National Farm Safety and Health Week programs scheduled

PEOSTA, Iowa — National Farm Safety and Health Week will be observed Sept. 15-21 this year.

The theme, “Don’t Learn Safety by Accident,” encourages people to take a proactive approach to safety education.

AgriSafe Network is hosting a week of free educational webinars to promote farm safety and health.

Learn about the latest safety practices and health tips to keep you and your farm safe. Register at https://tinyurl.com/23m3wzrz.

Daily Topics

• Monday, Sept. 16 — Equipment and rural roadway safety.

• Tuesday, Sept. 17 — Health and wellness.

• Wednesday, Sept. 18 — Generations of farming.

• Thursday, Sept. 19 — Confined spaces.

• Friday, Sept. 20 — Reporting ag injuries.

Free Webinars

Sept 16: “Skid Loader Safety” with Dan Neenan — Learn the basics of skid loader operation including proper transport, safety features, blind spots and why there should be no passengers. This course is intended for workers in forestry and logging, including fallers, first-line supervisors and managers of forestry workers, logging equipment operators, sawing machine setters, operators and tenders, and truck drivers.

Sept 16: “Sharing the Road, Agricultural Equipment and the Driving Public” with Ed Brokesh — This webinar will provide an understanding of where the interaction between agriculture machines and non-rural traffic is occurring, what are some of the more common types of incidents that are occurring, and what resources are available to reduce ag equipment and regular vehicle incidents.

Sept 17: “Noise: Bad for My Ears and Heart, Too? " with Marjorie McCullagh — This session will provide participants with state-of-the-science information regarding the effects of occupational and environmental noise on health. A variety of methods to protect adults and children from the hazards of noise exposure will be discussed.

Sept 17: “Conversations on Access to Lethal Means Training” with Olivia Bury and Linda Emanuel — CALM is a suicide prevention training that encourages safe storage of lethal means, including firearms and medications, during a suicidal crisis. By temporarily putting time and distance between a suicidal person and highly lethal means, a life may be saved. This training is not anti-gun or anti-drug and is designed to be a specific effective part of suicide prevention.

Sept 18: “Three Step Process to Farm Succession Planning” with Joy Kirkpatrick — Research shows that working with other family members and succession planning are top stressors for farmers. This presentation will provide an overview of common barriers to planning for the next generation of owners and managers for family-owned farms.

Sept 18: “Training Future Generations of Farmers through Apprenticeship” with Abigail Allen and Victoria Cosentino — The agriculture industry faces a shortage of skilled farmers with many experienced farmers nearing retirement age. They will highlight how farmers can utilize Registered Apprenticeship Programs to train the next generation of farmers, combining classroom and online learning with hands-on experience on working farms.

Sept 18: “Train the Trainer: No Safe Way to Vape” with Abby Kahrs — This train-the-trainer webinar is designed for teachers, Extension staff, 4-H and FFA leaders and others who work with young adults in agriculture. This session aims to provide attendees the tools necessary to equip their students with a comprehensive understanding of the health risks associated with vaping, debunk common myths and foster critical thinking and informed decision-making skills.

Sept 19: “Causes of Oxygen Deficiency, Confined Space and Toxic Fumes” with Jerry Purswell and Chiemezie Anthony Udemba — The presentation will identify trends, common causes and effective preventive measures for these hazardous conditions.

Sept 19: “Grain Related Entrapment: Are We Focusing on the Right Problem” with Bill Field — Enhancing the knowledge and skills of grain producers to maintain high quality grain will not only reduce entrapment incidents, but will improve profitability for the producer.

Sept 20: “It Pays to Talk Safety in Ag” with Sheri Saskowski — A recent publication has estimated that agricultural injuries are under-reported by an astonishing 70%. This webinar will discuss the challenges, barriers and unintended consequences for suppressing injury reporting in the agricultural workforce.