Sunday, September 15th kicked off National Farm Safety and Health Week. Since 1944 National Farm Safety Week has been observed in September to raise awareness ahead of the harvest season, one of the most dangerous times in farming. Farming remains one of the most hazardous jobs, with 417 agriculture-related fatalities reported in the U.S. in 2022, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This year’s theme is “Don’t Learn Safety by Accident.” AgriSafe is offering free webinars, featuring a different theme each day.
Tawnie Larson, a project consultant for the Kansas Agriculture Safety and Health program at Kansas State University, identified the most frequent agricultural injuries as musculoskeletal issues from falls, slips, or trips; exposure to hazardous substances; over-exertion; and sprains, strains, and tears.
Larson noted that in Kansas, fatalities are most common among individuals aged 45 and older, typically involving machinery and transportation incidents, such as tractor rollovers, livestock interactions, and confined spaces. However, younger individuals are also affected: in 2020, eight Kansas youths under 16 and 141 workers aged 20 to 44 died in agriculture-related accidents.
More information about the webinars and farm safety can be found on the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety’s website.
This years webinars include:
Monday, September 16, 2024 – Equipment and Rural Roadway Safety
- 11 AM – 12 PM CDT Skid Loader Safety
- 1 PM – 2 PM CDT Sharing the Road: Agricultural Equipment and the Driving Public
Tuesday, September 17, 2024 – Health and Wellness
- 11 AM – 12 PM CDT Noise: Bad for My Ears and Heart, too?
- 1 PM – 2 PM CDT Conversations on Access to Lethal Means
Wednesday, September 18, 2024 – Generations of Farming
- 11 AM – 12 PM CDT Three Step Process to Farm Succession Planning
- 1 PM – 2 PM CDT Training Future Generations of Farmers through Registered Apprenticeship
- 3 PM – 4 PM CDT Train the Trainer – No Safe Way to Vape
Thursday, September 19, 2024 – Confined Spaces
- 11 AM – 12 PM CDT Causes of Oxygen Deficiency, Confined Space, and Toxic Fumes
- 1 PM – 2 PM CDT Grain Related Entrapment: Are We Focusing on the Right Problem?
Friday, September 20, 2024 – Reporting Ag Injuries
- 11 AM – 12 PM CDT It Pays to Talk Safety in Ag
- 1 PM – 2 PM CDT Using a Novel App Prototype to Assess Heat Stress Risk Among Outdoor Workers
