This year’s theme is “Don’t Learn Safety By Accident"
With harvest underway, ag safety is in the spotlight during National Farm Safety and Health Week (NFSHW24).
Every third week of September, AgriSafe and community partners raise awareness about safety and health in ag.
This year’s theme is “Don’t Learn Safety By Accident.”
Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows people working in ag are at higher risk of injuries or fatalities compared to other industries.
In 2021, for example, the U.S. ag sector experienced 453 fatalities, or 19.5 deaths per 100,000 workers.
As part of NFSHW24, AgriSafe is hosting multiple free webinars about different aspects of ag safety:
- Monday, September 16: Equipment and Rural Roadway Safety
- Tuesday, September 17: Health and Wellness
- Wednesday, September 18: Generations of Farming
- Thursday, September 19: Confined Space
- Friday, September 20: Reporting Ag Injuries
Recent incidents have put a spotlight on farm safety.
On Sept. 11, for example, the Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s office in Ohio received a call of a two-year-old boy caught between the bucket and tracks of a skid steer.
The boy and his brother were in the bucket while their mother operated the equipment, local media says.
And on Sept. 8, the Stanton County Sheriff’s office in Nebraska responded to a call of a farmer trapped in a corn bin.
First responders successfully rescued the farmer.
Farm safety is important all year round, said Michael Dibbern, vice president of the Nebraska Corn Board.
“This is an industry my grandfather was in, and my father, myself and hopefully someday the next generation, but it doesn’t go without risks,” he said in a statement. “I grew up in and around combines and tractors, but not without my father being next to me teaching safety and vigilance with equipment. As I teach my children about farming, we have safety measures that must be learned so it’s not learned by accident.”