September 15-21 is National Farm Safety and Health Week!

Harvest season will soon be here, and that will mean more equipment and slow-moving vehicles both on the farm and the road. This flurry of activity can result in an increased chance for farm and equipment-related accidents.

This week (September 15 – 21) is National Farm Safety and Health Week. While we place an extra emphasis on safety during this week, we want all farmers, their families, their employees, and others who share the road with agricultural equipment to be safe year-round. The cost of agricultural injuries is significant in both economic loss and loss of quality of life.

Use this important safety reminder to take a moment and consciously plan to be safer on your farm. Iowa’s Center for Agricultural Safety and Health (I-CASH) suggests the following steps as opportunities to prevent accidents on the farm:

• Implement a farm safety plan
• Install Roll-Over Protection Structures (ROPS) on tractors
• Improve lighting and marking on implements used on public roadways
• Update guards and shields on equipment
• Ensure appropriate chemical storage and handling practices
• Create safe play areas for children and grandchildren on the farm
• Develop a hazard map for emergency responders¹

See the links below for helpful resources for improving safety on the farm and the road in a wide variety of topic areas including pesticides, equipment, livestock, and general safety and health concerns.

• Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Store downloadable items
• Iowa State University Environmental Health and Safety resources and videos
• I-CASH Prevention Education Resources
• I-CASH Ag Safety and Health Links

¹“The Costs of Agricultural Injuries.” Iowa Center for Agricultural Safety and Health, The University of Iowa, https://icash.public-health.uiowa.edu/resources/ag-injury-costs/.