Plant Safety First – bESTology Week 8
Plant Safety First
Image: safety-news.org
Health and safety must be sown first to ensure a bountiful harvest.
Just as farms come in various types, so do safety practices. Safety practices for weather, dust, livestock, hauling, manure pits, ponds, noise, silos, equipment, wells, hand tools, chemicals and pesticides are all concerns for a farmer.
Grab a BLT (bacon, lettuce and tomato) sandwich and let’s research safety protocols from the farm to our table.
Resources
- Farm Safety – Alabama Cooperative Extension Service
- Hay Bale Safety – Alabama Cooperative Extension Service
- FarmTec Safety
- FarmTec Free Webinars
- Farm Equipment Safety – Texas State University
- Personal Protective Equipment Safety – Penn State Cooperative Extension Service
- OSHA Safety Fact Sheet
- Personal Protective Equipment – Wyoming Cooperative Extension Service
- Guide to Online Research – Cornell University
- Basic Internet Search Techniques – excellent resource
- Food Safety
- Food Safety – USDA
Grainstorming
Farmer for a Day! Choose a type of farm or ranch that interests you (corn, pigs, lettuce, tomato, cattle, etc.) and generate a list of equipment that is needed to operate your farm. Research and evaluate safety protocols associated with each piece of machinery including personal safety practices such as eyes, ears, hands, etc.
Search online news articles for farm related accidents in 2015. Discuss and determine whether each accident was due to equipment failure, lack of equipment maintenance or operator error.
Grainstorm and share with your teammates how you would implement safe practices on your farm!
BEST Farm Journal
Add two new silos to bESTology Week 2. Label one silo “Safe Shopper” and the other “Eating Out”. Research and write associated safety words for each silo, i.e., pasteurization, temperature, canned goods, etc. Consult a dictionary for unfamiliar words and write the definition in your BEST Farm Journal.
Referencing each silo of words, compose a Top Ten Tips list for being a safe shopper and for safe dining out. Share your list with others and persuade them to practice safe shopping and eating out habits.
BEST Connection
Prior to the 42 days of BEST, establish a safety plan for your team. As part of your plan, develop safety videos for each of the following topics:
- Tools: name, function, maintenance, storage and safety for each tool used by your team
- Protective wear: importance of ear and eye safety during the 42 days of BEST
- No horseplay: explain the consequences for such behavior in a manufacturing setting
- Others safety videos of your choice!
Post your videos on YouTube and share with BEST. This is a fantastic outreach project to share with other BEST teams!
Community Connection
Contact a safety officer from a local manufacturing company and invite them to visit your classroom. Ask your guest to share their company’s safety plan and how they train their employees on implementing safety practices. Share your BEST team’s safety objectives and ask your guest for suggestions of improvement.
Capture a team photo with the safety officer and post in your exhibit booth on Game Day!
Fertilizer for the Brain
Hay! Hay! Hay! The bale is running away! Hay bales are a necessity for feeding cattle but are a safety concern when loading, transporting and unloading. Research and determine the following:
- Math: determine size and weight of an average hay bale
- Science: calculate the calories in average bale of hay and predict the approximate number of cattle one bale can feed in one day
- Injuries: determine how many farmers are injured each year from rolling hay bales
Bloom’s Taxonomy: add, ask, brainstorm, choose, compose, consult, contact, create, determine, develop, discuss, establish, evaluate, generate, implement, invite, label, list, persuade, post, read, reference, research, search, share, write
Workforce Skills: reading comprehension, active listening, critical thinking, speaking, active learning, writing, social perceptiveness, systems analyses, persuasion, mathematics, equipment selection, equipment maintenance, science
My Personal Journal