The third full week in September is designated as National Farm Safety and Health Week, an annual event that aims to bring safety to the forefront, particularly during the busy fall harvest season. The campaign, which has been running since 1944, is the longest-running education campaign by a U.S. Presidential Proclamation. This year’s theme is “Safety First, Avoid the Worst,” with the campaign running from September 21-27.
Harvest Time Roadway and Equipment Safety
As farm equipment and motorists increasingly share rural roads during harvest, safety on the roadways is a primary focus. Dan Neenan of the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety highlights a common danger, noting that many collisions occur when farm equipment is making “left turns on the farmsteads… about the same time that the motoring public is trying to pass”. He urges the public to “obey the law” and “share the road” by only passing farm equipment in designated passing zones. Neenan also recommends that farmers keep a notebook in every vehicle with the local 911 signs from their properties, as this information can “tell the dispatcher, what Fire Department, what ambulance, what law enforcement agency to be able to respond” in an emergency.
Addressing Rural Mental Health
The campaign also addresses the significant issue of rural mental health. Terri Moore of the American Farm Bureau Federation notes that a key goal is to reduce the stigma associated with mental health. She states, “Our overarching goal is to break the stigma that has long existed around mental wellness,” and that the Farm Bureau is working to build a program to ensure that “every single farmer and rancher out there knows that there’s help available to them”.
Given that rural suicide rates are higher than in urban areas, advocates continue to promote resources. Melissa Ploeckelman of the National Farm Medicine Center points to the national 988 hotline as a crucial resource, stating, “that’s a hotline that will talk you through what’s going on right now”. The service can help “prevent a suicide in the moment, and then they can follow up by getting you some resources that are in your area, in your state”.
A Comprehensive Approach to Farm Safety
National Farm Safety and Health Week covers a diverse range of topics through daily webinars. The topics include:
- Monday: Equipment and rural roadway safety.
- Tuesday: Health and wellness, including the mental and emotional side of things.
- Wednesday: Generations of farming, focusing on all ages from children to grandparents.
- Thursday: Confined spaces in agriculture, such as grain bins and manure pits.
- Friday: Safety with UTVs and ATVs, which are widely used but have inherent safety hazards.
