Title: Identify safety concerns related to the turfgrass industry.
Course: Turfgrass Management (18054-III) > Section: Demonstrating Safety in the Turfgrass Industry

Identification should include

- explaining safety standards, regulations, and laws established by federal, state, and local laws/codes
- explaining PPE requirements
- describing safety hazard categories
  - biological
  - chemical
  - physical
  - ergonomic
  - electrical
- recognizing examples of potential hazards
  - cuts, abrasions, and amputations
  - heat and cold stress, dangerous weather conditions, and poor air quality
  - lifting and awkward postures
  - slips, trips, and falls
  - pinch and nip points
  - allergies or sensitivities to plants, soil and its components, substrates and their components, insects, animals, supplies
- describing safety practices while
  - operating motor vehicles
  - using hand and power tools
  - using pesticides and chemicals
  - preparing soil
  - irrigating
  - constructing hardscapes
  - planting trees, shrubs, and grasses
  - performing lawn and landscape maintenance
- knowing the location of first aid kits
- demonstrating basic first aid treatment procedures (for cuts, punctures, burns, and various injuries)
- demonstrating knowledge of insurance, liability, and workman’s compensation
- explaining compliance with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Agricultural Worker Protection Standard (WPS).

Teacher Resources:

- Hazards and Solutions, Landscape and Horticultural Services, OSHA
- Pesticides, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes for Health

Process/Skill Questions:

- What types of tools, machinery and equipment do workers in the turfgrass industry use that can cause burns?
- What precautions should be taken to avoid burns?
- What types of PPE is required when working in the turfgrass industry??
- What potential zoonotic exposure risks exist in the turfgrass industry?
- What is the Agricultural WPS and how is it related to turfgrass employees?