By Shala Watson
Multimedia Writer

Spring is one of the busiest times in agriculture as farmers move equipment to the fields for planting and ranchers move livestock to different pastures.

Injuries or fatalities can be one accident away.

With agriculture ranked as one of the most dangerous occupations in the U.S., safety on farms and ranches is important. And even more so on Texas roadways.

“Farmers and ranchers have to get from one field to another. Doing so can require traveling on busy roadways or county roads with limited visibility,” said Mike Pacheco, Texas Farm Bureau associate legislative director. “You can never be too careful. A growing number of people are not expecting to see farm equipment on the road. Paying attention and driving defensively is the best offense.”

Data from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) show accidents involving farm equipment on rural roads has slightly increased from 197 accidents in 2011 to 233 in 2015.

Sideswipes and angle crashes are typical farm equipment crashes. But accidents aren’t limited to the roadways.

About 1.85 million full-time workers were employed in production agriculture in the U.S. in 2012, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In 2012, 374 farmers and farm workers died from a work-related injury, resulting in a fatality rate of 20.2 deaths per 100,000 workers.

Grain bins, wagons, manure pits, tractor seats and livestock flight zones are all “spaces” on farms and ranches that require caution to avoid injury.

“It’s easy to take these spaces for granted when you work around them every day on the farm and ranch, but it only takes a split-second for disaster to occur,” Kalena Bruce, chair of the American Farm Bureau Federation’s (AFBF) Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee, said.

AFBF, through a coordinated effort with NIOSH Ag Centers, will hold the Ag Safety Awareness Program (ASAP) Week through March 11 to encourage respect for spaces around farm equipment and tasks.

The theme of the week is “Get Out of My Space.” Each day of the week will highlight a different safety focus.

Monday, March 6–Confined Space
Tuesday, March 7–Animal Space
Wednesday, March 8–Equipment Operator Space
Thursday, March 9–Electrical Space
Friday, March 10–Driver Space

More information on the program can be found at https://www.facebook.com/AgSafety/.

Join the movement and share your own safety messages on social media using these hashtags: #KeepFarmsSafe , #ASAP17 and #USAgCenters.

Visit the centers’ YouTube channel for new content and fresh ideas about how to stay safe while working in agriculture, forestry and fishing.