Give the Gift of SAFETY this Holiday Season
As we reflect during this season of thanksgiving, I am sure we can all agree the greatest, most precious gift of all is that of life. Just like a shiny new toy or treasured object, life requires proper care and attention. An important part of honoring this gift is prioritizing our safety and health. They’re essential to keeping us going, like maintaining a fully charged battery. Sadly, this does not always get the full attention it deserves. This holiday season, let’s make safety and health a priority, ensuring we protect the gift of life every day.
Reflecting on Preventative Youth Farm Safety and Health Efforts in Rural Communities
Each year, PAF educates and equips hundreds of volunteers from across North America to serve in the role of PAF Safety Day Coordinators. These local safety and health champions hail from various professions and organizations, including 4-H/Extension professionals and volunteers; FFA/Ag education; Farm Bureaus; Soil Water Conservation Districts; public health and emergency services; and beyond to bring the program to their local communities. PAF Safety Day Coordinators engage with and help deliver the programs to thousands of youth participants and adult volunteers annually.
As Darkness Falls, Are You Visible To Others?
With winter just around the corner, are you prepared for the upcoming time change? As we prepare to "fall back" with the end of Daylight-Saving Time on November 3rd, many of us have already noticed the earlier arrival of evening darkness. While this shift can affect our mood and increase drowsiness, it also significantly impacts visibility—both our ability to see and to be seen. October is National Pedestrian Safety Month, a timely reminder to stay alert and prioritize safety as the days grow shorter.
Stay Alert, Stay Alive: Safety Facts for Train Tracks
Did you know that every three (3) hours, a vehicle or person is hit by a train in the United States? Annually, more than 2,300 people are injured or killed in railroad crossing or trespass incidents throughout North America. To bring awareness to these sobering statistics and promote safety around railroad tracks each September, See Tracks? Think Train® Week (formerly known as Rail Safety Week) sheds light on this critical topic. The week-long observance, from September 23-29, 2024, concentrates on rail safety education by focusing on making safe choices when driving or walking near railroad tracks and trains. The goal will be to prevent the occurrence of railroad crossing and trespass incidents across North America by concentrating public attention on the need for rail safety education.
It’s Time to Review the Safety ABCs as Children Head Back to School
With August now upon us, many are beginning to feel summer coming to an end and the start of a new school year quickly approaching. With students heading back to school, this is the perfect time to review the safety ABCs: Always Be Careful. Therefore, here are a few tips to help make going back to school both safe and healthy for your children.
Maintaining a Safety Focus during Summer Fun
From vacations, fairs, and festivals to parades, picnics, and parties, no one wants to waste a single moment of summer. Many are soaking up every second of the long summer days and creating lasting memories with friends and families before the season slips away. Unfortunately, taking the focus off safety and health can lead to tragic incidents, which could make creating our fun-filled memories come to a screeching halt.
Taking a Deeper Dive into Water Safety
While June 21st marks the official start of summer, for many, it begins as soon as the school year ends. As kids kick off their summer break, filled with outdoor activities under the hot sun, it is still important to keep one subject at the forefront – safety! Whether kids are home unsupervised or helping on the farm, families should prioritize conversations about safety expectations in and around water.
Healthy Sensations: Protect Your Hearing and Vision
Humans have five senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch. Our bodies receive signals through sensory organs, which include our eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin. Each of these organs has special nerves that send signals to the brain. Unfortunately, the absence of quality care from medical professionals and day-to-day tasks, both on and off the farm, can damage our senses, especially regarding our hearing and vision. In many cases, when damage occurs, it can be permanent. However, proactive measures can prevent hearing loss or visual impairments.
Spring into Safety This Planting Season
The agriculture industry in the U.S. continues to remain the most dangerous, with farming ranking among the most hazardous occupations. Similar to the challenges faced during the fall harvest, farmers work tirelessly, often under pressure from time constraints and unpredictable weather, to accomplish various tasks. This intense workload during the spring planting season elevates the risk of preventable incidents. Despite farms typically being safe environments, the increased demands of this busy period may sometimes lead to a lapse in safety focus.
Please Watch Your Step: Steer Clear of Slips, Trips, and Falls
The agriculture industry in the U.S. continues to remain the most dangerous, with farming ranking among the most hazardous occupations. Similar to the challenges faced during the fall harvest, farmers work tirelessly, often under pressure from time constraints and unpredictable weather, to accomplish various tasks. This intense workload during the spring planting season elevates the risk of preventable incidents. Despite farms typically being safe environments, the increased demands of this busy period may sometimes lead to a lapse in safety focus.
When Seconds Count: Staying Safe In and Around Grain
Each year, millions of children visit farms across North America. These may include their family farm, a friend’s farm, a school field trip, or another educational experience. While these visits certainly foster a child’s understanding of the agriculture industry and farm practices and satisfy their curiosity for large equipment and livestock, keeping safety at the forefront is always vital. Since farms are busy, active workplaces, children should be taught from an early age that the farm is not a play area. Therefore, every moment on a working farm or ranch is a teaching moment – especially for children.
Striving for Better Health in the New Year
Another holiday season has come and gone. Unfortunately, many were given a gift that was not on their wish list. Whether hit with the common cold, influenza, gastroenteritis (stomach flu), COVID-19, or RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), many were forced to quickly change their holiday plans and opt to stay home rather than celebrate with family and friends. For others, it may not have been their physical health compromised, but their mental and emotional well-being. From unrealistic expectations, feelings of loneliness, or seasonal affective disorder, the holidays may not always be filled with joy, happiness, and celebrations. With a new year upon us, we are all given a fresh start and chance to put our health first through physical activity, proper nutrition, and taking care of our mental health.
Aiming for Safety During Hunting Season
It’s that time of year when many head into the woods in the hopes of harvesting food to fill their freezer following a successful hunt. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, there are more than 15 million hunting license holders in the United States, making it one of the most popular recreational activities.
Let’s All Pay Attention When it Comes to Fire Prevention
Did you know that cooking fires are the leading cause of both home fires and home burn injuries? Unattended cooking is the leading cause of cooking fires and deaths. The good news is that most cooking fires and burns are preventable. Therefore, this year’s Fire Prevention Week (FPW) theme, Cooking Safety Starts With YOU, could not be more relevant.
Are You Prepared? Learn How to be Ready for an Emergency or Disaster
In recent years, earthquakes and horrific wildfires spread along the West Coast of the United States, while tropical storms devastated popular vacation spots throughout the South. Severe flooding and tornados have wrecked numerous communities throughout the Nation, while blistering cold temperatures led to polar vortex winters in the North and Upper Midwest. Natural and man-made disasters can strike at any time; therefore, it is important to have a planned response. These events could occur while you are at home, at work, on vacation, or even on the road.
The Grass is Always Greener in Lawns with Safety in Mind
For many youths, mowing the lawn is often one of the first chores involving gas-powered equipment. However, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, every year in the United States more than 9,000 children seek treatment at an emergency department for lawn mower-related injuries. Hazards exist for both the operator and bystanders, including rollovers, runovers, entanglements, sharp objects, collisions and projectiles. Therefore, to lessen the occurrence of an incident, proper training and guidance is essential.
Safety Tips for Children Spending their Summer at Home or on the Farm
While June 21 marks the official start of the summer season; for many, summer kicks off several days sooner when the school year concludes. As students begin their summer break, the long, hot days and weeks ahead will be filled with outdoor activities. Even with school not in session, it is still important to keep one subject at the forefront – safety! While some youth may be home unsupervised, others may be spending their summer helping on the farm or ranch. No matter the case, families should begin important conversations about safety expectations.
Splash into Summer by Taking a Deeper Dive with Water Safety
As the end of the school year quicky approaches, children are eagerly looking forward to summer break. Numerous seasonal activities, from camping and cookouts to family vacations and water parks, will likely involve swimming. As the weather heats up, pools, lakes, rivers, and even oceans are often sought out as ideal places to cool off.
Are you unsure what’s below? Wait to dig until you know!
With the snow melting, a ground that is ready for spring planting is beginning to reveal itself. Many are gearing up to start those outdoor digging projects that they have been planning all winter. However, before you reach for the shovel, it’s important to remember a vital task – call 811. Dialing 811 and making a simple, free phone call to the national call-before-you-dig number can ensure that any buried utility lines are clearly marked.
Prepare, Prevent and Protect Children from Unintentional Poisoning
Every day more than 300 children are treated in emergency departments in the United States, and two children die from poisoning, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Additionally, data indicates the United States Poison Control Centers are alerted of a poison exposure nearly every 15 seconds.