Shop Safety Mini Series Produced by the Southwest Center for Agricultural Health, Injury Prevention and Education October 2019

					Torch Safety Perhaps some of the most versatile and useful tools in a shop environment are torches. They can be used for brazing, soldering, cutting, bending, and other tasks.   Types of Torches Oxyacetylene torches use a combination of highly flammable acetylene gas and oxygen to make a flame burning 6,330 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the only torch able to cut steel. Oxyacetylene torches are widely used for underwater welding and cutting activities, heat treating stone, and fire polishing glass, in addition to more everyday shop tasks. Acetylene tanks and hoses are red, and oxygen tanks and hoses are green or black. Plumber’s torches can be found in many shops as well, since they are more compact. Most of these are propane fueled, burning at about 3,500 degrees Fahrenheit. They are mainly used for soldering copper pipes or loosening stuck fasteners and are not powerful enough to cut, braze, or melt most metal. They can also be found fueled by butane, propylene, or a blend of gases. Safety The cylinders or “bottles” used to hold fuel for oxyacetylene are under immense pressure. Acetylene is kept at about 3000 psi. Combine this with acetylene’s explosive abilities, and the tanks become a hazard. When transporting the cylinders, always remove the regulator and install the valve cap. Chain cylinders to prevent their falling over. An oxygen cylinder with over 2,000 psi in it becomes a lethal projectile if it falls over and its cylinder valve is damaged. Always keep them vertical. Also, keep hoses and tanks away from flame. When using the torch, use the correct tip size and pressure. This can cause the flame to 'flashback' and travel into the hose and potentially into the tank. This is usually accompanied by a loud popping or hissing sound. Flashback arrestors should also be employed to prevent this. Although torches are not as dangerous as welding, they still produce eye damaging light. Eyewear with a shade of 2-5 should be worn. Also, many metals, alloys, and anti-rust coatings give off harmful fumes when heated. Galvanized metal is notorious for this. Always make sure to be in a well ventilated area when using a torch. Never oil regulators, valves, or torches, as oil is flammable. Always bleed off the hoses when finished with the torch, and always light fuel first, then introducing oxygen. Finally, do not use oxygen as a substitute for compressed air, to blow off clothes or surfaces. The oxygen is absorbed by clothing and makes them extra flammable in the event of ignition. Stay tuned next month for the last article in the Shop Safety Mini Series.  Make sure to take the quiz below to see if you know how to be safe around torches. References and Photo Sources: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/376050637611386192/ https://www.harrisproductsgroup.com/en/Expert-Advice/tech-tips/oxy-fuel-equipment-safety-guidelines.aspx https://www.finehomebuilding.com/2004/05/01/soldering-copper-pipe-2

USDA Abruptly Halts Animal ID Plan Greg Henderson October 28, 2019 10:06 AM

APHIS says the need for ADT still exists. ( FJ )

USDA’s Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced Friday (Oct. 25) it has suspended its plan to phase-in the use of electronic ID (RFID) tags for cattle and bison.
APHIS said in a statement the policy shift was in response to executive orders from President Trump that have highlighted the need for transparency and communication of issues “before placing any new requirements on American farmers and ranchers.”
In April APHIS announced its plan for Animal Disease Traceability with a factsheet posted to its web site. The factsheet detailed USDA’s plan to transition to radio frequency identification (RFID) tags from metal ear tags for cattle and bison. At the time, USDA said it would stop providing free metal tags, though approved vendors would still be permitted to produce official metal tags for one year. On Jan. 1, 2021, USDA would end approval of vendor production of metal ear tags with the USDA shield.
The animal disease traceability (ADT) plan set January 1, 2023, as the date all animals that move interstate and fall into specific categories would need official, individual RFID tags. The plan specifically omitted feeder cattle.
In its statement withdrawing those regulations, APHIS said it has “listened to the industry’s feedback.”
One of the loudest voices against RFID was heard earlier this month when R-CALF USA filed a lawsuit in federal district court in Casper, WY, seeking to halt the plan. Joining the suit were the New Civil Liberties Alliance and rancher plaintiffs Kenny and Roxie Fox of Belvidere, SD, and Tracy and Donna Hunt of Newcastle, WY. The suit alleged the proposed requirements were in opposition to USDA’s own policy that had previously allowed the use of a number of different kinds of identification including metal tags.
In its statement Friday, APHIS said the factsheet was removed because it “is no longer representative of current agency policy.”
Despite the executive orders whitdrawing the ADT plan, APHIS acknowledged the continuing need for a national animal ID plan.
“While the need to advance a robust joint Federal-State-Industry Animal Disease Traceability (ADT) capability remains an important USDA-APHIS objective, we will take the time to reconsider the path forward and then make a new proposal, with ample opportunity for all stakeholders to comment,” the APHIS statement said. “We continue to believe that RFID devices will provide the cattle industry with the best protection against the rapid spread of animal diseases, as well as meet the growing expectations of
APHIS said USDA’s goals to enhance ADT have not changed, and the agency aid to:

• Encourage the use of electronic identification for animals that move interstate under the current ADT regulation;
• Enhance electronic sharing of basic animal disease traceability data;
• Enhance the ability to track animals from birth to slaughter; and
• Increase the use of electronic health certificates

American Beef Is A Climate Change Solution, Rancher Says Drovers News Source October 18, 2019 11:33 AM

 

South Dakota cattle producer Todd Wilkinson told a U.S. Senate subcommittee that contrary to the claims of some environmental and anti-animal-agriculture activists, "American beef production and consumption is a climate change solution."

"Climate policies that unfairly target cattle producers fail to recognize the positive role of cattle and beef in a healthy, sustainable food system," Wilkinson told members of the U.S. Senate's Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear Safety. "Rather than adopting misguided policies that threaten the viability of farmers and ranchers, we want to shift the conversation."

The subcommittee held the hearing on the issue of "Reducing Emissions While Driving Economic Growth: Industry-Led Initiatives." In his testimony, Wilkinson discussed the environmental benefits of grazing, and busted myths about the effect of methane on global climate.

"(Grazing) naturally sequesters carbon, a benefit compounded by ruminant grazing," Wilkinson explained. "Grazing builds deep root systems in prairie grasses, which improve soil health. Healthy soils retain more water, sequester more carbon, and increase the resiliency of our ranches."

"Methane emissions from cattle are part of the natural methane cycle," Wilkinson continued. "Within 10 years, more than 90 percent of that methane combines with oxygen in the atmosphere and converts to CO2. Methane has no long-term impact on climate when emissions and oxidation are in balance. And this balance has been maintained for centuries."

Wilkinson, who is co-owner and operator of a commercial cow-calf operation and feeding business in De Smet, S.D., also serves as NCBA's 2019 Policy Division Vice Chairman and as Vice President of the South Dakota Cattlemen's Foundation. He closed his testimony by reminding Senators of producers' long commitment to environmental stewardship.

"The U.S. cattle industry is proud of its history as stewards of our nation's natural resources," he said. "Cattle producers are America's original conservationists, and we work hard every day to ensure that we can pass our operations on to the next generation. My family, and the entire American cattle producing community, is committed to remaining environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable for generations to come."

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The Search for Stockmen Kylee Kohls August 22, 2019 01:09 PM

 

 

 

For every rural stock person available, there are two job openings. ( CAB )

The future of food is in our hands, but do we have enough hands to help feed the world?
Courtney Daigle, assistant professor of animal welfare at Texas A&M University, shares ideas on the narrowing supply of quality stockmen and how cattlemen might find more top hands.
“There are fewer people working in agriculture, so there's a limited awareness that stockmanship is a potential occupation,” she says. “A lot of our workforce is made up of immigrants, and some of the challenges we have in retaining and recruiting are influenced by our current policies associated with immigration reform.”
Once a stockman is hired and gets good at their job, it’s hard to keep them because of the low pay and long workdays.
“But it's really important to keep them in place because a critical component of quality care is consistent animal care,” Daigle says. “The animals notice whenever stock people change; not just who's working, but what kind of relationship they had” and the individual animal history.
Quality and consistent care help drive profit and acceptance rates for the Certified Angus Beef ® brand, which climb highest for calves that never had a bad day.
“A good stock person is worth their weight in gold, but a bad one can break the bank,” Daigle says.
One issue is typically low pay for long, hard days, and it matters if one is paid by the hour or by the number of animals handled.
“Pay strategy can sometimes motivate people to perform quickly, not carefully,” which can lead to “sub-optimal handling” and negative perceptions of the occupation. Stock people can also suffer from “compassion fatigue.”
“They may have thousands of animals that they're responsible for in a day – that can be overwhelming – and the people get tired themselves,” Daigle says.
Growing up in cities, she dreamt of working with animals, which is why her BS and early career was in zoology, working with African lions.
“It wasn't until I started working at Texas A&M that I knew what a pen rider was, and I've worked with animals my whole life,” Daigle says. “People can't help that they're born in the cities and so even if they want to work with animals, they may not know there are other opportunities [besides the zoo].”
As her work continued at Texas A&M, she kept bumping into what she calls the “stockman/zookeeper conundrum.” With many similarities between the two occupations, the divide begins with the demand.
For every rural stock person available, there are two job openings; for every zookeeper position, there are 150 applicants.
“Although they are very different scenarios, the occupations and pay are very similar,” says Daigle, noting cities could be viable recruiting areas for those offering jobs in stockmanship.
“We are having a hard time finding people who will be stewards of our food animals. When we start looking around and asking ‘Where is everyone?’ –- they are in the cities.”
She suggests advertising in urban centers for positions such as animal technicians, opportunity to work with a large number of animals.
“Then provide incentive,” Daigle says. “Highlight quality of life based on pay structure, cost of living and geographical locations. By advertising in some of these areas and targeting people who want to work with animals, producers might find a more diverse and better-qualified suite of applicants to fill those open positions.”

 Reprinted from

 

Late Summer Temperatures Shorten Gestation Length Of Fall-Calvers Glenn Selk, Oklahoma State University Emeritus Extension Animal Scientist July 29, 2019 10:39 AM

Each year in late July or August, it is time for an important reminder.  Fall-calving season will soon be here.  In fact, the start of the fall calving season often begins before some producers expect it.  The target date for the beginning of fall calving very often is September 1.  Most printed gestation tables predict that calving will take place 283 days (some 285 days) after artificial insemination or natural breeding.  Cows and heifers that gestate in hot weather will often calve a few days earlier than expected.
Oklahoma State University physiologists studied early fall (August) and late fall (October) calving cows. Data from two successive years were combined for 60 Angus X Hereford crossbred cows. The “early” and “late” fall calving cows had been artificially inseminated in early November or early January, respectively. Semen from the same sire was used for all cows. All cows were exposed to a single cleanup bull for 35 days at 4 days after the AI season. The weather prior to calving was significantly different for late pregnancy in the two groups.
The average maximum temperature the week before calving was 93 degrees F. for the “early” fall group. The average maximum temperature the week before parturition in the “late” calving group was 66 degrees F. There was a 100% survival rate for calves in both groups and both groups of cows had very high re-breeding rates (90% and 92%, respectively).
The average gestation length for the “early” cows was 6 days shorter (279 days) as compared to the “late” cows (285 days) in year 1. The average gestation length for the “early” cows was 4 days shorter (278 days) as compared to the “late” cows (282 days) in year 2.  Keep in mind that the gestation lengths listed are AVERAGE.  This means that about half of the cows calved earlier than that.  Records from millions of Holstein dairy cows across the entire United States report a similar pattern (Norman, et al.2009 J. Dairy Sci; 92:5).  Holsteins bred in January and February (calving in October and November) averaged 2 days longer gestation than did Holstein cows bred in October (calving in July and August).
Many of these would be in Northern climates with less heat stress and more moderate temperatures in the summer months.  Here in the Southern Plains, late summer heat is more intense and persistent.  Therefore, producers with early fall-calving cows should expect calves to start coming several days ahead of the “textbook gestation table” dates. They should begin their routine heifer and cow checks at least a week to 10 days ahead of the expected first calving date. Source: Kastner, et al. 2004 OSU Animal Science Research Report.

Keeping Your Vaccines Viable Taylor Grussing And Tracey Erickson, South Dakota State University Extension July 24, 2019 09:13 AM

 

 

There are multiple factors influencing immunity, including but not limited to, medical history, vaccine type, method of administration, age, and species being vaccinated. ( Pirbright Institute )

Vaccines are a vital part of keeping all livestock healthy. Vaccines help in the prevention of disease, which results in less utilization of antibiotics due to fewer sick animals. Vaccines provide protective immunity approximately 21 days following the initial vaccination in the majority of livestock. Some vaccines may require a booster vaccination(s) to ensure immunity for the period designated by the manufacturer. There are multiple factors influencing immunity, including but not limited to, medical history, vaccine type, method of administration, age, and species being vaccinated. A valid Vet-Client-Patient relationship will help you as you select the vaccine of choice for your livestock health program.

Vaccine Types

You are probably utilizing one of two types of vaccines: inactivated (“killed”) vaccines, which contain bacteria or viruses that have been inactivated by heat or chemicals, or modified-live virus (MLV) vaccines, which contain whole viruses that have been altered in such a way that, while they are able to multiply within the body, their ability to cause disease has been taken away.
So how do vaccines become worthless? Proteins are the major components of the organisms that make up both killed and MLV vaccines. Proteins are denatured by the interaction of two major factors: time and temperature. In addition, most common disinfectants will render modified live organisms inactive. So the anti-bacterial soap or even city or rural water, which contains chlorine, can have an effect on vaccines, when residues are present in your syringes or transfer needles. Thus, rinse with distilled water which is near the boiling point.

Things to Consider

Other considerations for handling, storing and using vaccines are as follows:

PURCHASING AND USE CONSIDERATIONS OF VACCINES

Check expiration dates and make sure you can use it before it expires. For MLV vaccines purchase smaller dose instead of larger dose vials, which will enable using the vaccine in a shorter time period. Also remember to purchase an adequate number of needles and plan on replacing the needle about every 5-10 head of cattle. Do not straighten a bent needle, replace it!

TRANSPORTING AND STORING VACCINES

Check the recommended storage temperature, and use a cooler while transporting and while vaccinating to keep the vaccine at the recommended temperature and also to minimize exposure to sunlight. Typically this temperature is between 35 degrees to 45 degrees F unless the product label advises otherwise. Check your refrigerator’s temperature periodically to assure that it is working properly and is keeping the vaccines at the correct temperature.

EQUIPMENT AND WORK AREA

Make sure your equipment is clean and rinsed with distilled water to remove any residues. Set up an area for syringes such that they are kept cool, shaded, and dust-free while working.

WHILE WORKING

Keep vaccines in a cooler with ice packs in summer or possibly hot packs in winter if it is too cold. (Check vaccine labels for proper storage temperature.) Don’t mix more MLV vaccine than can be used in 30 minutes. If using MLV vaccines, only rehydrate the vials either one at a time or as they are needed. Make sure you are using a clean transfer needle and use only the diluent supplied by the manufacturer to rehydrate the vaccine. Always use a brand-new needle to draw up the vaccine into the syringe. When using needle-free injection systems, or syringes that draw doses from a tube attached to the vaccine bottle, care should be taken to assure the bottle and tubing stay cool and shaded from sunlight.

NO JOB IS DONE ‘TIL THE CLEAN-UP

Discard any mixed MLV vaccines that are not used, as they are only viable for about an hour or two after reconstitution. Discard any partial bottles of inactivated vaccine that have been contaminated by dirty needles. Return unmixed MLV and unused inactivated vaccines to proper storage as soon as possible. Clean syringes, transfer needles, and tubing. Make sure to rinse with distilled, boiling water inside and out. Follow the manufacturer’s directions on proper cleaning and maintenance of needle-free injection systems. Burn empty vaccine bottles or follow label directions for disposal of containers and needles.

The Bottom Line

The success of any livestock vaccination program depends on the effectiveness of the vaccine used. Vaccines-which in essence are suspensions of biological organisms – will become ineffective if proper storage and handling recommendations are not followed. Thus, if they are not followed you have in essence wasted a lot of money and time and have increased the potential for livestock illness and death loss due to disease that might have been avoided.
Sources:
Daly, R., Price, A. (March, 2010). Livestock Vaccines: How They Work and How to Ensure They Do Their Job. ExEx11025. SDSU Extension Extra. Brookings, SD.
Williams, P. D., & Paixão, G. (2018). On-farm storage of livestock vaccines may be a risk to vaccine efficacy: a study of the performance of on-farm refrigerators to maintain the correct storage temperature. BMC veterinary research, 14(1), 136. doi:10.1186/s12917-018-1450-z