Farm safety
Keeping people safe and healthy
Resources for difficult times — Find help, counseling, advocacy, legal and referral resources.
Being stressed can compromise farm safety — The ability to stay safe impacts health. The ability to stay healthy impacts safety.
Coping with rural stress — Programming and expertise to help families and small towns respond to challenges that overwhelmingly affect rural Minnesota and farming communities.
Good self-care helps relieve stress — Self-care isn't selfish. It's a strategy for coping with life's curveballs.
Managing farm family stress — When you bring your job stress back home, it's felt throughout the family. Here are some ways to cope.
Remember grace in times of change — What is considered normal changes over time. It’s not good or bad, it’s just what’s next.
Well-being relies on physical, mental and emotional health — Think of your overall well-being as a three-legged stool. Your physical, mental and emotional health are the supports that can get you through tough times.
Safe agritourism – UMASH. Implement safety practices to reduce the risk of injury or illness to farm visitors.
Cleaning tractors and farm machinery
Reducing fire risk on the farm - Farms present many fire risks, and especially during drought it is critical to pay attention to these risks and take steps to mitigate them.
If you’re considering hiring a teenager to work on your farm or with your agribusiness, it’s important to know the laws and regulations for employing youth. Below we answer some frequently asked questions about hiring youth for agricultural work.
I’d like to hire a teenager to work on my farm/agribusiness, what do I need to know?
There are several operations in agriculture that have been identified by the Federal government as being particularly hazardous for children under the age of 16. These include:
- Operating tractors larger than 20 horsepower.
- Connecting and disconnecting implements to such tractors.
- Operating large farm implements (including combines, balers, and mixers).
Youth under the age of 16 cannot legally perform these tasks as an employee unless they have completed the National Safe Tractor and Machinery Operation Program (NSTMOP) and received certification, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Hazardous Occupations Order in Agriculture.
How can a teenager I want to hire get the NSTMOP Certification?
Each summer, University of Minnesota Extension offers NSTMOP certification through its Youth Tractor and Farm Safety Training program. The training consists of an online course of the NSTMOP learning objectives and in-person training that includes tractor operation instruction in a safe learning environment. The course is open to youth aged 14 and older. The cost is $40 per student.
My child is working for me on my farm, do they need certification?
In Minnesota, there no legal requirements for a child to work on their family’s own farm. But parents should think about the appropriateness of various tasks given the child’s age, physical size, and capabilities. Although it is not required by law, it is highly recommended that youth working on their own farms also complete certification to establish a strong understanding of safe tractor operation and other safety practices on the farm.
You can learn more about UMN Extension’s youth tractor and farm safety training or contact Emily Krekelberg, Extension educator for farm safety and health, at krek0033@umn.edu or 612-756-3977.
Extreme weather
Dealing with damaged ag buildings - Inspecting for damage and making decisions about the future.
Reducing fire risk on the farm - Farms present many fire risks, and especially during drought it is critical to pay attention to these risks and take steps to mitigate them.
Inspecting farm buildings for wind damage safety checks after a storm – National Ag Safety Database (NASD). Roof, foundation, silo and interior checklist.
Preventing ag building roof collapses from snow and ice - What building owners can do to reduce the chances of a roof collapse.
Plan ahead to manage on-farm snowmelt - With a winter of heavy snow and ice, farmers should consider where the snowmelt will go.
Equipment and storage
Tractor and rural roadway safety
Youth tractor and farm safety training - Important safety training for youth age 14 and older.
Tractor rollover protection – UMASH. Information on rollover protection structures and rebate programs.
Silage storage — UMASH. Hazards in silage bunkers and silos include silo gas, dust with molds, avalanches and more.
Grain handling — UMASH. Steps you can take to help protect you and your family from dangers in grain handling and storage.
Livestock
Biosecurity for cattle operations - Protecting your farm from outside pathogens helps your business to continue unaffected with productive, healthy cows.
Biosecurity for alternative pig farms - Create a biosecurity plan with specific procedures based on your situation.
Biosecurity for small scale swine production - It is important for all pig farmers, regardless of size and set-up, to have a biosecurity plan.
Biosecurity for small-scale poultry - About avian influenza including what to do if your poultry may be infected, and steps to protect your flock.
Cleaning tractors and farm machinery - Keep farm equipment clean to prevent the spread of pathogens.
Poultry biosecurity - Resources for commercial producers and small flocks.
Horse biosecurity tips for peak riding season - Biosecurity measures are key to keeping your horse healthy while traveling during the show and trail season.
Basic stockmanship: How to properly handle cattle and other farm animals — Includes livestock handling videos
Prevent needlestick injuries — UMASH. Resources to educate and prevent needlestick injuries when administering medication to livestock.