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SPOTLIGHT: Worker Protection Standard

Agricultural work is one of the most dangerous occupations in the US. In January 2017, those who work in this important industry were afforded stronger protections. On January 2nd, the first wave of revisions to the Worker Protection Standard (WPS) went into effect, aiming to minimize the adverse health effects of pesticide exposure. …

SPOTLIGHT: Ag Injury News Clippings Database

AgInjuryNews.org is a great resource to monitor injury and fatality trends. These are not official numbers, but are gleaned from news reports across the U.S. Developed by staff at the National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety (NCCRAHS) in 2015, this web-based tool compiles newspaper articles through a combination of Google alerts, review of media clippings and verified personal submissions. …

SPOTLIGHT: An Ode to Research Participants

I recently had the privilege to organize an event acknowledging the efforts of participants in our Hispanic worker training research project. We had asked farmers and workers to perform a year’s worth of activities that we think may increase the health and safety on their farms. We’re almost done collecting data, and the preliminary results are promising. …

SPOTLIGHT: Seguridad – Translating Research to Practice

OCTOBER 2016 Have you ever changed your behavior because of a research study you came across on the radio or in a magazine? Perhaps you you started an exercise program to control weight to prevent diabetes. Research is translated into practice when scientific discoveries are pushed out into the real world for communities, individuals, and organizations …

SPOTLIGHT: The Evolution of the Healthy Fairs Project – The Power of Relationships

SEPTEMBER 2016 Natalie Loots UMASH Evaluation Team Research Assistant, Division of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Minnesota School of Public Health Relationships can often be the true measure of a project’s success. The Minnesota Department of Health’s Healthy Fairs pilot project has certainly experienced success in this way. Healthy …

SPOTLIGHT: 2015 UMASH Annual Forum – Partnerships Create Greater Impact

MAY 2016 Natalie Loots UMASH Evaluation Team Research Assistant, Division of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Minnesota School of Public Health “If I hadn’t been sitting in the room then I would not have made that connection.” – Carolyn Sheridan, clinical director of the AgriSafe Network referring to her experience at the May …

SPOTLIGHT: “Stress Less” with Good Stockmanship and Reduce Worker Injuries

MAY 2016 Jeffrey B. Bender DVM Director/CAHFS, Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine Moving and handling 1400-pound animals is not a job for everyone – it is however, one that dairy farmers do every day. Across the Midwest large dairy cattle are moved to and from the parlor several times each day.  …

SPOTLIGHT: Responding to Emerging Issues – HPAI Outbreak

SEPTEMBER 2015 Joni M. Scheftel, DVM, MPH, DACVPM State Public Health Veterinarian, Minnesota Department of Health Kirk Smith, DVM, PhD Foodborne, Waterborne, Vectorborne, and Zoonotic Diseases Section, Minnesota Department of Health In spring 2015, the U.S. experienced a devastating outbreak caused by highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N2, …

SPOTLIGHT: Rabies as an Immigrant Worker Health Issue on the Farm

SEPTEMBER 2014 Iris Reyes Research Specialist, National Farm Medicine Center As the dairy industry modernizes, Hispanic immigrant workers play an increasingly important role. Approximately 50% of the dairy workforce in the United States is made up of immigrant workers, largely from Mexico. There are numerous barriers to addressing the health and safety …