Non-Allergic Respiratory Hazards in Farming and Agricultural Environments: Recognition and prevention (Cost: $30/Free for Premium Members)

Includes a Live Web Event on 05/16/2024 at 12:00 PM (CDT)

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.

Learning objectives:

Understand which agricultural respiratory exposures can result in acute and chronic non-allergic respiratory health conditions in those living and working in agricultural environments.
Know which type of respiratory personal protective equipment is appropriate for different agricultural exposures
Understand and be able to provide respiratory exposure medical screening as part of routine rural health care medical history.
Know which agricultural work is not acceptable for children and minors due to hazardous respiratory exposures.

Steven Kirkhorn, MD, MPH, FACOEM

Medical Director

AgriSafe Network

As AgriSafe Medical Director, Dr. Kirkhorn is responsible for the strategic direction and technical review of the occupational health curriculum, resources, and services. Dr. Kirkhorn serves as the medical leader liaison offering program wide engagement and collaboration, visibility, and opportunity directly contributing to AgriSafe’s success.

In addition to his role at AgriSafe, Dr Kirkhorn serves as Occupational Medicine Advisor to the NIOSH Upper Midwest Center for Agricultural Safety and Health at the University of Minnesota.

He received a BS in Zoology and MD at the University of Minnesota and a MPH in Environmental Health at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. He served as the Academic Director of the Midwest Center for Occupational Health and Safety of the HealthPartners Occupational Environmental Medicine Residency. He is boarded in Occupational Medicine and Family Practice and has been on the adjunct faculty of the University of Minnesota and University of Wisconsin Family Medicine Departments. He has been a practicing Occupational Medicine physician since 1991 and prior to that was a rural Family Practitioner for 10 years in Alaska and Wisconsin. He had completed a year sabbatical and fellowship in Agricultural Medicine in 1997-1998.

He previously was the Medical Director of the National Farm Medicine Center and Chair of Occupational Health and Chair/ Regional Service Line Director of Occupational Health at Marshfield Clinic in Wisconsin. He has previously been on the board of AgriSafe and editor for 8 years of the Journal of Agromedicine as well as participating in of multiple agricultural health organizations nationally and in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

He is the recently retired Director and Section Chief of Occupational Health at the Minneapolis Veterans Administration Health Care System and Adjunct Associate Professor in the Division of Environmental Health Sciences in the University of Minnesota School of Public Health and Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Medicine University of Minnesota Medical School.

His interests include, agricultural and rural occupational and environmental health, curriculum development, as well as birdwatching, biking, and kayaking. He is also a Master Naturalist through the University of Minnesota Extension.