|
As summer progresses, it’s important to reflect on the safety and health risks that come with ag work. Farms and ranches can be dangerous places, with hazards ranging from heavy machinery to exposure to pesticides and extreme weather conditions.
To ensure the safety of ag workers, it’s important to provide proper training and equipment for all tasks. All machinery should be properly maintained and inspected regularly, and workers should be trained on how to use it safely. Appropriate PPE should also be used to minimize exposure to hazardous chemicals and dust.
In addition to physical safety, it’s important to prioritize the mental health of farmers and ag workers. The stresses of the job can be overwhelming, especially during harvest season.
Visit our website to find resources to keep you and others safe and healthy on the farm.
| |
Upcoming Outreach and Training Events
Find us on the road! Interested in having us provide outreach at an event? Contact ellen.duysen@unmc.edu.
| | |
Daily topics of focus:
- Monday, September 18, 2023 - Equipment and Rural Roadway Safety
- Tuesday, September 19, 2023 - Health and Wellness
- 1pm CDT - Ellen Duysen will present an AgriSafe webinar on Emerging, Re-emerging and Long-standing Infectious Disease in Agricultural Workers and Cost-Effective Measures for Prevention
- Wednesday, September 20, 2023 - Priority Populations
- 12pm CDT - Dr. Athena Ramos & Ellen Duysen will present a Progressive Agriculture webinar on bringing safety education to Hispanic and Tribal youth
- Thursday, September 21, 2023 - Confined Spaces
- Friday, September 22, 2023 - Brain Health
| | | | Safe + Sound Week is a nationwide event held each August that recognizes the successes of workplace health and safety programs and offers information and ideas on how to keep America's workers safe. | | This year Safe + Sound Week will provide resources for businesses on mental health and well-being. These materials will be posted before the start of Safe + Sound Week. Find more information on the website. | | The Center held an in-person External Advisory Board meeting on July 10th in conjunction with the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) annual conference. Project updates were shared, and successes were celebrated. We extend a HUGE thank you to everyone who makes our work possible! | | | The 5th Annual Bison Worker Safety & Herd Health Roundtable took place in Flandreau, SD, June 14 and 15. This meeting, hosted by CS-CASH and the InterTribal Buffalo Council, brought together bison handlers to focus on worker and animal safety. After a day of training, the group experienced a ceremonial bison harvest and field processing. | |  | On June 2nd and 3rd, Dr. Athena Ramos attended the Cattlemen's Ball of Nebraska, Inc. to tell people about Feedyard 15. The Feedyard 15 is a free safety training curriculum that is available to cattle feedyard operations. | | | Nebraska Tractor & Equipment Safety Certification Course and Hands-On Safety Days took place at 8 different sites across Nebraska from May 23 to June 8. Over 100 people became certified this year! Big thanks to the outreach team involved in this training: Ellen Duysen, Dr. Risto Rautiainen, Dr. Aaron Yoder, PhD students Suraj Adhikari and Sarah Tucker, Kelsey Irvine, summer undergraduate research program student Annika Covington, and Linda Emmanuel (AgriSafe). | | | CS-CASH evaluator Dr. Cheryl Beseler was awarded an outstanding reviewer award at the 2023 ASABE - American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers Conference on Monday, July 10th. | | | CS-CASH coordinator Ellen Duysen was awarded the ISASH practitioner achievement award at the 2023 ISASH Conference, that took place in July in Tampa, Florida. | | | Session A and Session B of the 2023 Agricultural Health and Safety Course for Medical and Safety Professionals has wrapped! Session C is ongoing through August 11. Over 75 people have participated in the course this year. | | |
Publications & Other Media
-
Gibbs JL, Sheridan C, Sullivan D, Rautiainen R, Nonnenmann MW, Wyatt TA. (2023). Self-reported respiratory health symptoms and respiratory protection behaviors of young adult hog producers in the United States. American Journal of Industrial Medicine. doi: 10.1002/ajim.23515. PMID: 37443418.
-
Gaffney KK, Medcalf S, Duysen E, & Wichman C. (2023). Rural and Agricultural Natural Disaster Stress and Recovery: A Comparison. Journal of Agromedicine. doi: 10.1080/1059924X.2023.2230987
-
Addressing risks and language barriers for immigrant feedyard workers, by Dr. Aaron Yoder. Featured in Progressive Cattle.
-
FarmSafe Podcast S2E12: Cattle Feedyard Safety – Safety Climate Improvement Strategies by Great Plains Center for Agricultural Health featured Dr. Athena Ramos.
-
FarmSafe Podcast S2E14: Using Technology to Prepare for Rural Emergency by Great Plains Center for Agricultural Health featured Dr. Aaron Yoder.
-
The article ATV Safety Knowledge and Skills are Critical for All Riders, by Dr. Dee Jepsen, Dr. Aaron Yoder, Dr. Salah Issa, Dr. Marsha Salzwedel, Karen Funkenbusch, & Dr. Farzaneh Khorsandi, can be found on page 18 of the March/April 2023 issue of The Agricultural Education Magazine.
| | |
Meet our Undergraduate Research Student
Meet Annikia Covington "Nik", an undergraduate student spending time with the Center this summer as a part of UNMC's Summer Undergraduate Research Program! Nik is conducting research as a part of our bison worker health and safety project. She was able to attend this year’s Bison Worker Safety & Herd Health Roundtable in Flandreau, SD, and is pictured here scraping a bison hide after a tribal ceremonial harvest and processing demonstration.
| | | | |
FarmResponse available to Central States region for free
FarmResponse is an On-Demand 3.5-hour continuing education course developed by national experts from the AgriStress Response Network. The course provides the full range of competencies necessary to provide appropriate mental healthcare for agricultural producers and their families. The CS-CASH sponsors free access to FarmResponse in the Central States region.
| |
Need a presentation or training? Contact us!
We can provide presentations and trainings in our 7-state region, free of charge, on ag health and safety related topics.
Contact Ellen Duysen.
| | | | | Connect with us @unmccscash | | Funding provided to Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health by NIOSH AFF Grant U54OH010162 | | | | |
