Agricultural Safety Tips for the Rainy Season
Farming, ranching, and other agricultural managing jobs are considered one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. This is because casualties on the farm are usually just an accident away. Rainy season comes with slippery floors and wet surfaces; add that to the mix and it makes things much more dangerous. Here are some tips to stay safe during the season:
Read more: Lettuce farming in Nigeria: beginners guide
1. Keep Farm Equipment Away from Rain:
Many farm equipment are made of iron and are therefore prone to rust if exposed to heavy rain. Similarly, exposing wooden equipment to rainfall could cause decay.
However, the most dangerous of them all is exposing electrical farm equipment to rain so ensure that exposed or bad wires on any equipment are fixed promptly.
Learn MoreAlso, it may not out-rightly show that water has damaged an equipment. If you use a farm tool, with no idea that some parts have been damaged by water, the results could be disastrous. To prevent this, make sure you lock your equipment in a safe, dry place, and don’t leave them out overnight.
2. Make Sure Water Areas are Fenced:
If you have an open water source on your farm, ensure they’re properly protected during the rainy season.
It can be difficult to spot dams, wells, and lakes during the rainy season and one can easily fall in. Similarly, heavy rain could carry small livestock to those bodies of water.
Establish barriers around these places by locking or fencing them in order to prevent accidents when it rains.
3. Keep Farm Produce Away from Rain:
There’s a reason why fruits and vegetables are to be stored in a cool, dry place. This is because moisture accumulation on these farm produces could bring about microbial growth.
Fungus such as mould could grow on these farm products. Consuming these infested products or selling them could be detrimental to the health. Also, if farm produce is ready to be harvested, leaving them in water logged soil could cause negative effects.
Livestock feed should also be kept from rain as they could also be contaminated.
Read more: The benefits of fish farming
4. Be Wary of Electric Outlets:
Water and electricity are not a good mix, and definitely not on a farming ground. Perhaps you built a wired fence to keep off predators, try not to lean on those fences when it rains. Also, put a notice on electric fences so that passersby, and farm visitors take extra precautions.
Do not cut or make contact with particularly wet branches that have come in contact with electric lines as they may be conductors of electricity. You might also want to tie your farm equipment somewhere else, and not on electric poles. Also, livestock such as cows can get electrocuted so keep them away from electric outlets and live wires.
If electric poles fall around your farm area, do not inspect it as the wires could still be live. Call the right authorities to handle it.
5. Take Care of your Health:
The rainy season is usually accompanied with cold, windy weather. Exposure to cold weather can increase your risk of getting infected with something detrimental to your health.
When farming during this season, especially early in the morning, dress appropriately for the weather. Rain also brings worms and muddy water so ensure to wear the proper footwear to avoid exposing your feet to harmful bacteria and sharp objects.
The rainy season also brings stagnant water which is a breeding ground for mosquitoes, the primary transmitter of malaria. Ensure that farmhouses are sprayed with insecticides and always go to the farm with mosquito nets and mosquito repellent.
Similarly, livestock diseases such as fowl pox and lumpy skin disease are common during the rainy season. Precautions such as keeping livestock feed away from rain and being mindful of where they graze should be taken.
It is easy to fall an accident victim on the farm during the rainy season but these tips will help reduce the chances of that happening. Remember, “prevention is better than cure.”
For more information and updates join our WhatsApp group HERE
Like our page on Facebook HERE
-Advertisement-
We do everything possible to supply quality information for farmers day in, day out and we are committed to keep doing this.
Your kind donation will help our continuous research efforts.
