In a typical year, 551 workers die while doing agricultural work in the United States and about 88,000 suffer lost-time injuries. Most of these incidents are preventable.

National Farm Safety and Health Week (Sept. 19-25) recognizes the hazardous nature of the agriculture industry and promotes awareness of safety solutions. This annual event was initiated by the National Safety Council (NSC) in 1944 and proclaimed as such by each U.S. president since.

In conjunction with the week-long observance, the National Institute for Farm Safety (NIFS) is sharing its collective expertise with an updated list of farm safety and health professionals. Robert “Chip” Petrea, an Extension specialist in agricultural safety and health at the University of Illinois, and Secretary of NIFS, said “This list consists of members of NIFS who have agreed to serve as contacts for agricultural safety and health issues, in order to provide access to local professionals. The list is alphabetized by state and includes a contact name, the contact’s institution or organization, phone number and email.”

The list can be found on the NIFS Web site at http://www.nifsagsafety.org. There will also be a link to the list from the Web site of the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety http://www.necasag.org. NECAS is the agricultural partner for the NSC, and has developed a variety of other safety articles and public service announcements on this year’s theme for National Farm Safety and Health Week, ATVs: Work Smart, Ride Safe.