Citation

Hallman EM, Gelberg KH, Hallisey JL. J. Agromed. 2005; 10(3): 57-64.

Affiliation

777 Warren Road, Ithaca, NY, 14850, emh14@cornell.edu.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2005, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

16537317

Abstract

The New York Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) program is designed to identify and study fatal occupational injuries in New York State. The New York FACE program is supported by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and administered by the New York State Department of Health (NYS DOH) in cooperation with Cornell University. New York FACE investigators evaluate information from multiple sources, conduct objective on-site investigations, and then summarize their findings in narrative reports that include recommendations for preventing similar events in the future. These recommendations are distributed to employers, workers, and other organizations as an educational tool for promoting workplace safety. The following case study involved a 53-year-old dairy farm owner who was fatally injured while transferring manure from an underground storage pit to a manure lagoon. At the time of the incident, the farmer was utilizing a manure pump that was connected to a tractor via a power take-off (PTO) shaft. The farmer reached across the unshielded PTO shaft in order to operate a hand crank that adjusted the manure pump chute. As he did this, his clothing became entangled in the PTO shaft, wrapping the farmer's body around the shaft. New York FACE investigators concluded that to help prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future: PTO-powered equipment should not be operated unless the PTO shield is in place and in good condition; Power to equipment should be turned off prior to making mechanical adjustments; Manure handling systems should be designed to facilitate operator safety; Farm workers should be healthy and well rested prior to performing hazardous activities and; Dairy farm workers should be trained in manure handling safety and knowledgeable about other manure hazards.