How to avoid tragic mowing incidents
Mowing is one of many tasks that come with the job for those working in agriculture. Whether you love or…
Read MoreA safety consultant can get you started on the path to safety or help you make your existing safety program even better.
Provided by Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation
Mona Weiss lives on a nine-acre hobby farm in Lucas County where she and her husband grow blueberries; care for horses, chickens and ducks; and harvest turkey and venison. Mona is also a safety consultant for the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, giving her a unique perspective on the agriculture industry.
Developing a passion for safety was no accident for Weiss. She specifically remembers feeling pulled to help those in agriculture at an early age. She grew up in a small town in Indiana and would go to church and see the toll of the accidents from those in the ag community, specifically lost limbs, hands or feet. There were always a few farmers who had suffered life-changing accidents in attendance every Sunday. This led her to obtain a degree in occupational safety and health and work in some sort of safety capacity for 34 years now.
“Safety consulting is the coolest job ever. I love my profession; I wouldn’t have started into it if I didn’t. We help every kind of business in Ohio,” Weiss said.
While many agricultural processes have changed significantly over the years, Weiss says one thing remains true to this day: “The penalty for a mistake in an agriculture setting could cost you your life.”
Weiss and other BWC safety consultants throughout the state help Ohio businesses avoid accidents and remain productive. Here’s some advice she offers:
Agriculture is ranked as one of the most hazardous industries nationwide. There’s such a variety of hazards in agriculture, including machinery, heat-related issues, musculoskeletal disorders, chemical pesticides, ammonia, electrical hazards, engulfment hazards, and the list goes on. In fact, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, every day, about 100 agricultural workers suffer a lost-work-time injury.
Weiss wants everyone in the agriculture industry in Ohio to know about all the help available to create and maintain safe working environments. Working with a safety consultant is like having the lessons-learned and best-practices of hundreds of different businesses and situations available at your fingertips for your specific needs. A safety consultant can get you started on the path to safety or help you make your existing safety program even better.
If you’d like to request a safety consultation, you can either contact your local BWC service office, call 800-644-6292, or submit a request online. Please have your BWC policy number ready. A safety consultant will contact you within two business days.
Mowing is one of many tasks that come with the job for those working in agriculture. Whether you love or…
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