The National Farm Safety and Health Week is observed every third week of September. This commemorative week has been practiced for 73 years, with the first observation being in 1944 when President Franklin D. Roosevelt was in office. Ohio will celebrate this week on Sept. 17 though Sept. 23, 2017.
The theme ?Putting Safety into Practice? reminds us that it is everyone?s responsibility to practice safety ? on the farm and on the road. The U.S. Department of Labor calculates the death rate for agricultural workers to be higher than other workforces. Knowing that agriculture is a dangerous industry ? this includes farming, forestry and fishing ? it is important for workers to practice safety.
As the theme suggests, practicing safety is something we should do, not something we merely say. When safety is a part of our lifestyle and our workplace routine, it becomes a way of life. Employees and employers should work together recognize and reduce potential hazards.
The Ohio State University Agricultural Safety and Health Program promotes this commemorative week, but also has materials available throughout the year. A variety of outreach resources are developed for different farm operations, large or small, and a wide range of workforce ages, including safety messages for children or visitors who may not work on the farm. Many of these resources are provided at no cost on the website. Training programs are also available for agricultural groups and businesses looking for specific workplace issues. A monthly newsletter is published each month called Ag S.T.A.T. This online publication shares short announcements of upcoming safety events, as well as delivers short safety messages for that particular time of year.
All of these materials are available through the OSU Ag Safety Program website: www.agsafety.osu.edu or Facebook at OSU Ag Safety and Health.
The OSU safety staff will also be at Farm Science Review, located within OSU Central on the exhibit map. Stop by and watch our Grain C.A.R.T. demonstrations, look for hazards at the Farm Safety Scene hazard hunt, see new safety features for ATV?s and UTV?s, answer questions about how youth are safely employed on your farm, and attend daily sessions on farm equipment modifications in the AgrAbility tent. Our safety team is available all three days of the Review to answer your specific questions.
Practicing safety is something we all do in agriculture. Having a commemorative week is just a reminder of this, no matter the week or the season.
Dee Jepsen, Associate Professor, can be reached at 292-6008 or jepsen.4@osu.edu. This column is provided by the OSU Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, OSU Extension, Ohio Agricultural Research & Development Center, and the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
