I am sure you have all heard the saying “You can’t fix stupid.” I bring this comment up because of farm safety. This past week has been recognized as the National Farm Safety and Health Week. The week of recognition is great, but we should all practice farm safety and health on the farm every day, not just a given week.

How many times have you gotten hurt because of some stupid stunt you pulled? How many times did you almost get hurt — that “it could have been worse” moment? How many times were you in a hurry and you broke something, hurt yourself, or did not do a job correctly?

All of these moments could have been probably been prevented, but because we did not take time to think, was in a hurry, or just plain had that “Can’t fix stupid” moment.

I have had lots of these moments in life. I am sure you have, too. Some could have been prevented with proper training, planning and thinking.

I know what it is like to see someone pinned under a tractor tire. I know what it is like to be attacked by a farm animal. Fortunately for me, everyone survived but I was a little scared for life because of it.

Don’t take farm safety lightly! With the harvest season upon us, there are a couple of things I want to address.

The first is farm child safety.

According to the National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety, every three days a child dies and every day 33 children are injured due to agricultural-related incidents in the United States.

Growing up on a farm can be a wonderful experience. From a young age, children gain a strong appreciation for agriculture, learn the value of hard work and develop into the next generations of farmers. However, in order to ensure our children are around to be our future agriculture leaders, we need to keep them safe and healthy.

Talk to your children about the hazards and risks around them. Teach them about proper safety around those risks. Provide adequate training before allowing them to handle a specific task or operate equipment.

Keep in mind they are young. Think about the tasks they can handle. Do they know what to do if something goes wrong even if it is a minor situation? There are guidelines designed to assist parents and supervisors in assigning appropriate tasks for youth who live or work on farms and ranches. More can be found at cultivatesafety.org/work

The second is about confined spaces such as grain bins. Harvest is upon us and that means several of us will be in and around grain bins especially in the coming weeks.

One of the most common mistakes I hear about with grain bin deaths is that no one else was around when something went wrong.

The potential dangers of confined spaces include displaced oxygen, toxic or explosive atmospheres, engulfment, entrapment, and entanglements.

In confined space deaths, many of the victims are the rescuers who were the people who rushed in to attempt to save the first victim that was overcome or engulfed. The rescuers then become second, third, or fourth victims in some cases.

Do not become another victim. NEVER enter a confined space area to attempt a rescue without proper respiratory protection, positive pressure, and self-contained breathing apparatus. (Note: Training is required to operate and maintain this equipment.)

If someone collapses in a confined space, call 911 immediately and ventilate the area. The local fire department or rescue squad has the equipment and training to conduct a confined space rescue.

To prevent these types of tragedies from occurring, always follow these guidelines:

• Train all workers and family members in the hazards of confined spaces so that everyone is aware of how dangerous these areas can be.

• Always assume toxic or oxygen deficient atmospheres are present. Keep in mind that dust and lack of ventilation are areas of concern with grain bins.

• Before entry, ventilate the area with explosion-proof, continuously powered equipment.

• Use an oxygen meter to test the atmosphere before entering, and continuously test while workers are in the confined space.

• Anyone who enters the confined space such as a grain bin needs to wear a safety harness with a lifeline that is attached to the lifting device.

• Standby attendants need to be in visual contact with the worker and if necessary, be prepared to lift the person to safety with a mechanical lifting device — winch, hoist, or pulley.

• Eliminate the need for entry by providing access to all serviceable parts (shear pins, cleanouts, etc.) from the outside.

Farm safety is so important to practice and implement at all times. Realize that sometimes accidents will happen. Know how to respond when needed. Discuss farm safety with family members and employees. Have a game plan from start to finish with all farm activities and try not to have that “Can’t Fix Stupid” moment.

Be careful, and let’s have a great harvest season that’s accident free!

Tony Nye is the state coordinator for the Ohio State University Extension Small Farm Program and has been an OSU Extension educator for agriculture and natural resources for 29 years, currently serving Clinton County and the Miami Valley EERA.