It's National Farm Safety and Health Week

It’s National Farm Safety and Health Week
I’m KayDee Gilkey with the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report.

According to the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety (NECAS), there were 596 deaths and 70,000 disabling injuries attributed to agriculture in 2010.

Every U.S. President since Franklin D Roosevelt, who signed the first proclamation in 1944, has made the third week of September National Farm Safety and Health Week. Director of National Education Center for Agricultural Safety, Dan Neenan shares:

Neenan: “So the theme for this week is Farm Safety and Health: A Family Affair. So it is dealing with the whole family from the actual farm family doing the work to the kids who are on the farm to the grandparents who are also there helping. Working with safety topics and dealing with them in the fall just before harvest.”

Neenan shares some safety tips for farm families to remember.
Neenan: “First of all, if they take medications to make sure they are taking them - even if they are busy during the fall harvest that they still take their medication on time. Checking their equipment before fall harvest making sure that all of the safety guards are in place and that the lighting and marking on any of the equipment that is going to be out on the road is functional and visable.”

To learn more safety and health tips you can visit the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety at www.necasag.org.
I’m KayDee Gilkey with the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.