Ergonomic Safety for Farm Women (December 1, 2020)

It is no secret - women are playing an increased role in production agriculture. They account for about one-third of the management, ownership and work on farms, ranches and in crop production. A major challenge continues to be access to protective equipment that meets the ergonomic needs of women. This program is intended to help women in rural/agricultural communities identify ergonomic issues leading to musculoskeletal injuries in farm and ranch work and discover resources to aid in injury prevention.

At the end of the presentation, participants will be able to:

1. Identify work site hazards and potential musculoskeletal injuries.

2. Identify wellness initiatives aimed at reducing risks related to musculoskeletal injuries.

3. Locate three current evidenced based resources in the field of agricultural health and safety that address ergonomic safety.

4. Utilize the individual AgHRA to look at current exposures and preventive methods for daily farm tasks.

This material was produced under grant number SH-05068-SH8 from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor. It does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of Labor, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

Charlotte Halverson, RN, BSN, COHN-S

Clinical Director, AgriSafe Network

Charlotte Halverson is an occupational health nurse for the AgriSafe Network and serves as the network’s Clinical Director. In that capacity, she researches, develops resources, and presents webinar and in person educational sessions on a variety of health and safety topics specific to the agricultural workforce. Prior to this role, she worked for several years in hospital acute care settings and community education. During those years, Charlotte developed and managed a Rural Outreach Health service and a Parish Health Ministry department serving nine counties in northeast Iowa.

She is a "charter graduate" of the University of IA agricultural occupational medicine course, is certified in occupational hearing conservation and completed the NIOSH Spirometry training.