Posted: 04.07.2011

Even though farm safety campaigns are making agriculture safer - funding to continue that message is in jeopardy.

In an interview with Pam Jahnke, Barb Lee, Director- National Farm Medicine Center in Marshfield, says that most federal funding for farm safety research is on the chopping block.  "The whole federal government agency that focuses on farm safety is on the chopping block," Lee tells Jahnke.  "We're working behind the scenes to educate policy makers to let them know we're making progress - we're making agriculture safer - we want kids to be on farms, and yet they've put this particular program in regards to farm safety in line for termination."

Lee says a new survey released shows that they're making inroads in educating farm families about what they must do to protect their children. Guidelines designed to help parents and others in assigning appropriate farm tasks to children are featured in a new resource published by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The North American Guidelines for Children’s Agricultural Tasks (NAGCAT) are the subject of an Impact Sheet, part of a series of products that are designed to clearly and concisely communicate the relevance and impact of research to industry, labor, academic, government, and non-government stakeholders.

Lee hopes these guidelines will not only educate parents - but also those important leaders in Washington, D.C.  "You know we've been very fortunate to have the industry side support the outreach in getting these messages out to the rural community,"  Lee explains.  "What the federal money does is allow us to do the research to test out different interventions, and then develop these guidelines and make sure they actually make a difference."

Lee says that people passionate about farm safety research and making agriculture safe should contact their federal elected officials in the house and the senate and make their plea.

« back to news articles