The Basic Safety Equipment on a Farm

It's unfortunately the case that there continues to be an unacceptably high level of accidents, injuries and fatalities on farms.

In fact, right around the world, statistically agriculture is one of the top 3 (in some countries it's number 1) industries for such.

True, it's a tough game and not for the faint hearted but even so, a few basic items of safety equipment should always be available and ALWAYS USED where required around the typical farm.



Steel toe-capped boots (or other form of heavy-duty protected footwear). It doesn't matter if it's hot or you have some trendy trainers on - use the right safety shoes or boots.




A hard hat. Your head is one of the more vulnerable parts of your body, so don't take chances with it.




Eye or full-face protection. Even with today's advanced medicine, it's easy to damage your eye or eyes beyond repair. There's no need to even risk it because modern goggles of face masks are very tough and they don't 'fog up'.




Armoured or heavy-duty gloves. Most farmers are hardy and we've all got used to a few scratches and minor cuts over the years but shredding your fingers isn't in the same league. The makers of modern agricultural machinery go to great lengths to make their machines as safe as they can but even so, an accident is always possible. Heavy protective gloves might help you keep rather than lose those fingers.




Another important point - use heavy duty full-length trousers. It's very tempting in hot weather to put on shorts but they offer your legs no protection at all. A tumble that a pair of jeans would largely absorb can leave bare legs missing strips of skin.




Dust masks. Different sorts of dust hazards require different sorts of respiratory protectors. Remember, that basic 'DIY sanding' mask from the general store may be virtually useless in intensely dusty environments such as can be found in some areas of cereal work. Take advice about just how sophisticated a mask you require and once again, use it. It's useless if you decide that wearing it makes you look daft and therefore it's best left in the cab.




Sunglasses. This should be a no-brainer but just in case, keep in mind that your eyes can become damaged to over-exposure to bright sunlight for hour after hour. At the very least it might result in headaches, stress and migraines. Spend a bit extra on a good pair with published UV protection levels too.




A hat with neck protector. Self-explanatory for when it's hot and yes, you can get neck protectors integrated into hard hats.




Sun cream. The risks of over-exposure to the sun in terms of burning and longer-terms risks of skin cancer have been known about for years. So, get a cream that offers good UV broad-spectrum protection and use it regularly.


Now of course, you don't want to over-react and stroll around the farm looking like a medieval knight in full armour - just in case you get hurt. Life is about risk and you can't eliminate all of it.

Even so, many people who have been injured in accidents on the farm (or by poor working practices) have regretted afterwards that they didn't take some of the above steps. Make sure you're not one of them! White Tractors always help you to enhance your knowledge about farm safety. Read some more farm safety guidelines to avoid any health hazards.


By Eby M


Article Source: The Basic Safety Equipment on a Farm