injuries. Using the “SafeThink Six” (from the HDC Inc. SafeThink© program) questions allow you to quickly assess hazards for any job that you are doing on the farm. By asking these questions, you can change the way you do a task to make it safer:
- Does the work involve hazardous material, such as propane, gasoline, medicine, or battery acid?
- Does the work involve objects, motion or force, like machinery, equipment, livestock, or sharps that could cause harm?
- Does the work involve nonambient conditions, such as hot or cold weather, welding flashes, noise or lack of oxygen that could cause intense discomfort or death?
- Is current or static electricity a factor in doing the work? Electricity can be in many forms such as power lines, outlets, frayed power cords, and static build up in vehicles.
- Is radiation present when doing work? Radiation can come from x-rays, microwaves and the sun.
- Could changes in conditions create a hazardous situation? Such changes include sudden weather shifts, tire blow outs and machinery malfunction.
James now uses the memory of this incident to his advantage by ensuring any task he does is carried out safely. Thinking of the SafeThink Six approach, when asked what he would change to avoid the incident, James said, “I would not have stood in that spot. I would have surveyed the situation and asked myself if it would be safe to enter the pen. I also would have not been by myself; I would have asked my dad to help me.”
Protecting yourself, and others, while on the farm might seem like an overwhelming task – there are so many variables. But by following through on these four suggestions, safety becomes a more manageable part of your daily routine:
- Make a commitment to safety. Make safety personal – stay alert and take action to reduce illness or injury.
- Ask questions by using the SafeThink Six.
- Get proper training for the task. By gathering proper skills and knowledge you can better assess hazardous situations.
- Stay safe for the good times. Assess risk and use your knowledge to manage that risk.
After the incident James vowed to make safety a priority for himself and his family on their farm. James now uses the SafeThink Six in his every day life to stay safe for the good times.
For more information about hazard management please visit www.agriculture.alberta.ca/farmsafety. |
|