Between school buses and farm equipment, motorists in rural Wisconsin are seeing more activity on local roads and highways these days. As a result, a coalition of farm and traffic safety groups are asking drivers to be more cautious.
The week of September 18 is National Farm Safety Week to make farmers and motorists more cautious during the harvest season.
"Agriculture is vital to peace and economic stability--yet agriculture is also dangerous," said said John Shutske, professor and director of UW Center for Agricultural Safety and Health and Extension specialist. "Data from the National Safety Council indicate that we have about 500 deaths of adult agricultural workers each year. In addition, one child dies because of exposure to hazards in the farm workplace every three days."
Shutske adds that the number of non-fatal injuries that require medical care and treatment exceeds 100,000 annually in the U.S. The most recent official reports for Wisconsin agricultural-related fatalities documented 41 deaths in 2017 and 34 in 2018.
In order to prevent accidents from happening on the farm, he adds that managers should provide education and training for all workers to follow, and create a safer workplace whenever possible.
Meanwhile, motorists are asked to be patient when encountering farm machinery on the road. They should only pass farm machinery when in a passing zone and when it is safe to pass. Farmers are asked to have proper SMV signs and lighting. They should also check blinds spots before crossing roadways and making turns on roads.
Categories: Wisconsin, Rural Lifestyle, Farm Safety