EMERGING ISSUES | AVIAN INFLUENZA | EVENTS | CONTACT

SPOTLIGHT: Training Dairy Workers on Health and Safety

 APRIL 2020 Chela Vázquez Coordinator and Trainer vazquezc@umn.edu It’s been two years since I joined UMASH doing trainings on health and safety in Spanish for dairy workers in Minnesota. My job entails going to dairy farms, meeting workers and engaging them in discussion about potential injuries on the farm and ways to prevent it. I have learned …

SPOTLIGHT: Stop Think Act: Safety in 3 Words

 APRIL 2020 Our neighbors to the North in Canada, Workplace Safety & Prevention Services (WSPS), with Imperial Oil, have developed a simple, but effective reminder to practice safety and health on the farm. It is only three words but says it all when preventing injuries or other tragedies from occurring. Stop Think Act is just one tool to encourage …

SPOTLIGHT: Respirator Q & A Toolkit

Farmers and agricultural workers need respiratory protection for many jobs on the farm – such as working around grain, hogs, hay, or solid pesticides. …

Staying Connected – Agricultural Safety Connection Educational Seminar

The 6th annual Agricultural Safety Connection Educational Seminar was held January 7, 2020 at Stevens Point, Wisconsin. This event is sponsored by the Center for Dairy Farm Safety at the University of Wisconsin – River Falls and provides attendees with information on current OSHA regulations, topics in safety and health and networking opportunities. …

SPOTLIGHT: Living, working on farms increases risk of gastrointestinal illness

MARCH 2020 New study reveals greater levels of infection in people working with livestock Minnesotans who live or work on a farm with livestock and poultry are 8 times more likely to be diagnosed with a gastrointestinal illness than other Minnesotans, according to recently published findings from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and the Upper …

Part of the Safety Club – Farm City Hub Club Show

MARCH 2020 March rolled in like a lamb this year – which created perfect conditions for the annual Farm City Hub Club Show in New Ulm, MN. This year the organizers planned the event with an emphasis on safety. The theme Focus on Farm Safety in 2020 was everywhere in the exhibit hall and in conversations with attendees, exhibitors and the event …

SPOTLIGHT: Standing up to Save Lives

OSHA and the National Grain and Feed Association (NFGA) are increasing efforts to ensure that people stay safe when working around grain bins. Headed by OSHA, NFGA, and other key organizations, this year’s Grain Safety Stand-Up campaign is held the week of April 13-20. …

SPOTLIGHT: AgriSafe Learning Lab – Learn Your Way

MARCH 2020 Ashley Fey, MPH Program Manager – AgriSafe Network AgriSafe has led distance education innovation in agricultural safety and health for the past 10 years. In partnership with experts from across the country, AgriSafe has accessible and quality content on topics covering a variety of exposures common in agricultural work. AgriSafe launched …

SPOTLIGHT: Agricultural Safety is a “Team Sport”

FEBRUARY 2020 Jeff Bender, DVM, MS Director, Upper Midwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center Farming is dangerous work and farm workers are at high risk of personal injury. Agricultural workers are eight times more likely to die on the job than other workers. 1 Worker injuries on dairy farms are related to animal handling with cattle, often resulting …

Women in Ag: Annie’s Project St.Cloud

On February 25, 2020, the Saint Cloud Annie’s Project hosted their final class, focusing on stress, mental health, and agricultural safety and health. Annie’s Project is a series of workshops designed to empower farm women to be better business partners. It is a six-week series of risk management education sessions covering the business of farming …