Posted on August 16, 2013 in Firm News

Farming is well known to be one of the most dangerous professions in our country with many opportunities for serious accidents or illnesses. Exposure to chemicals and large machinery make the possibility of farm accidents such as grain bin explosions, combine accidents and more real to every farmer, every day. Safe work habits and processes are critical to keeping workers safe.

A recent news article reported on an accident on a family farm in Brown County. Two men, a father and son, were working on a tractor, performing some needed repairs. For reasons not identified in the article, the tractor slipped into gear and hit both of the men. The work on the tractor was being done inside a shed. The tractor also had a front-end loaded attached to it while the work was taking place.

The father, who was 91 years old, died from the accident. His 62-year old son was taken from the accident scene to a hospital in Springfield and noted to be in good condition at the time the article was written. The west-central Illinois farm is about 60 miles northwest of Springfield.

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 Posted on August 06, 2013 in Firm News

Farm jobs in Illinois abound during the summer months when crops mature and harvest time nears. Laws allow children as young as 12 to work in fields with parental consent for jobs that are considered non-hazardous, keeping a strict eye on workplace safety. Despite best efforts, farm accidents can still happen and can affect teenage workers.

A recent article highlights a case where 79 teenage farm workers required emergency decontamination after being sprayed by a fungicide from an overhead crop-duster. The teens were hired by Team Corn, based in Princeton, IL, to "detassle" corn, a non-hazardous task that is allowed to be conducted by teenagers. While the children were working, the plane accidentally sprayed the fungicide on the field. 

Emergency personnel treated each worker at the scene and then took them to the Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana for follow up care and observation. Some of the teens had skin irritations as a result of the spraying. The article did not specify what fungicide was sprayed or the name of the pilot. The Illinois state Bureau of Environmental Programs together with the national Occupational Safety and Health Administration will be investigating the incident.

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 Posted on July 31, 2013 in Firm News

Most people get in their cars everyday and trust that they will safely reach their destinations. Fortunately, this is the case the majority of the time. However, a motor vehicle accident can happen at any time and in rural Illinois, it may involve another vehicle, a truck, a tractor trailer or more. Such accidents can result in great damage and personal injury.

A recent accident in La Salle led to several charges for the driver of a Freightliner semi. With a blood alcohol content of more than two times what the legal limit allows, the driver could be sentenced to up to three years in prison. The truck hit a Jeep SUV with two passengers inside, overturning the Jeep and landing it on its side. Emergency personnel had to cut two portions of the vehicle away to free the women inside. Both women were taken to Illinois Valley Community Hospital and treated for their injuries. The truck was not pulling a trailer at the time of the accident.

Additional charges against the driver included improper use of road lanes and of registration, driving without insurance and failing to avoid the accident by reducing speed. The truck accident was witnessed by others who reported that the truck hit the driver’s side of the SUV while making a turn.

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 Posted on July 29, 2013 in Firm News

Farm accidents in Illinois have become a great concern to local residents. As new developments continue to arise throughout what had previously been only rural farm land, there is increased activity of "regular" vehicles along with farm equipment on the roads. This mixture can lead to an increased chance for problems such as tractor accidents.

As harvest season approaches, Illinois residents are urged to give greater caution when sharing the road with farm equipment. The stories of two local farmers illustrate the increased need for safety. One man was killed when his tractor was hit by a car. The tractor flipped over and the man went off and away from the vehicle about 10 feet. Another farmer was more fortunate, sustaining only minor injuries, when the rotary hoe he was towing with his tractor was hit by an SUV.

The McHenry County Farm Bureau and the McHenry County Sheriff's Office are working hard to increase awareness and safe practices for cars when driving on roads with farm vehicles. The heart of the harvest season will begin in September and that will herald in an even greater number of tractors, combines and more such equipment on the road. It is the goal of local authorities to minimize any accidents and injuries.

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 Posted on July 19, 2013 in Firm News

Car and truck accidents can always be dangerous and rural Illinois roads are susceptible to a variety of traffic from tractors to farm trucks to cars and more--including bicycles as many local Amish residents use bicycles as a means of transportation. It is important for all motorists to be aware of other vehicles, tractors, bikes and pedestrians on the roads at all times.

A recent incident near Charleston, roughly 50 miles from Champaign, left one teenager dead and four other men injured after they were hit by a car while riding their bicycles. The driver of the car fled the scene and was later arrested. He is being charged with leaving an accident scene as well as driving under the influence. 

The car accident happened shortly after 9:00 pm when the five cyclists were riding home after attending an Amish farm trade show focused on technology powered by horses for farms. The teenager was riding at the back of the single file line on a two-lane road. All five bicyclists were taken to a local hospital. The teenager died at the hospital.

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 Posted on July 10, 2013 in Firm News

Employers are required by law to provide proactive safety measures including training and inspections to ensure a safe environment for all employees and to minimize the risk of workplace injury. The guidelines developed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) are implemented with these same goals in mind.

A scrap metal company with multiple locations in Illinois has received multiple citations for breaking the stated OSHA guidelines. Many of the violations are noted as “serious” by OSHA, a label given by the organization to an action has a high chance of resulting in either the death or serious injury of a worker. The latest inspection of the company was conducted as part of an OSHA program that focuses on companies with a higher than typical rate of reported injuries on the job. 

The Midland Davis Corporation plant in Pekin, IL received citations in 2012. Now, the Moline, IL plant is the subject of 19 citations with a combined fine of nearly $65,000. Violations include the lack of protection against falls, leaving damaged equipment in use, lack of periodic safety inspections and lack of proper training for power vehicle operators and more. The company’s actions leave workers vulnerable to injury, according to OSHA.

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 Posted on July 05, 2013 in Firm News

Midwest farmers are keenly aware of the risks inherent with farming. Safety on farms around equipment from tractors to grain bins to combines and more is a must. The life of every farmer depends upon proper safety procedures and awareness and every farm owner or manager has the responsibility to provide the safest working conditions possible.

As testament to the importance of safety, one local organization is focusing efforts to help reduce accidents related to grain bins. Grain bin explosions or other accidents have a high rate of fatality and to help combat that, the Jasper County Farm Bureau in Indiana is providing special tubes to protect farm workers trapped in a grain bin to local volunteer fire departments. The tubes are part of a more comprehensive grain safety education program designed to help keep local Midwest farmers safe from farm accidents while on the job. 

The special products are known as “Liberty Rescue Tubes” and work by being pushed into the grain bin to shield a trapped worker until emergency personnel or other farm employees can open the bin to release the farmer inside. The ability to gain additional minutes to free a farmer from inside a grain bin can not only reduce any potential injury but literally can mean the difference between life and death for that worker.

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 Posted on June 28, 2013 in Firm News

The decision to move a family member into a nursing home is never easy. Concern for their well-being of is strong. That concern involves basic care to ensuring that staff members treat residents caringly and provide a good environment in which they can live well, free from neglect or abuse. Nursing homes in rural areas, such as in Central Illinois, may not be close to where family members can visit daily, making abuse harder to notice.

Nursing home abuse can be mistreatment on the part of staff members, abuse from other residents or either coupled with a cover-up by staff or administration. The family of one resident at the Pomeroy Care Center in Iowa is suing the nursing home for alleged sexual abuse by another resident, a known sex offender. The family alleges that the nursing home admitted a known sex offender without providing proper protection for other residents. They also claim that the Iowa Department of Human Services, knowing that the alleged abuser was being placed in the home, did not proactively take the steps necessary to ensure other residents would be safe from nursing home abuse. 

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 Posted on June 18, 2013 in Firm News

Motorists in Illinois farming communities need to be alert not just to other cars or trucks on the road but also to tractors at all times. Similarly, tractor drivers must remain constantly aware of their own safety while operating tractors on local and state roads. Injuries resulting from a tractor accident, tractor trailer accident or tractor-motor vehicle accident can be serious, even deadly.

Unfortunately, such was the case recently in Cumberland County when a truck rear-ended a tractor near the intersection of U.S. 45 and Illinois 121. A female passenger in the truck was killed as a result of the collision. The truck driver was treated at a local hospital but later released. It was not indicated if the tractor driver suffered any injuries. The amount of damage to either vehicle was also not noted.

The accident occurred at night and further illustrates again the need for vigilance when driving on rural Illinois roads. A truck accident such as this can occur in a flash and, sadly, result in the loss of life. Law enforcement authorities report that the truck driver received a citation for both his failure to reduce speed in an effort to prevent or avoid an accident as well as for driving under the influence.

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 Posted on June 10, 2013 in Firm News

Many people in rural Illinois work in agriculture but working on a commercial or private farm is not without risk. These farms often store a number of fuel barrels, chemicals, fertilizers and heavy equipment which can pose a serious threat when a farm accident occurs, especially in the event of a fire since these substances are quite flammable.  Therefore, it is important for first responders to know where hazards may be on the farm.

Whether responding to tractor accidents, combine accidents, grain bin explosions or more, firefighters often have only seconds to respond in order to save a life or minimize the risk of long-term injury. However, a pilot program involving the firefighters, researchers and farmers shows that an online database which stores the locations of dangerous substances on farms could be of great benefit to farm workers when an accident happens.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that during an eight year period, between 430 and 560 farm workers were involved in fatal on-the-job farm accidents on commercial and large private farms. The pilot program creates a map to help first responders quickly locate where water and power controls are on the farm that can be accessed with a simple scan of a hand-held device like a tablet. With such information, the chance of reaching injured workers is improved. However, plans to expand the program are on hold due to budget issues.  

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