Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

The NCR 197 committee's goal was 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. Outputs: The National Agenda for Action document was developed, printed, and distributed with support from a USDA Innovative Funds Grant secured by the committee. This document identifies the 12 priority agricultural health and safety research areas with 115 individual research topics. Indicators: The committee has received indicators that point to successful adoption of the 12 priority areas. The National Agenda for Action was adopted by the National Institute for Farm Safety during the 2005 annual member meeting. The Canadian Agricultural Safety Association used the National Agenda for Action to augment the development of their research and outreach priorities. Mr. Charles Bonson, the commissioner of Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, responded to the National Agenda for Action with this comment: "Your document clearly outlines the overriding national priorities so essential for continued strength of U.S. agriculture. Your report's clear delineation of national goals will hopefully provide a road map for our state and other states to use in assisting their land grant and research efforts." Milestones: The committee facilitated open communication with a NIOSH representative. A NIOSH representative was invited to serve as a member of NCR 197 committee. A representative agreed and that representative attended all meetings and updated the committee with agency reports from NIOSH. Over 9,000 copies of the National Agenda for Action was distributed to agriculture engineering departments, experiment station directors, agricultural deans, state departments of agriculture, USDA safety contacts, members of the National Institute for Farm Safety, NIOSH agricultural centers and administration, etc. A shared faculty position with USDA was developed and funded to promote the National Agenda for Action. Dennis Murphy at Penn State University is the committee member in the shared faculty position providing leadership to the National Agenda for Action. A poster providing background behind the National Agenda for Action, setting the challenges for agricultural safety and health, explaining the Land Grant system capacity, identifying the twelve priority areas, and setting out the recommendations for actions was developed. An informational flyer was developed that condenses the National Agenda for Action document for easy dissemination. An executive summary of the National Agenda for Action, informally known as the Investing In the Future document, was developed for use with executive and advisory committees. Activities: Several committee members influenced or organized national relevant seminars and themes for conference sessions as a forum to highlight outstanding safety and health research from the Land Grant Institutions. These events publicized and disseminated the National Agenda for Action and outcomes from research and activities in the defined twelve priority areas. A proposal was developed to form NCERA 197 to build and support action groups for each of the 12 priority areas identified in the national agenda for action. These action groups will continue to implement technical and public reviews and assessments across the nation of the National Agenda for Action document.

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.