NCERA_OLD197: Agricultural Safety and Health Research and Extension
(Multistate Research Coordinating Committee and Information Exchange Group)
Status: Inactive/Terminating
NCERA_OLD197: Agricultural Safety and Health Research and Extension
Duration: 10/01/2005 to 09/30/2010
Administrative Advisor(s):
NIFA Reps:
Non-Technical Summary
Statement of Issues and Justification
The two most hazardous industries in the U.S. are agriculture and mining with 22 and 24 deaths per 100,000 workers respectively (NSC 2001). The elevated agricultural death rate is nearly 6 times higher than the average of 4 deaths per 100,000 workers for all industries combined. These tragic numbers show only the impact of agricultural deaths that remove valuable human resources from a dwindling workforce. The economic impact on the agricultural industry results from the 130,000 disabling injuries and the average cost of $35,000.00 per disabling injury (NSC 2001). The bottom line impact of the disabling injuries costs agriculture a total of $4.5 billion dollars yearly.
Agriculture's ranking as one of the two most hazardous industries has resulted in significant media attention and pressure by safety advocates, farm worker organizations, farm equipment manufacturers, and those agencies considered responsible for the safety and health of agricultural workers and farm families to improve the safety record for agriculture. This pressure offers an opportunity for change.
Initiated in 2000 and extended in 2004, the NCR197 committee developed a strategy to utilize the Land Grant System's research and extension capacity in cooperation with the experience of those who live and work in agriculture to reduce work-related injuries, illness, and death. This group established a national land grant research and extension agenda for agricultural safety and health (NCR197 2003). This historical document marks the first agricultural safety and health agenda for action by the land grand system since 1943 when the first cooperative extension specialist for farm safety was appointed in Wisconsin.
This national agenda for action provides a prioritized list of research and extension areas with 115 individual topics. The selection of these 12 areas: 1) sensors and guarding systems, 2) operating agricultural equipment on public roads, 3) agricultural confined space, 4) emerging technologies, 5) human factors engineering and design, 6) management of agricultural emergencies, 7) livestock handling and housing systems, 8) public policy issues, 9) capital and management intensive vs. family labor intensive operations, 10) fire detection and suppression, 11) agricultural safety education and training, and 12) special populations and enterprises, was accomplished though a systematic process created and implemented by the NCR 197 committee. The national agenda for action has been widely distributed and adopted. This success also includes the Canadian government using this document as the foundation for their agricultural safety strategic plan.
Objectives
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Develop and support action groups for each of the 12 priority areas identified in the national agenda for action. These action groups would then:
- 1.1: Identify current and present research and outreach efforts supporting the 12 priority areas
- 1.2: Identify current and potential resources including funding and expertise for the 12 priority areas
- 1.3: Define needs and opportunities for the 12 priority areas
- 1.4: Develop and refine research questions and outreach activities for the12 priority areas
- 1.5: Construct a specialized assessment for each priority area
- 1.1: Identify current and present research and outreach efforts supporting the 12 priority areas
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Develop assessment to measure the effectiveness and impact of the national land grant research and extension agenda for agricultural safety and health.
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Develop a supportive environment for exchange of ideas, partnering, and involvement of stakeholders.
Procedures and Activities
The approved USDA CSREES shared faculty position will support the effort to make the national agenda for action widely distributed and generate additional support for the 12 priority areas. This increased visibility for the 12 priority areas will assist NC_temp1948 in the task of creating a supportive environment for these areas and attracting needed expertise to the committee.
Procedures and Activities Supporting Objective 1
The NC_temp1948 committee members will form 12 task groups that parallel the 12 priority areas identified in the national agenda for action. Members of NC_temp1948 must serve on at least one task group but may have membership equal to their interest in any of the priority areas. Membership in these 12 task groups is not restricted to members of NC-temp1948. Each task group is charged with identifying current research and outreach efforts with funding potentials and connection to additional expertise need to complete the task. These12 task groups will communicate throughout the year via email, teleconference, and while attending other professional meetings. Summary of activities for all 12 task groups will be presented at the annual meeting of NC_temp1948.
Milestones for Objective 1
" All 12 task groups fully functioning with at least three members.
" Significant reports from active task groups containing details of sub objective 1.1 and 1.2.
" A specialized assessment instrument developed for each priority area.
Procedures and Activities Supporting Objective 2
One member of each task group will form the assessment group. The assessment group will explore the available tools use to measure effectiveness and impacts. These available tools along with newly developed tools will be constructed in to a specialized instrument to assist each of the 12 priority areas in their assessment. A rubric of the 12 priority areas assessments will used to assess the impact and effectiveness of the national agenda for action along with the 12 priority areas.
Milestones for Objective 1
" A specialized assessment instrument developed for each priority area.
" A rubric for assessing the national agenda for action.
Procedures and Activities Supporting Objective 3
All member of NC_temp1948 in their professional roles with other organizations like American Society of Agricultural Engineers, National Institute for Farm Safety, and American Society of Safety Engineers to name a few organizations will interact with others in a supportive manner to foster a supportive environment for exchange of ideas and partnering of expertise. Members are encouraged to support the opportunities for presentation of these 12 priority areas. It is expected that stakeholders input and involvement will come through the member by their affiliation with clients, state contacts, and local organizations.
Milestones for Objective 1
" Sponsored presentation by members on the 12 priority areas at other professional meeting.
Expected Outcomes and Impacts
- Coordination of the 12 priority areas: Coordination and communication of activities in these 12 prioritized areas will support the land grant institutions and their partners efforts to achieve success. The 12 action groups will enhance information exchange, encourage the formation of multi-disciplinary teams, augment the identification of funding resources, and complete an assessment of the national agenda for action.
- Assessment of effectiveness and impacts: Development of an assessment measure for the national land grant research and extension agenda for agricultural safety and health will assist in understanding how targeting these 12 areas has contributed to advancing agricultural safety and health. Measured impacts can guide participants as future changes are incorporated into the national agenda for action.
- Exchange of ideas and information: The development of supportive environments for information exchange in the 12 prioritized areas increases the potential for collaboration and assists in generating a wider distribution of programming efforts.
- Utilization of information technology: The existing NCR 197 website will be used to share information garnered from the action groups supporting the 12 priority areas. This will allow for inexpensive access of information to exchange ideas, research, contacts, meeting highlights, schedules, publications, and progress on the national agenda for action.
Projected Participation
View Appendix E: ParticipationEducational Plan
This group established in 2000, has a superb record of exchange of research and educational programming information through its annual meeting and website (http://www.tmvc.iastate.edu/NCR197/). The group has also used opportunities such as open forums, concurrent educational programs, and invited presentations at professional meeting to distribute information. Emphasis will be placed on distributing current activities in the prioritized 12 areas and enhancing the distribution of available information allowing for the better awareness.
Organization/Governance
There will be two officers for NCR-197. A secretary and chair will be elected every two years at the appropriate annual meeting. The secretary records and distributes minutes of the annual meeting, and then becomes chair of the committee for the following two years. The chair directs the activities of the committee, serves as the liaison between the committee and the administrative advisor, and makes arrangements for the next annual meeting.
Literature Cited
National Safety Council, Injury Facts. 2001 edition, NSC Itasca, IL.
North Central Region 197 Committee on Agricultural Safety and Health. 2003. National land grant research and extension agenda for agricultural safety and health. ISU Reference No. EDC-292. 18 pp. Ames, Iowa: Iowa State University.