Ignite fire safety on the farm
While the Fourth of July shines light on fire safety for everyone, it’s important to realize how crucial general fire safety is on a dairy year-round. Fire hazards can appear anywhere, from equipment in the milk house to straw in the barn. Actively taking precautions and being prepared for these disasters can save lives and prevent costly damages.
For this year’s Independence Day celebration, fireworks will light up the sky once again. In order to ensure everyone’s safety, take these precautions:
- Monitor that children stand at a safe distance away from fireworks
- Keep everyone back from the display
- Never return to a lit firework
- Never throw fireworks
- Keep fireworks in a closed metal box
- Follow instructions listed on the fireworks packaging
Aside from the yearly celebration, there are quite a few other methods of preparing and preventing fires on a dairy farm. For example, things get dusty on the farm, which is quite common; however, it’s safe to wipe dust/dirt off light fixtures, outlet covers, switches, and panel boxes to prevent disaster in addition to vacuuming cobwebs and dust on a regular basis. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), fires can occur from the dispersion of dust particles in large amounts and can cause rapid combustion when also exposed to oxygen and heat.
Another key factor in fire safety preparedness are smoke detectors. Heat and smoke detectors are available for livestock facilities, and they should be loud enough to be heard from a distance in case there is no one immediately close to the building. Additionally, the alarm should directly alert the fire department and that animals and/or humans may be involved.
With proper training, fire extinguishers are also necessary in being prepared for a fire on the farm. It is not recommended to try and fight a fire if you have never been trained in using a fire extinguisher. The extinguisher should be a minimum of five pounds, although 10 is ideal, and they should be hanging at all exterior doorways, in the middle of long aisles, and next to electrical boxes. Furthermore, extinguishers should be in all barns, workshops, or anywhere welding is done. They should also be checked at a minimum of once a year to ensure that they will still work properly in case of emergency.
No matter what time of year it is, when it comes to fire safety, be sure your farm and employees are prepared. For more on farm fire prevention, click here for Rutger’s complete list of safety tips.
For more information on preventing haystack fires, visit this link.