Safety assessments provide extra eyes for farmers

ARTICLE AND PHOTOS BY KATHY DIXON

Rickety ladders. Missing PTO shields. Trip and fall hazards.

These are just a few of the circumstances that three field underwriters sometimes find when making farm safety visits to Virginia Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Co. policyholders with farm workers’ compensation coverage.

“It’s easy to become complacent when you see things every day,” noted Glynn Goodrich, a senior field underwriter who conducts farm assessments.

“But all it takes is one accident to suffer a loss, so anything a farmowner can do to prevent that is worth the time it takes for our farm visits,” added Courtney Sisson, another senior field underwriter who handles farm assessments.

The team started visiting the 500+ farms that have farm workers’ compensation policies about five years ago, and they re-started the rotation last year.

“They’ve been very well-received, and we’ve gotten positive feedback,” Sisson shared.

Scott DeNoon, senior farm product and underwriting manager for Virginia Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Co., agreed. “We point out dangers and make recommendations to make farms safer. These assessments give our farmowners an extra set of eyes.”

Since farmworker safety should be at the top of every farmer’s checklist, the assessments identify dangerous situations before something bad happens and workers are injured.

Goodrich, Sisson and field underwriter Scott Blaylock look at farm barns, cattle handling facilities, equipment, grain bins, milking parlors, silos and workshops. They also walk around the property and look for things like uneven ground or unfenced ponds or manure pits.

“We’re looking for red flags but also want to make suggestions on how farmers can improve safety on their farms,” Sisson said.

For example, the underwriters may suggest that a farmer create a site plan or diagram of their farm and where everything is located. In an emergency, responders would readily be able to locate where the incident occurred on the farm.

The Farm Bureau team also may suggest that farmers provide CPR and first aid training for their employees.

Other suggestions include installing flashing lights on farm equipment that travels on public roadways.

“Our farmers usually appreciate the assessment after we’ve gone through the process,” Goodrich said.

If the underwriters have recommendations for improving farm safety, they share those with the farmers’ insurance agents, who will follow up with their policyholders.

“We want to help,” DeNoon said. “It really is a service for our members.”

Farmers who would like an on-site assessment should contact their local insurance agent to schedule a visit.

Farm Safety Checklist

Make sure equipment is in proper working order and has safety implements in place, like PTO shields, lights and fire extinguishers.

Ensure that all tools/equipment are working properly.

Keep fire extinguishers in the shop fully charged.

Emphasize workplace safety to employees. “Lead by example,” DeNoon said. “If workers see a farmowner practicing safety, they are more likely to follow suit.”

Have first aid kits readily available. Make sure safety protocols are in place. Train workers in CPR and first aid. Follow confined space procedures when entering manure pits, silos and grain bins.

Do not assign jobs to children unless they are physically, mentally and legally ready to perform the job safely. Equip older tractors with rollover protective structures.

Replace faded and worn slow-moving vehicle emblems.

Franklin County teacher receives state and national honors

Jennifer Hatch, a seventh-grade teacher at Benjamin Franklin Middle School in Rocky Mount, is a recipient of a 2023 National Excellence in Teaching About Agriculture Award.

Hatch, who previously was named the Virginia Agriculture in the Classroom 2023 Teacher of the Year, was one of nine U.S. teachers to receive the national honor. The awards were given by the National Agriculture in the Classroom Organization, U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture and Farm Credit.

Each year the organizations honor teachers in pre-K through 12th grade for innovative ways they are using agricultural concepts to teach reading, writing, math, science, social studies, STEM, STEAM and more.

Hatch is a mathematics teacher whose goal is to educate her students on the importance of where their food comes from and to demonstrate real-life applications of math in farming. She and her students established a hydroponics garden in their classroom, where they grew lettuce, basil and cilantro year-round. Applying their math skills, Hatch’s students gathered data, recorded plant measurements and growth rates, and performed data analysis throughout the growing process.

“Jennifer Hatch opens the eyes of her students to the many opportunities in agriculture through integrating mathematics and hydroponics,” said Tammy Maxey, Virginia AITC executive director. “Her students are experiencing the application of math concepts while truly becoming budding agriculture engineers and horticulturalists, which will spur career interest and help these secondary students begin to set their sights on future careers.”

As Virginia AITC Teacher of the Year, Hatch received a scholarship to the 2023 National AITC Conference this summer in Orlando, Florida, and that is where she’ll receive her national recognition.