Talking to Farmers About Pain

The occupational hazards that farmers face put them at greater risk for acute and chronic pain as a result of ergonomic repetition, accident, or surgical procedure. Addressing specific occupational sources of pain and what activities the pain inhibits are crucial to improving treatment. This module will focus on how to transform the conversation between providerRead More

Anhydrous Ammonia Safety for Farmworkers

Summary: 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 asRead More

Best PPE to Protect Your Lungs

Summary:  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 useRead More

Practical Solutions for Heat-Related Illness Prevention for Agriculture

Summary: Agricultural workers are at high risk of heat-related illness and recent field studies point to specific risk factors and solutions. This webinar is intended to prepare agricultural safety and health professionals for the upcoming summer season. We will share practical and evidence-based solutions for the prevention of heat-related illness in the agricultural work environment. Objectives: ByRead More

Aging and Parkinson’s Disease in Agriculture

Summary: 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 learnRead More

Safety Sensitivity of Opioid Use in High Hazardous Industries Such as Agriculture

The American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine released recommendations for opioid prescribing based on safety-sensitive occupations. Safety-sensitive work is typically classified as operating motor vehicles, modes of transportation, other heavy machinery, or tasks requiring high levels of cognitive function or judgment. Farm duties frequently demand the use of heavy machinery, and concurrent use ofRead More

What to Expect While Expecting- For Female Producers & Farmworkers in Ag

Summary: Pregnancy and fertility are often not considered when women assume farm tasks. Pesticide and other chemical exposures, zoonotic diseases and heavy lifting particularly during childbearing years, present challenges. Objectives: At the end of the presentation, participants will be able to: - Identify unique exposures/risks associated with farm tasks. - Identify at least four reproductiveRead More

Addressing Military Needs in Agriculture

Summary: 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 thanRead More

Zoonotic Disease and Pregnancy: A Deeper Dive

Summary: Zoonotic Diseases are transmitted between farm animals and humans and can pose additional risks to those who are pregnant. According to the World Health Organization, more than half of all human pathogens are zoonotic and have represented nearly all emerging pathogens during the past decade. Farmers and farm workers have higher levels of risk forRead More

Assessment of Opioid Misuse Risk Among Farmers in the Clinical Setting

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 providingRead More

Invest in Your Health: Cultivating a Healthy Mind

Summary: Stigma exists across all age groups for those struggling with mental health. Navigation of the teen years in everyday situations can create angst and uncomfortable feelings that are difficult to express. Adding mental illness and mental crisis to a teen or young adult’s typical growth and development makes struggling with emotions, relationships, academic success, andRead More

Using Naloxone to Reverse Opioid Overdose in the Agricultural Workplace: Information for Employers and Workers

In 2018, the U.S. Surgeon General called for increased awareness and availability of naloxone, the opioid antagonist, to reverse the effects of opioid overdose. Despite the rise in the dispensing of naloxone, there is a significant gap in our response across all sectors of society. In the rural parts of our country, where emergency responseRead More