Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Celebrate Farm Safety Week With Videos, Fact Sheets & More

According EHS Today, agriculture has the highest fatality rate of any industry sector, with a fatality rate of 21.2 per 100,000 full-time workers. In the U.S., an estimated 1.03 million children and teens resided on farms in 2009, and on average, 113 individuals under 20 years of age die each year from farm-related injuries.

September 15-22 is National Farm Safety & Health Week, and several organizations are making efforts to raise awareness about the many hazards present in agricultural work. Here is a partial list of resources to help protect workers and families:


  • OSHA's agricultural operations page offers facts on agricultural injuries, vehicle hazards and concerns regarding young workers in agriculture, as well as links to other resources and relevant standards.
  • The National Education Center for Agricultural Safety at Northeast Iowa Community College provides National Farm Safety Week resources including links to webinars on grain bin safety, agricultural chemical safety and respirator programs for agriculture.
  • Canadian Agricultural Safety Association provides access to presentations, videos and booklets on various farm safety topics, including foreign worker farm safety training, ergonomics in agriculture and safe animal handling practices.
  • Farmsafe Australia Inc. offers resources addressing several unique issues including farmers with disabilities, emergency preparedness in agriculture and hearing safety for farmworkers. 
  • Farm Safety For Just Kids is an educational website geared toward children living on farms. It features lesson plans, puzzles and other educational materials on topics such as animal handling, safe riding, ATV safety, tractor safety, chemical identification and reading chemical labels.
  • Directory of NIOSH Ag Safety Centers also includes links to informational newsletters.
  • OSHA's grain handling page provides information on standards, hazards, and evaluating and controlling exposure to grain handling risks.