Oklahoma AgrAbility Project • Newsletter • September/October 2003

Oklahoma AgrAbility Newsletter

September/October 2003 • Volume 2 • Issue 5

Working with Livestock

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NOTE: Mention or display of a trademark, proprietary product or firm in text or figures does not constitute an endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Oklahoma State University, Langston University or the National AgrAbility Project and does not imply approval to the exclusion of other suitable products or firms.

In This Issue

Working with Cattle and Other Large Animals

Reducing Risk with Good Handling Techniques

Common Distractions

Preventing Secondary Injury for Workers with Disabilities

Resources for Farmers and Ranchers with Physical Limitations and Disabilities

Cattle Handling Resources

Safety Resources

Working with Cattle and Other Large Animals

Fall is a common time of year to work livestock, especially cattle. This ranges from fitting and showing to doctoring, selling, or even calving. This issue looks at preventing secondary injuries plus some assistive devices available to make your job much easier. Remember while working with livestock you must always be alert and aware to keep out of harm’s way. If you are not feeling up to par, you may enlist a neighbor or family member for assistance.

National Farm Safety and Health Week is September 21-27, 2003, and information is available at: http://www.nsc.org/farmsafe.htm. Check your local papers and regional publications for activities occurring in your area.

Best Wishes,

Rachael Kircher, AgrAbility Project Coordinator

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Reducing Risk with Good Handling Techniques

Oklahoma is one of the top five states in the nation for cattle production. Cattle are the state’s single most important agricultural commodity with an estimated total gross cash value of over $1.5 billion dollars. Not surprisingly, livestock injuries are one of the leading causes of disabling and lost-time injuries to agricultural workers in Oklahoma. Workers who already have disabilities often confront many disadvantages and difficulties in moving and handling animals, which increases their risk for secondary injury.

The likelihood of being trampled, bumped, bruised, disabled, acquiring a secondary disability, or even killed by livestock can be reduced through proper handling techniques and modern corral design.

A person with a disability can take advantage of knowing about livestock behavior. The flight zone is an animal’s personal space. When a person enters the flight zone, the animal will move. Conversely, when you move out of the flight zone, the animal will stop. Understanding this zone is important to easy, quiet handling of your cattle.

Several factors play a part when looking at an animal’s flight zone. Fearful or docile behavior, angle of person’s approach, and state of excitement are the key factors that will reduce or enlarge that flight zone. If you work the edge of the flight zone at a 45-60 degree angle, behind the animal's shoulder, cattle will move away from you.

A flight zone can range from 5 to 25 feet for feedlot cattle to over 300 feet for range cattle. If the handler is within this range, the animal will move away or retreat.

Avoid approaching cattle directly when moving them. Try to work them close to the point of balance, moving back and forth parallel to the direction the animal is travelling.

Besides the flight zone, you also should consider the herding instincts of cattle. They will follow the leader and are motivated to follow each other. When in a chute system, each animal should be able to see another animal ahead of it.

If a single animal will not work with its current group, release it and bring it back with another group. If the animal is left alone, it may become agitated and attempt to jump the fence.

A farmer or rancher with a disability may benefit from assistive devices to facilitate working with livestock. Examples of assistive technology for working livestock: rattle paddles, portable squeeze chutes, calf catchers/carriers, medication devices, and improving cattle handling facilities to take advantage of the natural behavior of cattle.

Source: OCES Fact sheet F-1738

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Common Distractions

In Cattle Facilities

Sparkling reflections on puddles
Reflections on smooth metal
Chains that jiggle
Metal clanging or banging
High pitched noise
Air hissing - should be silenced with mufflers or piped outside
Air drafts blowing towards approaching animals
Clothing hung on fence
Piece of plastic that is moving
Small object on the floor - such as a coffee cup or a piece of paper
Changes in flooring or texture
Drain grate on the floor
Sudden changes in the color of equipment. Colors with high contrast are the worst.
Race entrance is too dark. Animals will move from a darker place to a lighter place.
Animals will not move towards a blinding light such as blinding sunlight or light bulbs.
Animals may balk at one way and back up gates. Install gates at least two lengths away from the crowd pen.

Source: www.grandin.com

Special note: People with disabilities need to consider the reaction of livestock to wheelchairs, prosthetics, orthotics, and any assistive devices being utilized.

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Preventing Secondary Injury for Workers with Disabilities

Farmers and ranchers who have already experienced a disabling condition must consider factors regarding injury prevention, such as, preventing a secondary disabling condition. These factors involve health maintenance needs and recognizing risks associated with performing hazardous farm-related tasks.

People with disabilities often have health conditions that must be managed using medications, diet and nutrition, and/or monitoring vital signs. Unmanaged health conditions can make a person more vulnerable to new injury or aggravate existing health conditions.

Some examples of general health maintenance include:

Taking responsibility for your own health.
Learning about the medications you take, what they are for, and the effect they may have on operating equipment or work tasks.
Obtaining regular checkups and preventative care.
Being knowledgeable about your illness or disabling condition.
Considering behavioral changes to improve health such as: smoking cessation, eating right, reducing or eliminating alcohol consumption, or taking short frequent rest breaks during the work day.
Closely monitoring blood sugar levels for diabetics.
Self inspection of skin for abrasions, cuts, sores, or skin breakdown for someone with sensory problems (example: nerve damage that makes feeling one’s feet difficult).
Avoiding heat stress or fatigue for people with post-polio, multiple sclerosis, or other conditions.

According to Breaking New Ground (BNG), farmers with disabilities must also consider several areas of potential risk when completing farm tasks.

Farmers with disabilities may expose others, who are providing them assistance, to risk of injury or death. For example, using inexperienced or underaged helpers around hazardous machinery or livestock should be avoided. Experienced adult helpers are essential in agricultural work tasks.

Fire situations are an extreme threat to a farmer or rancher with a disability who is restricted in physical movement, mobility, and reaction speed. Some recommendations by BNG are: equipping the worker with communication devices such as a mobile phone or radio; mounting portable fire extinguishers in strategic locations; and keeping machinery such as combines, tractors, and balers clean, properly inspected, and maintained.

In addition, farmers with disabilities who make their own machinery modifications to accommodate a disability incur a greater risk of injury or death. The most frequent modifications include creating home-made hand controls for vehicles, combines, or tractors; designing lifts or slings to enter/exit farm equipment without regard for engineering design standards; and modifying equipment that increases the risks of serious injuries.

Many lifts and controls are commercially available and this is the safest choice. However, if farmers choose to modify their own machinery, technical projects such as AgrAbility can be consulted for advice and information.

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Resources for Farmers and Ranchers with Physical Limitations and Disability

Farm and ranch producers with disability issues who want or need to continue working may wish to consider seeking services through the Oklahoma Department of Vocational Rehabilitation Services (DRS). A DRS counselor may be able to assist by helping to provide appropriate assistive technology or other rehabilitation equipment and devices that help the producer function more effectively in the workplace.

The services of the vocational counselor are free, but sometimes an individual may be asked to cost-share some of the other services, depending on income and financial resources. According to the Oklahoma AgrAbility Program Specialist, Carla Wilhite, examples of assistive technology on a farm or ranch for someone with a physical impairment include:

Hand controls to enable a disabled operator to drive or operate machinery or vehicles.
Gate opening devices to facilitate someone with mobility impairment getting into pastures to check on animals or access other work areas.
Extra steps and hand holds on a tractor to facilitate mounting and dismounting safely.
Improvements to livestock enclosures to facilitate calmer animal movement and safe animal containment.

Local Vocational Rehabilitation offices can be located in the phone book’s government pages or via the state’s toll-free number at: 800-487-4042. Persons interested in seeking DRS services may also want to contact Oklahoma AgrAbility to provide support and advocacy to the individual seeking vocational rehabilitation services.

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