Kids
Somerset County Holds Farm Safety Day
GAY BROWNLEE
Somerset Co. Correspondent
SOMERSET (Somerset Co.)
When visitors to First-on-the-
Scene for Farm Families was
held Sept. 30 at Scheffel Equip
ment on the Red Goose Road,
their attention to Bill Blough’s
presentation was rapt.
With Jim Harvey, Blough was
targeting the issue of PTO En
tanglement during the work
shops held at different times.
That is because Blough, who
got out of farming a few years
ago, has a complete left arm but
only a part of his right arm.
Blough comfortably removed the
prosthesis with its hook end that
has enabled him to perform any
task he wants to do and spoke
about his own accident 32 years
ago.
“When I pass this around,
they look at this old stub and it
makes an impression,” he said,
of the visible right appendage,
explaining he has worn out six
hooks and now possesses a new
kind. It is constructed of plastic
and stainless steel. Its designer
guarantees it won’t wear out.
Blough’s experience found him
caught in a manure spreader. He
spent seven weeks in the hospital
ample time to meet a nurse
named Jane. She obviously, was
an angel of mercy because she
became his bride in 1970.
“I married my nurse,” Blough
says, with a wide grin.
Ultimately, as Bloughs injuries
mended and he adapted to wear
ing a prosthesis, he was able to
farm about 500 acres and milk
110 cows, pick up bulky milk
cans, and wield bales of hay with
the hook.
New Centerville Rural Fire
Company used dummies and
farm machinery to demonstrate
the steps of action in entangle
ment emergency.
The event began with Dorothy
Bromley, director of the Somer
set County Cooperative Exten
sion, talking about a “Wake-up
Call.” This was followed by Scott
Kovach from Somerset County
911 talking about reporting acci
dents.
Other workshops included;
Farm Chemicals by Barry Blake
and Doug Walker; Manure and
Silo Safety by Jill Stull and Jay
Shaffer; Machinery Entangle
ment by Jim Saylor and Jim
Leer.
Additionally, Jessica Lynch
covered Animal Safety; Larry
Shober and Reed Miller from
Somerset Rural Electric Cooper
ative demonstrated Electrical
Safety; Smoke House, Kevin and
Stacey; Hay and Tractor Rollov
er, Paul Treimeloni. Pennsylva
nia State Police also dealt with
highway safety.
“Don’t panic,” is about the
hardest thing to not do, but the
most important thing to remem-
Auction To Benefit Boy In Farming Accident
MIFFLINBURG (Union Co.) will be conducted at the Buffalo Union County lost his arm from family. Items to be served in- To donate items, or to request
A benefit auction to help de- Valley Produce Auction, Tues. a recent farm accident. elude tools, building materials, more information, call Buffalo
fray costs associated with the Oct. 31. All proceeds from donated quilts, crafts, produce, baked Valley Produce Auction at (570)
farm accident of Merle Hoover The 13-year-old boy from items will be given to the Hoover goods, livestock, hay, and straw. 966-1151.
her, when an accident happens
whether chemical poisoning, en
tanglement or whatever.
Next, the person who is first
on the scene must remember to
not endanger himself, while aid
ing the person who originally
sustained an injury.
Barry Blake said a person
who panics will worsen the situ
ation. “Don’t let yourself get
hurt. Don’t become a victim
yourself,” he said.
Reactions can be from inhal
ing or ingesting or touching, de
pending on the type of chemical
involved.
Jill Stull from Conemaugh
Health Systems/Conemaugh
Med-Star assisted by giving po
tential life-saving tips about
dealing with accidents in ma
nure lagoons.
“Very deep liquid will suck
you in,” she said, and warned
that there can be a crust over
the top and unidentified gases
lurking below it. “You never
know what is under it,” Stull
said.
Jay Shaffer talked about
silos. He, himself was gased in
1990 while about midway to the
top of a silo. He opted in a split
second to go down rather than
up, but, soon after was found un
conscious still standing.
He said silos are a very eco
nomical way of storing feed but
there needs to be a fan at the bot
tom to blow and rid the air of
noxious gas. He highly recom
mends wearing a harness that al
lows the person to keep a voice
activated head set with him. If
there is trouble in the silo anoth
er person will immediately know
about it.
More people are realizing, too,
that cellular telephones or two
way communication devices are
indispensable to farm families.
These can help to save lives.
Stephanie Hartman, 16, a
member of the Berlin-Brother
svalley FFA said she was con
vinced the Erst thing you do in
an emergency is call 911.
“I came today and didn’t real
ize all the stuff 1 didn’t know. I
learned you take care of the pa
tient first, and that many little
details are really important.” She
commented that depending on
the location of the emergency,
you have to ensure rescue teams
will have an access to the area
where the victim awaits help.
Besides that, she learned that
a turnover emergency would re
quire a different response from
an emergency involving a ma
nure pit. Knowing what to do
first is critical.
“We are very much concerned
about farm safety and want to
help the farmers anyway we
can,” commented host Jonas
Scheffel, the owner of Scheffel
Equipment. “We enjoy our cus
tomers and don’t want to lose
Korne r
Bill Blough had a farm accident 32 years ago. At Farm Safety Day in Somerset, he
spoke from experience and showed how a prosthesis helps him do his work.
Some presenters at Farm Safety Day are pictured with coordinators, host Jonas
Scheffle and youngsters. Standing from left rear, Dennis Scheffel, Barry Blake, Paul
Treimeloni, Marvin Thomas, Jonas Scheffel, Jill Stull, Dottle Bromley, and Joel Romes
berg. In the foreground are Miguel Saviroff, Bill Blough, Gabriel Saviroff, Michael Savi
roff, Jeylan Romesberg, Janee Romesberg and Julia Romesberg.
them in accidents, he said. bles. versity with funding support
Those who attended were re- The event was coordinated by
warded with gorgeous fall weath- the Somerset County Coopera- ,
er and enjoyed the complimen- tive Extension, Somerset County 110111 the Dept, of Agncul
tary picnic style lunch on lawn Farm Bureau, Conemaugh
chairs, the grass and picnic ta- Health System, Penn State Uni- hire.
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