While the 2015 Cattle Industry Convention and Trade Show is well underway in San Antonio, I’m at home helping my husband calve out bred heifers. I'm also following updates from the Texas convention via my smartphone using the app created for the event by BEEF magazine.

Last night, my husband and I were up late with a heifer that needed calving assistance. Long after the calf was up and suckling its mama, we had tucked ourselves into bed for the night, but I found myself wide awake, unable to sleep after being outside in the cold winter air. So I got up and spent some time browsing the Internet, where I stumbled upon a video entitled, “A farm accident can happen to any one of us.”

The harrowing video was produced by Louise Waterman, Vermont Agency of Agriculture education coordinator. Waterman interviewed several farmers who experienced painful, life-altering reminders about the importance of farm safety.

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Accidents can happen when we become complacent, rushed or fatigued. Often, it’s the result of a split-second decision, and the impacts can be devastating. The video features dairy farmers but serves as an important reminder to all livestock and crop producers that nobody is immune to farm accidents.

The video shared four scary statistics that are worth noting. These include:

1. Every year, farm accidents cause 120,000 injuries, most of which were preventable.

2. One out of every six injuries involves animals.

3. In just one second, a PTO spinning at 540 rpm can wrap your arm or leg around the shaft nine times.

4. Farmers are eight times more likely to die on the job than the average worker.

Take a minute to watch the video below. These real-life testimonies might be the wake-up call we all need to take our time, do the job safely, and educate our children about the dangers that lurk in a working ranch operation.

Over the years, there have certainly been accidents on our family farm, and I’m grateful none of them have been life-changing. I hope this serves as a reminder for all of us to be safe and wise today and every day we work with livestock, equipment and harsh weather conditions.

Have you ever had a scary farm accident? What do you do to make sure you’re putting safety first in your day-to-day operations? Share your stories in the comments section below.

The opinions of Amanda Radke are not necessarily those of Beefmagazine.com or the Penton Farm Progress Group.

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