National Farm Safety and Health Week is underway
Today is the start of Minnesota Farm Safety and Health Week and National Farm Safety and Health Week. The weeklong event, held each year in the third week of September, aims to promote safe practices among farmers during harvest season.
This year, the Iowa-based AgriSafe Network is hosting a series of free daily webinars on everything from tractor safety to preventing farm-related injuries among children. Additionally, the Grain Handling Safety Coalition is hosting a series of free webinars on various safety topics.
Agriculture is considered the most hazardous industry in which to work, according to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Thousands of farmers, family members and farm workers are injured and hundreds die in farming accidents each year in the U.S.
In Minnesota, University of Minnesota Extension and the Upper Midwest Agriculture Safety and Health Center are a one-stop shops for many health and safety resources. Visit their websites for farm-safety checklists, employee-training tools and other safety resources. The Minnesota Corn Growers Association (MCGA) website also has a list of mental health resources and resources to keep kids safe on the farm.
Nationally, the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety is a clearinghouse for farm-safety resources and has a webpage dedicated to National Farm Safety and Health Week.
Visit mncorn.org for a list of safety tips to review before harvest begins.
