September 18-24, 2016, is National Farm Safety and Health Week (NFSHW). This annual event, begun by the National Safety Council in 1944, promotes safe and healthy practices on farms and ranches around the U.S. Agriculture is among our most hazardous industries, with a work-related fatal injury rate of 25.6 deaths per 100,000 workers annually, according to the most recent numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (U.S. BLS, 2016). This rate is more than 7.5 times the rate for all industries and far exceeds other industries considered hazardous, such as transportation (14.1/100,000) and mining (14.2/100,000).
The ten U.S. Agricultural Centers funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) are marking this year’s theme, Farm Safety: A Legacy to Be Proud Of, across social media platforms, especially through their YouTube channel. The U.S. Ag Centers’ YouTube channel hosts more than 90 videos on a variety of topics related to agriculture, forestry, and fishing. We welcome NIOSH’s partnership in recognizing National Farm Safety and Health Week as an opportunity to emphasize the importance of working together with the farming community to prevent injuries and illnesses to agriculture workers.