September 18th to the 24th is National Farm Safety and Health Week, and it’s a good time to make sure farm safety is a top priority at your operation. A promotion initiated by the National Safety Council and sponsored by the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety (NECAS), this year’s theme is “Farm Safety…A Legacy to be Proud of.”
History of National Farm Safety Week
National Farm Safety and Health Week was started in 1944 when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the proclamation designating the week for farm safety. Every year since then, the third week of September has been proclaimed to be National Farm Safety and Health Week by each President. Due to the business of harvest time, fall is traditionally the time when most farm-related accidents occur.
Farm Safety Statistics
The aim of an entire week about safety and health on the farm is to highlight the fact that agriculture is one of the most dangerous occupations in the U.S. According to statistics cited by NECAS from the Department of Labor, in 2014 there were 568 deaths and approximately 70,000 injuries related to farming and agriculture.
Since the majority of farms in the U.S. are family farms, and many children help out on the family farm, many children sustain injuries while in agriculture-related settings. It’s the opinion of NECAS that all agriculture-related accidents are preventable through education.
Ag Safety Week Topics
NECAS is offering five days’ worth of webinars. Each day, a different safety topic will be presented. Monday’s topic is Respiratory Health, and Tuesday’s topic is Health in general. Wednesday is devoted solely to the safety of children on the farm.
Thursday’s topic is Confined Spaces, and the last webinar is on Friday about Underground Utilities. Safety and Health will also be the topics of Tuesday’s ‘AgChat’ session from 7 to 9 p.m. (CST), and NECAS invites all to join in.
If you are in the ag industry, use the week to refocus on safety and health on your operation so that agriculture accidents are kept at bay.
Griffin Fertilizer is committed to helping both growers and ranchers make sound agronomic and economic decisions in order to maximize the health of their grove and pasture. As a full-service custom dry & liquid fertilizer blender and crop protection product distributor, we will continue our mission to further advance Florida agriculture. For questions or concerns about your farm or pasture, contact us and one of our team will be in touch.