WASHINGTON—Some of the nation's most essential workers learn the perils of their profession by accident.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that the agriculture, forestry and fishing industries are still the most dangerous in America. The Census of Fatal Occupational Injury reports 23.5 fatalities per 100,000 full-time workers in 2022, with a majority due to incidents with transportation or equipment.

Fall harvest season is an especially risky time of year for farmers, as many are required to drive slow-moving farm equipment on public roadways to complete their harvests. For this reason, the third week of September has been recognized as National Farm Safety and Health Week since 1944.

Resulting stress from farmers’ hectic workloads also threatens safety on the farm—often involving “earlier starts and later finishes, meals on the go or missing meals altogether,” noted Matt Nuckols, Virginia Farm Bureau Federation safety coordinator.

“National Farm Safety and Health Week is an effort to protect our valuable resources—farmers—from accidents that can take place under added stress,” Nuckols added. “We want our farmers to make it back to their families.”

Themed “Don’t Learn Safety by Accident,” this year’s observance will be held Sept. 15-21 with an emphasis on preventive education.

Daily themes include equipment and rural roadway safety, health and wellness, generational farming, confined spaces and reporting agriculture injuries.

According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, there were 21,020 injuries in agricultural production that required days away from work between 2021-2022. There is well-known underreporting of injuries in the agriculture industry.

While too frequent, many farm incidents are predictable and preventable. For example, the most common cause of tractor-related deaths are side and rear overturns. Rollover protective structures are 99% effective in preventing injury or death in the event of an overturn when used with a seat belt, according to the Southwest Center for Agricultural Health, Injury Prevention and Education.

In an effort to increase safety awareness and improve agricultural health outcomes, the AgriSafe Network is hosting a series of free webinars on relevant health and safety topics throughout the week. AgriSafe is a nonprofit organization representing health professionals and educators who are striving to reduce health disparities in agricultural communities.

“It is an important time to remember the hard—and often dangerous—work that farmers, ranchers and farmworkers put into providing our nation with food, fuel and fiber,” remarked Laura Siegel, AgriSafe health communications officer.

AgriSafe will host 11 free educational webinars from Sept. 16-20 via Zoom with Spanish interpretation. Topics include skid loader safety, sharing the road, farm succession planning, oxygen deficiency in confined spaces, using apps to assess heat stress risks and more. Individuals who attend at least three webinars will earn an NFSHW Champion digital badge. For more information or to register, visit agrisafe.org/nfshw.

“These webinars offer important information that is accessible to all across the nation, to help reduce the risk of injuries and fatalities in the agricultural workplace through education,” Siegel said.

Additional farm safety resources can be accessed through the VFBF safety website, which addresses topics such as accident response, agricultural hazards, mental health and rural road safety. Site content also includes links to safety resources offered by other farming advocacy organizations.

Media: Contact Nuckols at 804-938-2043 or Siegel at lsiegel@agrisafe.org.