NIOSH Celebrates National Farm Safety and Health Week

September 21-27, 2014, is National Farm Safety and Health Week. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) marks this year’s theme, Safety Counts: Protecting What Matters, by announcing the new Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing directory page.

The new page provides a one-stop entry to all of NIOSH’s agriculture, forestry and fishing resources, making it easier than ever to access data, information, and publications for research and action. The directory page is coordinated by the Office of Agriculture Safety and Health (OASH) in the NIOSH Director’s Office. OASH provides leadership to prevent work-related injuries and illnesses among the nation’s agriculture, forestry and fishing workers. OASH sets strategic directions for, supports, and monitors and reports progress on safety and health research and public health practice activities, both intramural and extramural. OASH also bridges internal and external activities by facilitating research integration, partnership development, and research to practice.

Workers in the agriculture, forestry and fishing sector experience the highest rates of fatal work-related injury of workers in any sector in the U.S. OASH supports NIOSH’s mission to protect agriculture, forestry and fishing workers in the United States and reduce these rates by coordinating a robust portfolio of intramural and extramural research and practice activities, including the nine regional Centers for Agriculture Disease and Injury Research, Education and Prevention and the National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety . Unique intramural surveillance efforts include collaborations with several federal and state partners to monitor childhood agricultural injuries; the Farm and Ranch Safety Survey, which measures injury and health exposures; and the SENSOR-Pesticides program to detect acute pesticide poisonings in participating states.

The new directory page offers improved access to these NIOSH data sources, topics and publications on agriculture, forestry and commercial fishing workers, and our extramural programs. It also links to information about program goals, outcomes, and partnerships through the Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing Program Portfolio, National Occupational Research Agenda, and recent program review pages. Visit the Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing website  to find out more about protecting farm workers, loggers, and fishermen from work-related injuries and illnesses.

NIOSH joins the Ag Centers in recognizing National Farm Safety and Health Week as an opportunity to emphasize the importance of working together to prevent injuries and illnesses to agriculture workers. During the week, topics such as Roadway Safety, Sun Safety, Tractor Safety, Confined Space Hazards, and Children’s Safety will be addressed. Take a look at the Ag Centers’ YouTube channel for videos on these and several related topics. Additional information and resources for the Week are available through the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety. NIOSH resources on National Farm Safety and Health Week topics and many others can be accessed through the new web page. Tell us below how you are celebrating National Farm Safety and Health Week and what resources you have found to be helpful in your efforts to improve safety and health in agriculture.

Brad Husberg, BSN, MSPH and Pietra Check, MPH

Captain Husberg is Director of the NIOSH Office of Agriculture Safety and Health and Manager of the Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing Program.

Ms. Check is Deputy Director of the NIOSH Office of Agriculture Safety and Health and Coordinator of the Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing Program.