SAES-422 Multistate Research Activity Accomplishments Report

Sections

Basic Information
Additional Info

Status: Approved

Basic Information

Project No. and Title: NCERA_OLD197 : Agricultural Safety and Health Research and Extension
Period Covered: 10/01/2010 to 09/01/2011
Date of Report: 07/18/2011
Annual Meeting Dates: 05/17/2011 to 05/18/2011

Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

Legacy attachment file:

[Minutes]

Short-term Outcomes: None Outputs: Purdue University under the direction of Dr. Field has searched literature and data sources to develop an agricultural confined spaces database. Information from this database was shared with an international audience in Vienna, Austria at the 2011 CIOSTA meeting in June 2011. Activities: In addition to a confined space training workshop in 2010, The Farm and Rach Safety and Health Association of Canada, FARSHA is continuing its development of a confined space program, which includes risk assessments. There is a proposal to work with other groups to develop a Center of Excellence in confined spaces training. FARSHA is already working to develop a training program to produce qualified persons who can conduct complex risk assessments in agriculture. Neil McManus is considered the top confined spaces expert in Canada and is advising them. Penn State's Agricultural Safety and Health Program has created a traveling confined space demonstration trailer. The trailer was taken to Ag Connect in Atlanta Georgia in January 2011 and to the National Farm Bureau meeting in Albany, NY in April 2011. Dr. Murphy from Penn State met with Federal OSHA to discuss the issue of confined spaces in agriculture on May 19, 2011. This meeting was used to start dialogue with OSHA related to the research and recommendations from this committee. Dr. Yoder from Penn State has received a development grant from the USDA to start an eXtension.org Community of Practice for Agricultural Safety and Health based on the activities of this committee. Milestones: A whitepaper on confined spaces in agriculture from the committee has a targeted completion date of December 2011. The Farm and Ranch eXtension in Safety and Health, FReSH, Community of Practice is to go public in March 2012. A national confines spaces in agriculture conference involving external peer groups, stakeholders, clientele and others is being planned to take place in March of 2012.

Impacts

A summary of the research literature, engineering needs and outreach opportunities related to agricultural confined space hazards and risks has been developed, presented at international meetings and will be included in a final whitepaper on agricultural confined spaces.
Research into, standards and educational programs that diminish hazards and risks related to one type of agricultural confined spaces, manure pits, has been developed to reduce fatalities and serious injury.
Another high priority hazard topic, safety and health of new and beginning farmers, has been identified and resources to address this population are being assembled through eXtension.org.
eXtension.org has been identified to increase infrastructure support for agricultural safety and health.

Publications

ANSI/ASABE S607 OCT2010. Ventilating Manure Storages to Reduce Entry Risk. Riedel S.M., W.E. Field. 2011. Summary of Over 800 Grain Storage and Handling-related Entrapments and Suffocations Documented in the U.S. and Canada between 1970 and 2010. Paper Number S2_SR10:3 Presented at Commission Internationale de l'Organisation Scientifique du Travail enAgriculture. June 2011. Vienna, Austria Steel J.S, D.J. Murphy, H.B. Manbeck. 2011. Confined Space Manure Storage Hazards. Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering Fact Sheet E51. The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA. 4 pp. Steel J.S, D.J. Murphy, H.B. Manbeck. 2011. Confined Space Manure Gas Monitoring. Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering Fact Sheet E52. The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA. 4 pp.

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