Worker Safety Considerations on the Ranch and While Hauling Cattle

The third week of September was National Farm Health and Safety week, and bringing awareness to the im2portance of human safety on any operation is critical because every day, approximately 100 agricultural workers suffer a lost work time injury.1 In 2019, 410 farmers and farm workers died from a work related injury, resulting in a fatality rate of 19.4 deaths per 100,000 farm workers.1 While many efforts for improving safety and health on farms and ranches are focused on the cattle. It is just as crucial to keep those working and handling the cattle safe and healthy.

When working with large animals and large pieces of equipment, there is always the opportunity for potential harm. Understanding the animals as well as the best handling practices and how to use equipment properly keep those who handle cattle safe. Below is a list of actions to consider doing or avoiding when handling or hauling cattle.

Do’s 1.Renew your BQA certification every three years to stay up to date with the most recent worker safety information.2 2. Consider human safety first when handling cattle.2 3. Wear personal protective equipment such as close toed boots, masks, goggles, and gloves when around poorly ventilated areas, using pesticides, for biosecurity purposes, and for general safety around large animals.2 4. Read the label on any animal health product you are administering and know how to properly dispose of needles and animal health product containers.2 5. Develop an Emergency Action Plan for your operation and have multiple copies in your office and where employees are frequently working.2 6. Effectively communicate needs and instructions between all individuals before and while handling cattle. Doing so reduces the risk of injury to both humans and cattle.2 7. Apply basic sanitation practices to equipment, vehicles, and clothing to decrease the chance of microbial contamination.2 8. Maintained all vehicles and trailers used to transport cattle to ensure the safety of personnel and cattle during loading, transporting, and unloading.3 9. Before transporting cattle, check the weather and route to ensure a safe and uneventful trip.3

Do Nots 1. Risk human safety for the safety of cattle.2 2. Leave exposed animal health products in open areas on your farm or ranch. Always store them in a designated area that meets product label storage requirements, like a refrigerator or climate controlled closet that minimizes light.2 3. Move cattle through facilities that are not conducive to human safety.2 4. Euthanize an animal with a firearm unless you are trained and understand how and where to properly utilize this tool to carry out euthanasia.2 5. Open an overturned cattle trailer. Be sure to always check the safety of humans first.2 6. Operate heavy equipment unless you are trained and experienced in using the equipment. 7. Haul cattle if you are fatigued.3 8. Stand in between a gate panel and swinging gate. Always give yourself adequate room to exit the space to avoid becoming trapped.3

In addition, consider the younger farm hands, children, and grandchildren that help raise cattle. Youth family members that help on a cattle operation should consider going through the Think F.A.S.T. program offered by the American Farm Bureau Federation. The free program is tailored to a 14 to 17-year-old audience and focuses on general safety, leadership, and critical thinking skills. There are ten modules, and each takes ten minutes to complete. This program is offered online, and there are downloadable, in-person training materials for educators.4

A healthy operation cannot continue to do business without healthy farmers and ranchers. Mental health is directly related to physical health. Remember to take care of your mind while you take care of your body. In need of immediate and effective support services for farm families experiencing crisis, please call 800-FARMAID.5 Or visit www.farmstateofmind.org for state specific resources.

For additional resources for handling cattle safely during hauling, encourage your local law enforcement to go through the Bovine Emergency Response Program (BERP).

“The Bovine Emergency Response Program is about training first responders on how to handle Livestock in an emergency,” said Steve Boyles, BERP trainer, and Ohio BQA state coordinator. To improve stockmanship on your farm, consider attending a Stockmanship and Stewardship Tour in your area. To learn more, visit stockmanshipandstewardship. org. The Beef Checkoff funded Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program has many tools to train employees and improve human and animal safety. To learn more about worker safety on cattle operations and during cattle hauling, visit bqa.org. References (Accessed August 15, 2022) 1Center for Disease Control. Agricultural Safety. www.cdc.gov/niosh/ topics/aginjury/. 2Beef Quality Assurance. Manual Resources, BQA National Manual. www. bqa.org/resources/manuals 3Beef Quality Assurance. Manual Resources, BQA Transportation National Manual. www.bqa.org/resources/manuals. 4American Farm Bureau Federation. Think F.A.S.T. www.fb.org/programs/ safety-health/thinkfast/. 5Farm Aid. Our Work. www.farmaid. org/our-work/