AMES, Iowa—Consistently ranked as the most dangerous industry in America, farmers and those involved with the agricultural sector are reminded of the many ways they can practice farm safety.

National Farm Safety and Health Week is Sept. 18-24, with educational opportunities planned for people of all ages, including weekday webinars hosted by farm safety experts.

Fall harvest time is one of the busiest and most dangerous seasons of the year for the agriculture industry, which is why the third week of September is recognized as National Farm Safety and Health Week.

The 2019 data for the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that the agricultural sector is still the most dangerous in America with 573 fatalities, or an equivalent of 23.1 deaths per 100,000 workers.

“Iowa is home of some of the most productive soil in the world, which allows us to lead the nation in a variety of agricultural outputs, but our most important agricultural resources are the farmers and agricultural workers who make this possible,” said Steven Freeman, professor in agricultural and biosystems engineering at Iowa State University. “All Iowans should join with our agricultural safety professionals in working together to reduce the risks associated with agricultural production.”

The AgriSafe Network, based in northeast Iowa, will hold free daily farm safety webinars at noon and 2 p.m. CDT. Participants need only register once to access all webinars.

Daily topics and webinars:

• Monday, Sept. 19. Tractor Safety and Rural Roadway Safety. “Crashes Involving Agricultural Vehicles,” followed by “ATV/UTV Safety for Farm Women.”
• Tuesday, Sept. 20. Overall Farmer Health. “Putting Time and Distance Between Someone at Risk of Suicide and Lethal Means,” followed by “Heat and Wildfire Smoke Exposure Among Agricultural Workers.”
• Wednesday, Sept. 21. Safety and Health for Youth in Agriculture. “Protecting and Promoting the Health of Young Agricultural Workers: The Role of Employers and Supervisors,” followed by “Farm Youth Mental Health: What We Know and How to Help.”
• Thursday, Sept. 22. Confined Spaces. “Roundtable Discussion: Grain Bin Safety,” followed by “Confined Space: Grain Bin Entry.”
• Friday, Sept. 23. Safety and Health for Women in Agriculture. “More than Milk: Strong Bones and Injury Prevention for Aging Women in Ag,” followed by “¡Basta! Working Together to Prevent Sexual Harassment in the Agricultural Workplace.”

National Farm Safety and Health Week is led by the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety, the agricultural partner of the National Safety Council.

The center also offers safety training resources related to various agricultural practices and industry sectors. In addition, the center provides rescue program information, for those responding to injuries and incidents.

(contributed press release, ISUANR)