New PA Group Aims To Promote Farm Safety

The Agricultural Safety and Health Council of America, was recently formed to work toward making farming safer, USAgNet reports.  Dennis Murphy, Penn State Professor of Agricultural Safety and Health, a founding board member of the new council, said in an average year, 516 workers die while doing farm work, and each day about 243 agricultural workers suffer lost-time injuries.

The new council, driven by farmer/rancher and agribusiness leaders, is the first of its kind in the country to pursue a national strategy to reduce disease, injuries and fatalities in American agriculture.  The group will attempt to influence research priorities to rapidly identify best-manage-ment practices for worker safety and health that maximize cost efficiency and sustain-ability.

From 2000 to 2006 in Pennsylvania, an annual average of 26 people died of injuries suffered in farm-related incidents.  In addition to fatalities, the estimated number of temporary lost-time work injuries on Pennsylvania farms is nearly 5,000 annually.  The estimated annual economic toll of these injuries to Pennsylvanians and the rural economy is well over $153 million.

A variety of membership packages are available for individuals and organizations.  For more information, contact the Agricultural Safety and Health Council of America at (715) 221-7270 or www.ashca.org.