An appropriate time annually for National Farm Safety and Health Week. Dan Neenan of the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety says:

“We always have it the third full week in September. [It] brings [it] top of mind, not only to the farmers, but also to the motoring public, making people think about putting safety first as we start to get into the fall harvest season.”

Neenan also notes the historical context of this yearly campaign.

“FDR signed the first proclamation for National Farm Safety and Health Week way back in 1944. That was back when the National Safety Council was kind of handling and running things.”

Making it the longest-running educational campaign via U.S. presidential proclamation. Neenan’s organization partners with the National Safety Council and other groups in putting on National Farm Safety and Health Week.

“This year’s theme is ‘Safety First, Avoid the Worst.’”

This year’s campaign runs the week of Sept. 21 through 27. Like previous years, each day contains both specific themes of focus and topics presented via webinars from the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety and the AgriSafe Network.

“Monday, it’s equipment and rural roadway safety, so there are two webinars. Tuesday is health and wellness—the mental and the emotional side of things—taking a look at family health and wellness. Wednesday deals with generations of farming, so dealing with the young kids all the way up through dealing with Grandma and Grandpa, who are still on the farm and still want to help. Thursday is confined spaces in ag—so grain bins and manure pits. And then Friday is UTV/ATV—greatest new tool to come out, really, since the skid steer on the farms, but it has some safety hazards to go along with it.”

Registration for National Farm Safety and Health Week webinars and videos on various farm safety tips and considerations are available at www.necasag.org. Click on the link to National Farm Safety and Health Week.