04 Jun Changing Crops During Drought

Changing Crops During Drought

Drought conditions can require agricultural operations to change crops, irrigation systems, equipment, chemicals, work practices, and harvesting methods. Whenever crops or agricultural processes change, employers should evaluate the new or modified hazards before work begins and update safe work procedures and employee training accordingly.

Evaluate Changes Before Work Begins

Before introducing a new crop or changing cultivation or harvesting methods:

• Conduct a hazard assessment of the new or modified operation.
• Identify changes in equipment, tools, chemicals, irrigation systems, work methods, and environmental conditions.
• Review manufacturer instructions for new equipment and implements.
• Determine whether existing PPE remains appropriate.
• Update safe work procedures as necessary.
• Train affected employees before assigning them to unfamiliar equipment, chemicals, or tasks.
• Communicate new hazards and controls to employees and supervisors.

Farm Equipment and Implements

New crops may require different blades, discs, attachments, harvesting equipment, or other implements.

Employees shall:

• Receive training before operating unfamiliar equipment or attachments.
• Inspect equipment before each use and report damaged or malfunctioning components.
• Verify that guards and other safety devices are installed and functioning properly.
• Maintain blades and cutting components according to manufacturer specifications.
• Keep employees clear of moving, rotating, and cutting components.
• Shut down equipment before making adjustments unless the manufacturer specifically provides a safe procedure for adjustments during operation.
• Follow applicable lockout/tagout or equipment-specific energy-control procedures before installing, removing, cleaning, repairing, or servicing implements where unexpected movement or startup could cause injury.

Never reach into operating equipment to clear jams or remove accumulated crop material.

Hand Tools and Ergonomics

Changes in planting, cultivating, pruning, and harvesting methods may introduce new ergonomic hazards.

Evaluate hand tools to ensure they are appropriate for the crop and task. Consider:

• Handle length, diameter, shape, and angle;
• Tool weight and balance;
• Required gripping force;
• Repetitive motions;
• Bending, reaching, twisting, and kneeling;
• Working height and position; and
• Frequency and weight of manual lifting.

Employees should be trained to use tools properly and maintain neutral body positions whenever practical. Mechanical assistance, carts, lifting devices, or team lifting should be used when appropriate.

Rotate physically demanding or repetitive tasks when feasible and provide appropriate recovery periods to reduce fatigue and musculoskeletal strain.

Irrigation System Changes

Drought conditions and new crops may require irrigation systems to be installed, removed, relocated, or modified.

Before beginning irrigation work:

• Identify underground and overhead utilities.
• Follow applicable excavation and trenching requirements.
• Maintain required clearances from overhead electrical lines when handling irrigation pipe and equipment.
• Control hazardous energy before servicing pumps, electrical systems, valves, and automatically operated equipment.
• Relieve stored hydraulic or water pressure before disconnecting pressurized components.
• Secure piping and equipment against unexpected movement.
• Identify changes in the operating pattern of automated irrigation equipment.

Employees shall not enter an excavation or trench unless required protective measures have been implemented.

Chemical Safety

A change in crops may result in the use of different pesticides, fertilizers, soil amendments, fuels, or other agricultural chemicals.

Before introducing a new chemical:

• Obtain and review the current Safety Data Sheet (SDS) and product label.
• Identify health, fire, environmental, and reactivity hazards.
• Determine required PPE.
• Review storage, handling, mixing, application, spill response, and disposal requirements.
• Ensure employees understand required hygiene and decontamination procedures.
• Train affected employees before they handle or are exposed to the chemical.

Pesticides shall be handled and applied in accordance with their labels and applicable pesticide safety requirements.

Environmental and Field Hazards

Changing crops may alter when, where, and how employees work. The hazard assessment should consider:

• New insects, snakes, rodents, or other pests;
• Heat exposure and acclimatization needs;
• Cold-weather exposure;
• Changes in working hours or seasonal schedules;
• Early-morning, evening, or nighttime work;
• Adequate lighting;
• Uneven, muddy, unstable, or changing terrain;
• Vehicle and mobile-equipment traffic;
• Dust and airborne contaminants;
• Remote work locations; and
• Emergency communication and access.

Heat illness prevention procedures should be reviewed whenever crop changes affect workload, work schedules, clothing, shade availability, or environmental exposure.

Employee Training

Employees affected by drought-related operational changes shall receive training appropriate to their assigned duties. Training should address:

• New or changed job hazards;
• Equipment and implement operation;
• Machine guarding and energy control;
• Hand-tool safety;
• Ergonomic work practices;
• Chemical hazards and required PPE;
• Irrigation and electrical hazards;
• Heat and cold stress;
• Field and environmental hazards; and
• Emergency and incident-reporting procedures.

Retraining should be provided whenever an employee demonstrates a lack of understanding, new hazards are introduced, or procedures or equipment change substantially.

Remember

Changing crops can change much more than what is planted. Equipment, chemicals, irrigation systems, work methods, environmental exposures, and ergonomic demands may all change. Identify the new hazards before work begins, update procedures, and train employees before they perform unfamiliar tasks.