by Gloria Rodriguez
Agriculture is the second most hazardous industry in the United States. Many people may not realize that the farming industry would even be dangerous.
On Nov. 6, an EMS Farm Accident and Rescue seminar showed the importance of the need to be familiar with farm equipment, risk factors at the scene and different sources of assistance.
The seminar began at 8 a.m. with the introduction by Gerald Alderman, County Extension Agent of Miller County, Ark.
There were many guest speakers. Chuck Tucker, from the Safety Department Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation of Little Rock, spoke on the topics of hazards with farm tractors and machinery upsets and entanglements.
An Arkansas farm accident situations and the basic principles from farm rescue were discussed by Phyling Jennings, an Extension Safety Specialist in Little Rock.
Henry Williams, M. S., another member of the Safety Department Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation, talked at great detail about harvesting and storing incidents.
“I’ve gotten very familiar with the farm equipment and injuries, and different ways to untangle them,” Laurie Jones, EMT student said.
Approximately 49 per 100,000 workers are killed in each decade. One hundred of the accidents produced disabling injuries.
The afternoon continued at Greenline Equipment Company on Highway 82 East, where there was a farm equipment demo.
Dennis Garresser, M. S., and extension agent at the Greenline Equipment Company in Fayetteville and Utah Vardell, a salesman at Greenline Equipment Company in Texarkana, Ark., lectured and demonstrated on getting acquainted with farm equipment used in the area. This included starting and stopping procedures, dangerous parts of equipment and extraction procedures.
“We all learned the do’s and don’ts of farm equipment and how to rescue someone. It was insightful and informative,” Tracy Johnson, an EMT student said. “I found it to be very interesting and beneficial for agriculture. Someday it could be very useful.”