AGR3000: Agriculture Safety

Training Room 2: Keeping Safe and Healthy—Standards and Practices in an Agricultural Environment

Welcome!

You are about to enter Training Room 2. Here you will learn to recognize the standards and practices that help farm workers manage and control different hazards in the workplace.

standards: something established by authority or common agreement as good examples or as the rules for quality

practices: particular ways of accomplishing something or acting

In this training room you will find information about Project 2: Creating a Risk Management Tutorial. You will work on this project throughout the training room and submit it at the end of the training room. You will also work through a series of sessions, each of which will support your learning and provide you with resources to complete your project.

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AGR3000: Agriculture Safety

Training Room 2: Keeping Safe and Healthy—Standards and Practices in an Agricultural Environment

Farmyard Safety—What Can Be Done to Prevent Injuries?

There are standards and practices that you can use to keep yourself safe when working in hazardous environments.

Gordon Coulthart/Courtesy of Canadian Agricultural Safety Association

Your first step towards safety is to be aware of hazards on your farm. The next critical step is gaining knowledge of what to do to protect yourself and others from such hazards. Understanding the standards and practices to keep you safe is a way of protecting yourself. Teaching others about these standards and practices ensures that your workplace is safe for everyone.

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AGR3000: Agriculture Safety

Training Room 2: Keeping Safe and Healthy—Standards and Practices in an Agricultural Environment

Session 1: Fire Safety—Standards and Practices

Fires on farms cost money and lives. According to the National Agricultural Safety Database, the leading cause of agriculture fires is open flame caused by candles, matches, bonfires, sparks, static electricity, friction, welding, and equipment. Other causes of fires may include natural sources such as spontaneous combustion and lightning. Farms are at higher risk of economic losses because of decreased access to fire-fighting equipment and perhaps inadequate water supply for fighting a fire.

iStockphoto/Thinkstock

Learning Target

In this session you will examine standards and practices associated with fire safety and demonstrate your understanding by answering the following questions:

• What is a potential scenario for a fire hazard on your agricultural worksite?
  
  
• How would you plan to address fire safety on your worksite?

Use the following resources to support your learning. Click on each horizontal tab to find out information about each topic.

Elements of Fire

Understanding Fire

Courtesy of the Forest Service, USDA

Visit Smokey Bear's website to learn about the basic elements of a fire in a fire triangle/tetrahedron. The elements of a fire are the three conditions that must be present to create fire. The fire triangle you see on the right is a model used to show these required fire elements.

 

 

Photos.com/Jupiterimages
/Thinkstock

 

Go to On Fire, an interactive website by Nova Online (PBS), to learn more about the basics of combustion.

 

Fire Classifications and Appropriate Extinguishers

Fire Classifications

The combustible fuel of fires and the substance that is needed to put out the flames both determine the classification of the fire. This classification is also used to categorize the fire extinguishers that are used to effectively and safely put out the flames.

	Class A – combustibles such as wood, paper textiles, where a quenching, cooling effect is required
	Class B – flammable liquids, gasoline, oils, fats, paint, where oxygen exclusion or flame interruption is essential.
	Class C – live electrical wiring, motors, appliances, where non-conductivity of the extinguishing agent is crucial.
	Class D – combustible materials, magnesium, sodium, and potassium.

Classification of Fire Extinguishers

Fire Extinguishers

Specific fire extinguishers should be available for specific locations. Using the wrong kind of extinguisher dangerous. For example, using a water-based extinguisher on an grease or electrical fire can cause the fire to spread or lead to electrocution of the user!

An ABC type extinguisher can be used safely on A, B, or C fires.

1. Read more about about the different kinds of fire extinguishers on the document FIRE FACTS: Fire Extinguishers from Alberta Municipal Affairs.

2. Look at a chart that describes the different fire extinguishers and their uses on the KNOW YOUR FIRE EXTINGUISHERS: Safety Information Site from the University of Alberta.

3. Watch
   to help you recognize the different classifications of fire extinguishers.

Be sure to find out the location of fire extinguishers on your agricultural worksite and learn how to use them safely.

Awareness and Control of Fire Hazards on the Farm

Common Fire Hazards on a Farm

The following are some fire safety hazards on a farm:

• flammable/combustable materials
• machinery/fuel
• ignition sources
• electrical systems and devices
• hot work (welding etc.)
• construction of buildings

In Agricultural Fire Safety you can read about the details of how to control some specific agricultural hazards.

Recommended Extinguishers for Specific Places/Hazards on the Farm

Extinguishers for Specific Places

Specific kinds of fire extinguishers are needed in specific locations on your farm. This is determined by possible combustible materials in the area and what class of fire that the location is at risk to have.

Each area of the farm could have unique fire hazards depending on the materials and equipment present.

Workshop	10 pound dry chemical, multi-purpose ABC extinguisher 5 pound dry chemical ABC extinguisher
Barns	10 pound dry chemical, multi-purpose ABC extinguisher 2.5 gallon pressurized water extinguisher
Farm Vehicles	5 pound dry chemical, multi-purpose ABC extinguisher
Combines	10 pound dry chemical, multi-purpose ABC extinguisher 2.5 gallon pressurized water extinguisher
Balers	2.5 gallon pressurized water extinguisher
Tractors	10 pound dry chemical, multi-purpose ABC extinguisher
Silos	20 pound dry chemical, multi-purpose ABC extinguisher 2.5 gallon pressurized water extinguisher

Alberta Farm Safety. Used with permission.

Use of a Fire Extinguisher

Courtesy of Wendy Molenaar, WMM Photography and The Canadian Agricultural Safety Association

Using a Fire Extinguisher is a brief video outlining how to use a portable fire extinguisher. You might also want to enter the search term "How to Use a Fire Extinguisher" in your internet search engine.

How to Use a Portable Fire Extinguisher Training Video is an animation that teaches you about P.A.S.S.

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Training Room 2: Keeping Safe and Healthy—Standards and Practices in an Agricultural Environment

Session 2: Electrical Safety—Standards and Practices

© Perrush/11343376/Fotolia

Electrical hazards on the farm can lead to electrocution of workers, electrical shock to livestock, and risk of fire in farm structures and farm machinery.

Common types of electrical injuries on the farm include

• shock or electrocution due to faulty wiring, damaged tools, or damaged extension cords
  
  
• shock or electrocution in damp or wet locations such as out-buildings and dairy barns
  
  
• accidental energizing of circuits or equipment while someone is performing repairs or maintenance
  
  
• equipment contact with yard wiring or high voltage (15kV or 15 000 volt) utility lines (a major concern with tall equipment such as grain augers, combines, and large tillage equipment in transport position)

Learning Target

In this session you will demonstrate your understanding of standards and practices related to electrical safety and develop safe working practices for your specific agricultural worksite. Keep the following questions in mind as you work through the material:

• How can you identify electrical hazards where you live and work?
• What is the best strategy to ensure safe working conditions when working with electricity on your agricultural worksite?

Understanding Electrical Hazards

Establishing Safe Working Conditions for Electricity

When electricity is being used in a working environment, it is important to be aware of the hazards and plan for safety. This can mean devising rules and setting procedures for electrical safety and sharing them with everyone in the workplace.

Safety plans should address the following issues:

• power cords
• use of circuit breakers
• grounding of equipment
• lockout/tagout procedures
• power lines (above and below ground)
• environmental hazards (corrosive/damp environments, dusty environments)
• physical damage to electrical system caused by livestock or equipment

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Training Room 2: Keeping Safe and Healthy—Standards and Practices in an Agricultural Environment

Session 3: Ladder Safety—Standards and Practices

Courtesy of Gordon Coulthart and The Canadian Agricultural Safety Association

Improper use of ladders can lead to falls and serious injuries.The appropriate ladder must be used for specific jobs and safety precautions must be taken. Proper procedures for ladder maintenance, setup, and use also need to be followed to ensure worker safety.

Learning Target

In this session you will learn the standards and practices that will you keep you safe when using ladders on your agricultural worksite. Keep the following questions in mind as you work through the material:

• What is the best ladder you can choose to safely work in your agricultural environment?
  
  
• How can you try to ensure the safety of workers using ladders on your worksite?

Choosing the Right Ladder for the Job

Ladders enable agricultural workers to access structures, farm equipment, and materials needed for work, and allow them to perform jobs such as painting, loading, or harvesting.

Courtesy of the MB Labour & Immigration – Workplace Safety & Health Division and The Canadian Agricultural Safety Association

Courtesy of the University of Minnesota Extension and the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association

Permanently mounted ladders: In an agricultural environment, ladders can be fixed in place. They can be permanently mounted to large farm equipment, such as balers and grain carts, or built onto the sides of farm structures, such as silos and hay lofts.

Portable ladders: Portable ladders allow workers to perform jobs in various areas of the farm, such as work in and around buildings, in orchards when maintaining trees and harvesting fruit, and accessing trenches.

It is important to choose the correct ladder for the job and worker involved. Each ladder type is designed with a specific purpose in mind. The ladder type you choose to use depends on

• the height that needs to be reached (length of ladder)
  
  
• the work environment: what the ladder will be exposed to, e.g., a wood ladder is best when working near sources of electricity)
  
  
• the (even or uneven) surface that the ladder must stand on
  
  
• duty rating: the weight that the ladder must hold, including worker, clothing, and equipment)
  
  
• type of work

Inspecting and Setting Up the Ladder for Work

Checklist for Inspecting Ladder Before Use

• Check rails for cracks, checks, bends, or defects.
  
  
• Check for broken or missing rungs.
  
  
• Check the braces.
  
  
• If you are using a step ladder, make sure it is fully open and the spreaders are locked.
  
  
• Are the feet worn or broken?
  
  
• Is the base of the ladder placed on a solid surface?
  
  
• Look for anchor points at the top and bottom of the ladder.
  
  
• Look at where the top of the ladder is resting. What is above where you are working? Are there any hazards (e.g., overhead electrical wires)?
  
  
• Check for other work being performed near you.
  
  
• If the ladder has been repaired, make sure it has been restored to its original design specifications.
  
  
• Before moving a ladder, check for material or tools left on it.

From Ladder Safety (SafeManitoba)

Procedures for Setup and Placement of Ladder When Working

© SafeWork Manitoba

• Ladders should be placed so that each side rail is on level and firm footing so the ladder is rigid, stable, and secure.
  
  
• Boxes, loose bricks, or other loose packing should not support the side rails.
  
  
• No ladder should be placed in front of a door opening towards the ladder.
  
  
• The correct angle for a freestanding ladder is 4 to 1. For every 4 lengths up, the ladder should stand 1 length away from the house.
  
  
• Ladders should extend at least 3 feet or 1 metre above the top of the wall to be climbed.
  
  
• Ladders should be securely fixed at the top and base so they can't move from either point of rest. If this is not possible, a second person should stand at the base of the ladder and secure it manually.
  

Safely Using a Ladder

• Carry tools and supplies in belts or pouches around the waist, never in your hands.
  
  
• Don't use the top step of the ladder for standing or stepping.
  
  
• If you have a fear of heights, STOP. Don't climb a ladder; let someone else do it.
  
  
• Read and follow the manufacturer's warning stickers attached to the ladder. It is amazing how few people read this information.
  
  
• Only one person at a time may work from a single ladder.
  
  
• Always face the ladder when ascending or descending.
  
  
• Don't use a ladder if it is missing rungs or if it has a weakened, broken, or otherwise defective rung or tread.
  
  
• No metal ladder or ladder reinforced with wire should be used in the vicinity of any electrical conductor or any electrical equipment.
  
  
• Always maintain three points of contact with the ladder (two feet and one hand or two hands and one foot should be in contact with the ladder at all times).
  
  
• A ladder should not be used for any use other than its correct use as a ladder.

From Tips on Ladder Safety (Alberta Construction Safety)

Watch and Listen

Brand X Pictures/Thinkstock

Explore a website and view a video to see how the above standards and procedures are used in ladder safety on the job.

Explore this website from the American Ladder Institute to determine the different kinds of ladders that could be available on your farm. (Try www.laddersafety.org if the link doesn't work.)

Click on the tab called Choose the Right Ladder to see images describing different types of ladders.

Watch Ladder Safety by WorkSafeBC to view an entertaining and informative video about choosing the correct ladder for the job and ladder safety.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Training Room 2: Keeping Safe and Healthy—Standards and Practices in an Agricultural Environment

Session 4: Confined Space Safety—Standards and Practices

Courtesy of the University of Minnesota Extension and The Canadian Agricultural Safety Association

A confined space is defined as an area with limited or restricted entry/exit points or a space that is not designed to be occupied by workers for long periods of time. These spaces often have loose materials, dust, or mechanical hazards, and may have reduced levels of oxygen or hold toxic or explosive gases.

In agricultural environments, confined spaces could include such structures as silos, grain bins, manure pits, trenches, well shafts, water cisterns, and controlled atmosphere storage structures. (Canadian Federation of Agriculture)

The hazards of a confined space can cause severe injury or death. WorkSafeBC recommends that you must follow special precautions and procedures before you enter. Even if you just put your head through the opening, you are entering a confined space. NEVER enter a confined space unless you have the training and knowledge to work safely.

Learning Target

In this training session you will learn to identify the hazards of a confined space and develop an understanding of the safety tests and procedures that should be taken to keep workers safe when working in confined spaces. Keep the following question in mind as you work through the session:

• How can tests, equipment, procedures, and training be included as part of a safety plan for agricultural work involving confined spaces?

Hazards of Confined Spaces in Agricultural Settings

Scott Fraser/Courtesy of Canadian Agricultural Safety Association

Data collected and shown in this graph from the Farm and Ranch Safety Association show what kinds of confined spaces have contributed to deaths in agricultural settings in British Columbia between 1990 and 2009.

Workers in these confined spaces can be exposed to

• toxic gases, such as nitric dioxide (silo gas), from fermentation in silos
  
  
• high carbon dioxide (CO₂) and low oxygen (O₂) in controlled atmosphere storage structures
  
  
• toxic gases, such as hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), ammonia (NH₃), carbon dioxide (CO₂), and methane (CH₄), in manure pits
  
  
• flowing grain in grain bins, grain wagons, and grain trucks that can engulf an adult in 20 seconds

Testing for Potential Hazards in a Confined Space

What follows are the basic guidelines for planning to enter a confined space, according to the Farm Safety Association.

• Someone trained and qualified should test the atmosphere for oxygen and for levels of toxic and explosive gases.
  
  
• If a dangerous atmosphere exists, you must wear a self-contained breathing apparatus. Ventilate the area as thoroughly as possible.
  
  
• All mechanical and electrical equipment must be locked out.
  
  
• Use the buddy system and wear a lifeline. Sufficient equipment and manpower must be available. A third person should be on hand to summon assistance, if needed.
  
  
• Establish how you will be communicating before entering the confined space. The meaning of verbal signals, hand gestures, or tugging line signals must be understood by the people on the outside.
  
  
• Never re-enter a confined space without retesting and ventilating the area.
  
  
• If at all possible, don't work in a confined space. Change the work so that you can do it from outside the space.

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AGR3000: Agriculture Safety

Training Room 2: Keeping Safe and Healthy—Standards and Practices in an Agricultural Environment

Session 5: Workplace Chemical Health and Safety—WHMIS Introduction (Part A)

WHMIS—Getting to Know Hazardous Materials

Courtesy of Gordon Coulthart and The Canadian Agricultural Safety Association

Understanding agricultural chemicals, storing them, and using them carefully helps to prevent incidents that could cause harm to workers. To help workers understand the materials they are using, there is a national communication system that is regulated by law called WHMIS, which stands for Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System.

This system ensures that manufacturers and distributers of chemicals, worksite employers, and workers all have common information about potentially harmful chemicals and biological hazards that could be found in the workplace. This information can then be used to inform a worker's decisions about work procedures and keep him or her safe.

Learning Target

In this session you will learn how the WHMIS system is used on a farm to ensure that chemicals are handled safety and that appropriate caution is taken around biological hazards. You will be able to answer this question:

• How do the WHMIS standards and practices help to keep workers safe when working with hazardous materials in the workplace?

Why WHIMS?

Hazardous materials in the workplace can cause acute injuries, such as burns and eye irritations, or long-term health issues and illness, such as organ damage or cancer. Accidents involving fire and explosion can result from unsafe handling or storage of hazardous materials.

© Alberta Employment and Immigration. Used with permission.

Understanding WHMIS allows you to protect yourself and your co-workers from harm when you know

• the hazards associated with controlled products
• the safety precautions needed to protect yourself when handling the products
• what to do if an emergency occurs
• where to get more information

WHMIS Classification and Symbols

© Copyright material used courtesy of the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety

WHMIS classifies hazardous materials into six classes.

Each class has warning symbol used on labels and data sheets to help people easily identify the potential risks involved with the material.

To Do

Scroll through the following interactive charts to familiarize yourself with the WHMIS classes and symbols and descriptions of hazardous materials.

Time to Practise

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Training Room 2: Keeping Safe and Healthy—Standards and Practices in an Agricultural Environment

Session 6: Workplace Chemical Health and Safety—WHMIS Introduction (Part B)

WHMIS—Handling Hazardous Materials

Learning Target

Dynamic Graphics/
liquidlibrary/Thinkstock

In this session you will learn how the WHMIS system is used on a farm to ensure that chemicals are handled safety and that appropriate caution is taken around biological hazards. You will be able to answer the following questions:

• How can risks be managed on the farm when transporting, storing, handling, and disposing of hazardous materials?
  
  
• What can be done to best protect the worker in case of accidental spills and exposure?

WHMIS Labels and Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)

Alberta Employment and Immigration, WHMIS- Information for Employers (Edmonton: Government of Alberta, 2009).15. Reproduced by permission.

WHMIS Labels

WHMIS labels must be on all containers holding controled hazardous materials. These labels can be made by the supplier or at the workplace. The label contains the following details:

• the main hazards of controlled products
  
  
• how to handle the material safely
  
  
• referral to the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for further information if required

Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)

The MSDS must be supplied by the manufacturer, but a standard form can be completed by the purchaser of the hazardous material. These data sheets should be kept in a place that all workers can access. Find out where they are on your worksite.

This data sheet supplies the following information about the hazardous material:

• supplier details
• hazardous ingredients
• identification of the hazards
• handling, storage, and disposal instructions
• personal protection procedures
• first-aid measures
• accident procedure in case of fire or spillage

Alberta Employment and Immigration, WHMIS- Information for Employers (Edmonton: Government of Alberta, 2009).24. Reproduced by permission.

See a full-sized sample MSDS sheet: Material Safety Data Sheet Sample.

Time to Practise

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AGR3000: Agriculture Safety

Training Room 2: Keeping Safe and Healthy—Standards and Practices in an Agricultural Environment

Congratulations! You have completed the sessions for Training Room 2. Check to ensure that you have completed and submitted all of your Project 2 materials.

AGR3000: Agriculture Safety

Training Room 2: Keeping Safe and Healthy—Standards and Practices in an Agricultural Environment

Project 2: Teaching Others About Safety Standards and Practices in Your Agricultural Specialization—Creating a Risk Management Tutorial

Project Skill Level: Basic

Estimated Required Time: 45 hours (to be completed as work is completed in Training Room 2)

Project Introduction

This project will be completed as you work your way through the training room. Training Room 2 will help you to learn about standards and practices that are associated with fire safety, electrical safety, ladder safety, confined-space safety, and workplace chemical safety in agricultural environments.

For this project you will be required to develop a tool that you could use to teach others about the standards and practices that can protect their safety as they work in a specific agricutural environment of your choosing.

Project 2: Creating a Risk Management Tutorial

Your Task

Your project will require you to create a tool that will teach others about the standards and practices that would protect them in the agricultural workplace. This tool can be a video, a presentation using a program such as Microsoft PowerPoint, an audio clip, an instructional game, or another format agreed upon by you and your teacher.

You can focus your tool so that it is specific to your agricultural worksite or a worksite that you would choose to work on. You need to teach about the standards and practices related to two types of hazards studied in Training Room 2.

With your Risk Management Tutorial your target will be to

• promote awareness of the two specific hazards you have chosen to focus on
  
  
• create a plan to safely use specific standards and practices to establish safe working conditions and prevent injury when working with these two potential hazards in your agricultural area of specialization

To Do

1. Choose your focus. Begin by choosing to focus your tutorial on the standards and practices for safety in two of the following potential hazards:
   
   
   • fire
   • electricity
   • ladder use
   • confined spaces
   • workplace chemical use and storage
     
     
2. Determine some of the criteria for assessment. List and describe the top two things about your design that will make your Risk Management Tutorial effective in clearly communicating health and safety practices and procedures to your co-workers. These two criteria will be handed in attached to your Self Assessment for Project 2 and used with the AGR3000 Project Rubric to assess your plan.
   
   
3. Find your information. Do some research to find the important standards for establishing safe working conditions and essential practices to prevent injury in your chosen areas using
   
   
   • videos, interactive activities, and text resources provided throughout the training room
     
     
   • onlline resources that you find and assess as valid and reliable on safety awareness materials currently available to you on your worksite
     
     
   • discussions with supervisors and fellow employees on your worksite
     
     
   • personal observations made when touring your worksite
     
     
4. Create and design. Create a Risk Management Tutorial that is a communication tool that
   
   
   • identifies the details how each hazard you have chosen could be present in your worksite
     
     
   • identifies the plans, strategies, tests, or practices that would be need to be in place and followed to ensure a safe working environment for workers in your workplace
     
     
5. Submit your work. You will submit a final copy of your Risk Management Tutorial in the form that most suits you:
   
   
   • video clip produced by you (.mp4)
     
     
   • PowerPoint presentation or other digital presentation of your choice
     
     
   • audio recording (such as a radio infomercial)
     
     
   • Microsoft Word document or OneNote document with text and images
     
     
   • other format agreed upon by you and your teacher

Remember to contact your teacher with questions, concerns, or requests for feedback as you work on this project.

Tools

• Use the Risk Management Tutorial Planning Template to support your work.
  
  
• The Self-Assessment for Project 2 must be completed midway through your work and upon completion of your work. This piece must be submitted to your teacher with your final project.
  
  
• The AGR3000 Project Rubric will guide your work and help you assess your project.

Final Submission

Submit your project—the Risk Management Tutorial and your Self-Assessment for Project 2—to your teacher.

 

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