Winter Readiness: A Guide to Protecting your Farm, Workers, and Livestock

By John Yost

Winter has arrived in northeast Ohio and brought with it all of the unique challenges associated with low temperatures. I know that you are all too familiar with what to expect and have dealt with these challenges all your lives. It can be helpful to be reminded of these concerns to prevent complacency. This is especially true for those larger weather events that always see to catch us off guard.

Slips, trips and falls

Winter weather always reminds us of the dangers of slips, trips and falls around the farm. Cold temperatures quickly freeze pools of water, creating hazardous conditions when walking around the farm. These frozen patches may come from melting snow that refreezes, a rain shower that freezes when temperatures drop later in the day, a leaking water spigot, over-spray from cleaning the parlor or leachate that accumulates at the bunker entrance or out of a silo. Employees should

be reminded to take extra precautions when moving around the facility, as not all slick spots are obvious.

You should also remind them thatthe danger doesn’t go away when their feet aren’t on the ground. Ice can present a challenge when moving equipment around the farm. Just as when driving on the roads, operators should be aware of hazardous situations when driving equipment around your facility. The heavy weight of most of our tractors and feeding equipment can give them better traction in snowy conditions, but they can also create more momentum when the driver loses control on slick surfaces. It will add time to the daily routine, but a few lost minutes are better than an accident.