Farmer/Worker Health

Webinars from National Farm Safety and Health Week 2024

Check out all of the webinars offered during National Farm Safety and Health Week 2024

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 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.Personal protective equipment (PPE) is one of the last lines of defense for workers against Anhydrous Ammonia injuries. Women in all industries, including agriculture, have trouble finding and purchasing respiratory protective equipment that fits and is safe and comfortable wear. The National Safety Council, in a 2019 publication of Safety and Health, reported OSHA documentation indicating the lack of a full range of PPE, as well as, employers’ limited knowledge of PPE designed for women – as some of the reasons for the difficulty. 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.Intended Audience: Farm/Ranch owner and operators, health and safety professionals, safety officers or specialists, managers, supervisors, safety coordinators, health safety and environmental interns and any person or persons who serve as safety personnel in an agricultural setting.

Farm and Ranch Health Threats After a Flood

Summary: Disaster recovery can be as dangerous as the disaster itself, especially if no disaster preparedness plan was implemented. This is especially true on farms and ranches where inherent farm hazards such as machinery and equipment, livestock, and agriculture chemicals are displaced and co-mingle, putting all emergency response personnel, farm workers and family members in danger. Floods can heighten the risk of health threats such as mold, tetanus bacteria, contaminated well water, heat illness and high stress. This presentation will highlight basic precautions to prevent possible diseases and injuries during and after flooding. Intended Audience: All individuals living/working on farms and ranches affected by flooding. Presenters: Tara Haskins, DNP, MSN, RN, AHN-BC, Total Farmer Health Director, AgriSafe NetworkRebecca S. McConnico, DVM, Professor, Louisiana Tech UniversityKevin Moore, PhD, MBA, ASP, Assistant Professor of Occupational and Environmental Health Sciences at The University of Texas Health Science Center at TylerAlexander Nguyen, DO, Occupational and Environmental Medicine Resident PGY-3 at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler

Webinars from National Farm Safety and Health Week 2025

View all the recordings from National Farm Safety and Health Week 2025.

Non-Allergic Respiratory Hazards in Farming and Agricultural Environments: Recognition and prevention

The webinar will address non-allergic respiratory hazards (dusts, mists, fumes, and gases) affecting agricultural worker, farmers, and farm families living and working in agricultural environments. The focus will be recognizing and preventing environmental and occupational exposures that may result in morbidity and mortality resulting from unprotected or unrecognized respiratory hazards. An overview of the screening of farm workers and farm families that can be provided by health care workers and public health professionals to those working and living in agricultural environments and steps to avoid potentially dangerous exposures and prevent disability or death.Presenter: Steven Kirkhorn, MD, MPH, FACOEM, Retired

Culture is Our Wellness (La Cultura Cura)

Summary: The science of medicine has been part of every culture around the world. However, the contemporary allopathic medical model represents only part of our understanding of health, healing, and wellbeing, and not failing to mention, it is not always accessible to marginalized communities. 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.Intended Audience: Healthcare, safety, occupational, and agricultural professionals, and anyone with an interest in learning how these health practices impact health beliefs and wellbeing for populations that value this specialization in healing.

Importance of Foot Health In Agriculture

Summary: Dr. Merendino will present the Importance of Foot Health in Agriculture in the first half of the presentation. He will address important practices and provide examples of foot health issues to take action on. Karen will finish with a presentation on her extension fieldwork with the ag/hort growers along with Dr. Merendino including a field day program in Volusia County (commercial fernery), then conclude her results from an Extension Sock Study assaying Merino Wool Socks. Intended Audience: Agricultural/ Horticultural professionals, medical personnel, and the general public Presenters: Anthony Merendino, DPM, Assistant Professor, Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, UF, UF Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Institute Karen Stauderman, MS, Commercial Horticulture Agent III, University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Services, Extension Volusia County

Accessible Care for the Commercial Fishing Industry

Summary: 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. Intended Audience: This presentation is for anyone interested in better understanding the needs of the commercial fishing community, and the work that is being done to support fishermen and their communities. Presenters: Monique Coombs, Director of Community Programs, Maine Coast Fishermen’s AssociationMandy Roome, PhD, Research Scientist, Bassett Healthcare Network

A Review of the Literature for Forestry Health and Safety - The Last Ten Years

Dr. Tara Haskins will present on a review of published research related to health and safety for forestry workers.

The Healing Capacity of Honey Bees: Veterans Using Beekeeping as a Modality to Achieve Positive Mental Health Outcomes

Summary: Veterans deal with a whole host of disabilities, traumas, and transitional issues following military service. Agriculture can serve as a solution to many veteran issues through professional training to support career goals and therapeutic activities to support overall wellness of the veteran and their families. Crosscutting programs like Heroes to Hives seek to address these multifaceted needs through professional training in beekeeping and transpersonal wellness practices within the course that seek to utilize bees and the interaction with them as modalities for positive health outcomes. In this session, we will discuss how Heroes to Hives delivers wellness opportunities and practices to their students. Intended Audience: Health Care Providers, Ag Educators, and Veteran Service Providers

Heat and Wildfire Smoke Exposure Among Agricultural Workers - Examining Exposure Risk and Potential Strategies to Protect Workers

Summary: Heat and wildfire smoke has become a persistent health threat for agriculture workers. This webinar will focus on understanding the risks of exposure to wildfire smoke and heat and potential strategies for protecting agricultural workers. In addition, participants will learn about a unique research partnership utilized to co-develop and communicate safety and health information to agricultural workers. Intended Audience: Agricultural farmers, ranchers, supervisors, farmworkers, farmworker organizations, health and safety professionals, trainers, promotores, rural healthcare providers, extension agents, and others who work in agriculture.

Nurse Scholar Program

The AgriSafe Nurse Scholar program is an online, on-demand learning experience taught by experts in agricultural health & safety. The program will help nurses increase their competence in prevention, identification, and assessment of diseases and conditions commonly experienced by people working in agriculture. Earn over 20 hours of ANCC-approved nursing continuing professional development by completing this learning journey.

NFSHW26 Cancer Knowledge, Exposure Beliefs, and Prevention Behaviors: Insights from Iowa's Agricultural Communities

Live Webinar: Friday, September 25 - 1pm to 2pm Central TimeMany agricultural hazards are also modifiable cancer risk factors, so the promotion of safe behaviors on the farm can be considered a form of cancer prevention, even if cancer is never explicitly mentioned. This presentation shares findings from University of Iowa Agricultural Safety and Health research that assessed perceptions of cancer risk factors, concerns related to occupational exposures, sources of cancer information, and engagement in cancer risk reduction behaviors among people living and working in agriculture in Iowa.Intended Audience: Anyone living and/or working in agricultural settings, rural health professionalsPresenter: Caroline Powell, MS, Environmental Outreach Coordinator, Iowa Cancer Consortium

NFSHW26 The Cost of Fatigue in Agriculture: Practical Solutions to Protect Workers and Increase Productivity

Live Webinar: Tuesday, September 22 - 3pm - 4pm Central TimeFatigue among agricultural workers is a significant yet underrecognized occupational health and safety hazard, with important implications for injury risk, productivity, and long-term health outcomes. Agricultural workers are particularly vulnerable to fatigue due to a combination of factors, including long work hours, irregular schedules, inadequate sleep duration and quality, physically demanding tasks, exposure to environmental stressors such as extreme heat and cold, and ongoing mental stressors. This presentation will review the science of healthy (“good”) sleep and examine the relationships between fatigue and injury and fatality risks, as well as acute and chronic health effects. It will also explore the economic burden of fatigue in agricultural settings. Finally, practical mitigation and prevention strategies will be presented, with a focus on interventions that can be implemented at the individual, clinical, and industry levels to reduce fatigue and improve worker health, safety, and productivity.Intended Audience: Agricultural producers, workers, managers, healthcare providers, and safety professionals.Speaker: Ellen Duysen, MPH, COHC Research Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center, College of Public Health, Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health

NFSHW26 Telling the Story: Using Personal Experiences to Strengthen Farm Safety and Well-Being

Live Webinar: Wednesday, Sept 23 - 11am-12pm Central TimeThis interactive panel presentation will highlight stories from the Telling the Story Project (https://tellingthestoryproject.org), a project that shares real experiences related to agricultural injuries, fatalities, and near misses. Five panelists representing agricultural safety, health, communications, and lived experience perspectives will each share or summarize one story from the project and discuss the prevention lessons connected to that experience.The presentation will focus on how storytelling can increase awareness, encourage safer decision-making, reduce stigma around difficult conversations, and strengthen the overall health and well-being of farm families and agricultural workers.Intended Audience: Farm families, agricultural workers, ranchers, farm youth, agricultural safety and health professionals, Extension educators, healthcare providers, and others who support agricultural communities.Panelists will include Ellen Duysen, Aaron Yoder, Scott Heiberger, Devon Charlier, and Melissa Ploeckelman Brown.