The Chainsaw Safety training program is intended for workers and managers in the agricultural and forestry industries. The major focus of the program is on the identification of and the safe operation of chainsaws. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 36,000 people are injured by chainsaws annually.
Farmers and agricultural workers are routinely exposed to a wide variety of chemicals. Toxicity Category I and II organophosphates (OPs) and N-methyl carbamates are cholinesterase-inhibiting insecticides commonly used in agriculture to kill insects or prevent them from damaging or destroying crops. Over-exposure to these chemicals results in the inhibition of the enzyme cholinesterase (ChE) which is utilized in the body’s conducting tissue, such as nerve and muscle motor sensory fibers. Acute toxic effects can include confusion, headache, and even loss of consciousness. Severe inhibition of ChE in the body can result in muscle paralysis, respiratory failure, seizures, coma, and death. Currently, there is no practice standard or national medical surveillance program for cholinesterase monitoring.
Forest workers face unique ergonomic challenges due to their exposure to extreme environmental conditions, heavy workload, and dangerous tools and machines. The forest sector has one of the highest rates of Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs), almost 100 times higher than the industrial targets the National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH) set. This program is intended to help forest workers identify ergonomic issues leading to musculoskeletal injuries and discover resources to aid in injury treatment and prevention.
Summary: In this short webinar, you will learn about the basics of avian influenza, learn about the HPAI outbreak in 2022, how outbreak control works, and what people should do ifRead More
Forestry and logging workers are exposed to a range of biological hazards, extreme weather, accidents, and – especially for women– assault. Workplace violence is violence or the threat of violence against workers. This training will review the many forms of workplace violence among co-workers, including sexual harassment. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) states that “each employer shall furnish to each of his employees’ employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees.” In this presentation, AgriSafe will focus on educating forestry employees and their employers on reporting violent incidents to authorities, informing employees of their legal rights, and safe work practices.
This webinar introduces the practice of Curanderismo as an ethno-indigenous form of health and healing originating in Mesoamerica and practiced among many Latinx communities. The presenters will discuss their work with traditional medicine and present the specializations of Curanderismo, which can be used by people of all cultural backgrounds and various health providers with their patients. The presenters will begin with a brief opening ceremony, provide their personal narratives of traditional healing, a historical grounding of Curanderismo, present the specializations of the traditional medicine, and discuss current efforts to integrate traditional and allopathic medicine.
As people spend more time outdoors, so do many insects and pests. Among them are ticks, which are small bloodsucking insects. The deer tick (also known as the black-legged tick) is found mainly in the Eastern and upper Midwestern regions of the U.S. It can cause conditions such as Lyme disease – the most common vector-borne disease in the United States. This webinar will cover the things you need to know to prevent tick bites when working outdoors, how to remove a tick if bitten, as well as the symptoms that can result from tick bites that may indicate Lyme Disease.
Falls by older adults are common and usually multifactorial. Falls are associated with functional decline. Prevention of falls in older adults is better than treatment. Screening for fall risk factors is essential to create customized preventive interventions and is very effective. Falls prevention guidelines by different health organizations and their recommendation for multifactorial interventions are available.
This webinar will introduce participants to current challenges in the commercial fishing industry and how they are impacting the mental health and well-being of commercial fishermen and their communities. The presenters will also share resources that are available (and in the process of being created) that are intended to promote mental health awareness and provide resources for fishermen seeking support.
Anhydrous ammonia (NH3) is an effective nitrogen crop fertilizer used throughout the Midwest and beyond. Anhydrous ammonia is potentially dangerous, as it seeks water from the nearest source, which may be the human body – especially the eyes, lungs, and skin because of their high moisture content. Few problems occur when anhydrous ammonia is handled properly and applied as intended. However, it is important for all individuals working with this type of fertilizer to understand the potential health risks, necessary safety precautions, and proper response in the event of an exposure. Focus of the training is on anhydrous ammonia safety during transport and application, including the anatomy of the nurse tank and toolbar, safety inspection processes, hitching and unhitching safety, personal protective equipment (PPE), rural roadway safety, and first aid/emergency procedures. Hazard communication and emergency action plans will also be addressed.
This Think Tank Webinar will address racism as a public health crisis and its impact on the agricultural workforce. Your help is needed to identify, disrupt and dismantle racism to protect the well being of agricultural producers of Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) ethnicities. AgriSafe is committed to fostering dialogue across the nation that results in a racially equitable response to this crisis. Join us for this Think Tank where together we will define the problem and discover solutions to reduce health disparities that are amplified by racism.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration report that approximately 20.1 million people aged 12 or older had a substance use disorder related to their use of alcohol or illicit drugs. However, little is known about the prevalence of substance use in the ranching and farming community due to stigma and the lack of research in this population. This webinar will focus on the prevalence of substance use in rural areas through the results of health screening efforts in agricultural work settings.
All-terrain vehicle (ATV) crashes are one of the leading causes of death and injuries in the agriculture industry in the United States. In this presentation, we will evaluate the current situation and possible solutions related to agricultural ATV safety. Potential injury preventative actions were evaluated based on the hierarchy of control, including elimination or substitution, engineering control, administrative authority, training, and personal protective equipment.
Parkinson’s disease impacts over one million people living in the United States. People living in rural areas may not have access to specialists and getting diagnosis may be difficult. Rural health care providers and agricultural professionals need to develop an awareness of this neurodegenerative disorder and understand the effects on agricultural work. Participants will learn about rural specific resources, safety screening for aspects of agricultural work, tips to maximize farmer functioning, and communication strategies with farm families.
Avian Influenza is a disease caused by viruses that can infect birds and people. Avian influenza viruses are routinely present in wild bird species and can be transmitted to backyard and commercial poultry, but very rarely to people. This presentation will focus on understanding the current state of the avian influenza outbreak in the US and provide recommendations for personal protective equipment for people who work with poultry and poultry products.
Veterans have a long history of service to our country through military service and through agriculture. The 2017 USDA report added a new special category of producers: “Producers with Military Service”. This report identified that 370,019 men and women agriculture producers claimed the title of US veteran, with 294,974 of them having spent more than 10 years on their farm. Recently much attention has highlighted veterans’ participation in farming. With this new attention, it is important to understand the unique characteristics and needs of those veterans. Registered nurses will be able address the needs of veteran farmers with a clearer understanding of the veteran experience compounded by the stress of farming and link veteran farmers to importance resources that support and build provider-client relationships and client resilience.
Hurricane Michael was the worst agriculture disaster in Georgia’s history. The Department of Agriculture partnered with the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities and the Georgia Department of Public Health to develop outreach and educational materials to support farmer mental health in the state. This work continued during COVID-19. The Georgia Food and Feed Rapid Response Team (GA RRT) and partner agencies created a COVID-19 Food, Agriculture, and Hospitality Stress Workgroup to assess the impacts of stress and mental health across the nation through 2 online surveys. This presentation will cover partnership building, the evolution of farmer crisis resources in Georgia, and the development of outreach initiatives to inform food, agriculture, hospitality workers, and the public about the importance of the ABCs of Compassion Fatigue that includes awareness, balance, and connections.
The Confined Space Grain Safety program is intended for workers and managers in agriculture. This includes Coop’s, farm operators, employees, and agriculture business owners. The major focus of the program is on safety in confined space work areas.
Join us as we discuss “Putting Farm Safety Into Practice,” featuring the newly released Agricultural Youth Work Guidelines, which help parents and supervisors assign age appropriate tasks to youth. We’ll also discuss non-working children and visitors to farms and ranches, and ways to keep them safe. Farms and ranches are great places to live, work and play, and there are numerous benefits to growing up on them. However, agricultural worksites are among the most dangerous in the U.S., resulting in numerous injuries and fatalities to youth. For working youth, too many of these injuries and deaths are the result of performing work that does not match their abilities.
Join us as we discuss the topic of children and tractors, starting at birth and moving up through adulthood. We will explore what we know, what we think we know, and what we don’t know.
Respiratory protection strategies for women working in agriculture can be a challenge. Purchasing respiratory protective equipment and achieving proper fit is often difficult. This one-hour webinar program will address dangerous exposures in agricultural work and the importance of respiratory protective equipment for women. It will include training tips and evidence-based resources for use in clinical practice and worker education.
Agriculture ranks among the most hazardous industries. Farmers are at very high risk for fatal and nonfatal injuries, and farming is one of few industries in which family members (who often share the work and live on the premises) are also at risk for fatal and nonfatal injuries. ATVs and UTVs are found on all types of farms; they are useful for agricultural work, but they also pose serious hazards to operators and passengers. Studies indicate that injured ATV/UTV passengers are more commonly female and youth and that helmet use is significantly lower for passengers. The focus of the training would be on ATV/UTV maintenance and safety features, personal protective equipment (PPE), load and weight considerations, operation on public roadways, as well as employee training and considerations for working alone.
Prescription opioids are often the first-line therapy to treat chronic and acute pain among farmers. Prescribing opioids to farmer populations that may not seek regular treatment or have access to alternative therapies increases the risk for potential opioid misuse. Properly assessing for these characteristics among other abuse or addiction risk factors, is critical in providing treatment that is both appropriate and effective. The training module will seek to provide insight on misuse risk factors among farmers to better inform healthcare providers on warning signs in this specific cohort.
Personal protective equipment (PPE) is critical for ensuring a safe working environment in agriculture. It is essential to utilize PPE that meets safety standards, is appropriate for your work, and is the proper fit. PPE is often designed with men in mind, making adequate fit and function problematic for women in agriculture. This training will address the different hazards in agricultural work and the appropriate PPE for women. Additionally, this training will review how to conduct both a respirator fit test and a fit check (seal check) procedure. This presentation aims to guide the selection and effectiveness of PPE worn by women in the agricultural field.
Thirty-six percent of the 3.4 million producers counted in the census are women. Education will focus on all women including farmworker women and their employers on reporting violent incidents to authorities, making employees aware of their legal rights, safe work practices, medical referrals, treatment, and options including counseling if needed.