This week we are marking Farm Safety Week, a time to focus on the importance of keeping safe on the farm while doing one of the most important yet dangerous jobs in Illinois.
Statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor report that as many as 500 farmers a year are killed in accidents on the farm. Some of the most common hazards are tractor rollovers and grain bin cave-ins, but they are far from the only ones. This time of year it is not uncommon to see slow-moving farm equipment on the roadways. Please be on the lookout for this machinery and please give the operators some space and some patience in order to keep everyone safe.
Farm safety takes on many different aspects, and this year’s commemoration of Farm Safety Week attempts to address them with a different topic each day. Monday was focused on equipment and rural roadway safety, Tuesday looked at health and wellness, Wednesday dealt with generations of farming, while Thursday addressed confined spaces and Friday’s topic is reporting ag injuries.
Find out more about farm safety from the Illinois Department of Agriculture here.