It is important to take special precautions on the roadways during planting and harvesting season—whether you are a farmer or driver of a motor vehicle. In the Midwest region of the United States, more than 1,000 farm vehicle crashes occur each year and cause severe and fatal injuries. Most crashes (75%) result in an injury, usually with increased risk to the non-farm vehicle operator (such as a motor vehicle driver) compared to the farmer. The Great Plains Center for Agricultural Health recently conducted a study reporting that wider roads (wider shoulder width, for example) and increased lighting and marking on farm equipment are both associated with reduced roadway crash rates. …

On May 5th, the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) Symposium targeted the opioid crisis for its annual outreach event. The symposium focused on raising awareness, providing continuing education, and sharing research about the opioid crisis in occupational and agricultural health. …

The occupational death rate on farms is nearly 800 percent greater than in all other industries combined. The leading cause of farm deaths is tractor rollovers. …