Stay safe on the farm

Jan 21, 2024

Vehicles, toxic materials, animals and heat are all safety topics to keep in mind for summer months on a rural property.

Growing up on a farm a couple miles from the clinic where she works, Bethany Huelskoetter, APRN, knows the importance of playing it safe in a rural setting, whether you’re young or old. With kids out of school and farmers in the fields, Huelskoetter, a nurse practitioner at OSF HealthCare, says now is the time to review the basics of farm safety.

“Machines have shafts and moving parts,” Huelskoetter explains. “You don’t want to have loose sleeves or something that can get caught in that mechanism and cause a catastrophic injury.”

Wear a helmet and buckle the seatbelt. Don’t drive too fast, and don’t make sharp turns, especially on loose gravel. Sit in the vehicles the way they are intended. Don’t hang off the back or side. And never operate after drinking alcohol.

The American Association of Poison Control Centers website has a national hotline and state-by-state resources for exposure to or ingestion of toxic materials. Huelskoetter says to have that phone number in your cell phone. When you call, someone will ask you basic questions about what happened and tell you what to do. You may be able to treat the issue at home, or the hotline may advise you to go to the nearest emergency department.

“You never want to mess around with an animal bite,” Huelskoetter says. “Animals’ mouths are very dirty. So you want to start the bitten person on antibiotics quickly.”

Huelskoetter adds that while we view dogs and cats as domesticated, you never know if they have not been vaccinated and are carrying diseases like rabies.

Some tips to avoid heat illness: Avoid being outside in the middle of the day. Take breaks in a cool area during the day. Keep a cooler full of water and drinks with electrolytes, like Gatorade. Sugar-free sports drinks are a healthier choice than the regular ones. Have some healthy snacks, too, like popcorn, pretzels or nuts.

“Whenever your body is sweating, it’s depleting its calories and energy,” Huelskoetter says. “So your body doesn’t just need water. It also needs nutrients to help you keep going throughout the day.”

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