FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Monday, September 9, 2019
CONTACT: Jenn Patterson, GPCAH communications coordinator
Jennifer-j-patterson@uiowa.edu | 319-335-4026
September 15-21st is National Farm Safety and Health Week, and the Great Plains Center is joining a nationwide effort to raise awareness and prevent injuries and illnesses among agricultural workers.
The Great Plains Center for Agricultural Health (GPCAH) is collaborating with 10 other U.S. Agricultural Centers to promote farm safety during the third week of September. Sponsored by The National Education Center for Agricultural Safety, this year’s National Farm Safety and Health Week theme is “Shift Farm Safety into High Gear”.
“Agricultural workers have higher rates of occupational injuries and illnesses than other industries. This is a challenge throughout the year, but National Farm Safety and Health week gives us an opportunity to publicize the issue and encourage a consistent commitment to safe farming practices,” said Brandi Janssen, co-director of GPCAH Outreach.
Each day of the week national attention will be given to one important safety and health topic, including: tractor safety, farmer health and opioid/suicide prevention, safety and health for youth, confined spaces, and safety and health for women in agriculture. There will be free one-hour webinars for the public at noon (CST) and 2:00 PM throughout the week. Visit https://www.necasag.org/nationalfarmsafetyandhealthweek/ for details.
“The GPCAH has compiled resources and stories that promote safe and healthy farming to share on social media during this important week. We encourage everyone to participate by joining the conversation and sharing their own tips on ways to reduce injuries and illnesses on the farm,” said GPCAH Director Renée Anthony. “The Midwest is the national leader in the production of many agricultural commodities, and our goal is for our farmers to become the leaders in safe and healthy farming.”
You will find a wealth of helpful information throughout the week by following #GPCAH #USAgCenters #NFSHW and #necasag on Twitter and Facebook and visiting necasag.org/nationalfarmsafetyandhealthweek. Follow GPCAH on Twitter at twitter.com/gpcah and Facebook at facebook.com/GPCAH.
Join the conversation and tell us what you are doing to make farming safer.
The Great Plains Center, located at the University of Iowa College of Public Health, is funded by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health.