National Children's Center News

Tell a story, save a life: National Farm Safety Week, Sept. 21-27

Fri, 19 Sep 2025 19:08:02 GMT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 22, 2025

CONTACT:

Scott Heiberger
Heiberger.Scott@marshfieldresearch.org
715-389-7541

Melissa Ploeckelman Brown
Ploeckelman.melissa@marshfieldresearch.org
715-240-0900

Tell a story, save a life:

National Farm Safety Week, Sept. 21-27, perfect time to share prevention messages

Things can go bad in a hurry on a farm. When they do, it’s a helpless feeling.

“I pushed the brakes, but kept sliding sideways. When the mower’s tongue caught the rear tire, I just hung on.”
“I’d heard stories in the military about landmine victims still feeling like they had limbs… so I resolved to feel my way down my leg to determine how badly I was hurt.”
“At that exact second, the chute squeeze gate was released, causing his skull to become pinched between the chute frame and squeeze mechanism…”
“All it took was an ember from the fire to come in contact with the fumes…”
“The events of that day influenced her career path, and highlight the dangers of small children near lawn mowers.”
“When the ATV tipped … he heard his thigh bone snap.”

How do these stories end? Find out at the Telling the Story Project website, where farmers, agricultural workers and families share their experiences and prevention messages. They hope others can learn from, and avoid, similar ordeals.

National Farm Safety and Health Week, Sept. 21-27, is the perfect time to share these stories. Farmers, media, teachers, Extension and safety professionals are especially encouraged to link to the stories and repurpose content. Check terms of use for republishing.

To amplify the impact, we have created social media resources to make it easy for anyone to share these stories far and wide. These safety messages are important to share with the next generation of agricultural producers, including middle school, high school, and college students. You can use the provided text and graphics to post about the Telling the Story Project on your social media accounts. Resources are available at: www.tellingthestoryproject.org/social-media/

Telling the Story Project is a collaboration of three agricultural safety and health centers funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH): National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety; Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health (Nebraska); and Upper Midwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center (Minnesota).

Questions? Email nfmcsh@marshfieldresearch.org.

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David (storyteller) with Dr. Risto Rautiainen (.jpg)

Susan (storyteller) with Dr. Ritso Rautiainen (.jpg)

Rick's Story (.png)

Safeguarding the future of agriculture: National Action Plan offers framework for childhood safety, health

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 15:25:26 GMT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sept. 8, 2025

CONTACT:
Scott Heiberger
Heiberger.scott@marshfieldresearch.org
715-207-1604

Melissa Ploeckelman Brown
Ploeckelman.melissa@marshfieldresearch.org
715-240-0900

Safeguarding the future of agriculture: National Action Plan offers framework for childhood safety, health

There are benefits to growing up on farms and ranches, among them a strengthened immune system, good work ethic and respect for the land. We also know that youth working in agriculture are seven times more likely to die on the job than their non-agriculture counterparts. The best available data suggest that about 33 children are seriously injured daily and one child dies about every three days in U.S. agriculture. Nearly two-thirds of agricultural injuries are young, non-working children who are bystanders in a dangerous worksite.

Safeguarding Children in Agriculture: An Updated National Action Plan offers a framework of goals and strategies for protecting the health and safety of hundreds of thousands of children living, working and visiting on the nation’s 1.9 million agricultural operations, while keeping them involved in agriculture.

“The ultimate goal is to ensure safe participation of youth in agriculture,” said Andrea Swenson, Ph.D., director of the National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety, which published the document. “The plan emphasizes local input and strong partnerships in addressing the complexities of childhood agricultural injuries. This approach can help ensure that solutions are comprehensive, evidence-based and tailored to the diverse needs of the nation's ag communities.”

Swenson, who grew up on a dairy farm, said that farm organizations, safety practitioners, researchers, policy makers, funding agencies, corporate sponsors and other safety advocates are encouraged to set their own priorities consistent with the goals and strategies proposed in the plan.

The 2025 National Action Plan is an update of plans published by the National Children’s Center in 1996, 2001 and 2012.

“Agriculture continues to change and evolve, so we incorporated several new topics such as automated production practices, new technologies, environmental exposures, extreme weather and changing workforce of farm owners and workers, along with organizational and public policies,” Swenson said.

While many changes have occurred since release of the last National Action Plan, several problems persist. One of the most serious issues is that tractors remain the most common source of youth deaths on farms. In addition, the number of trauma cases involving skid steers, all-terrain vehicles and utility task vehicles is increasing.

The plan was updated by a core project team that included Swenson; Bryan Weichelt, Ph.D., research scientist, National Farm Medicine Center; Amy K. Liebman, M.A., M.P.A., director of Environmental and Occupational Health Programs, Migrant Clinicians Network; Dennis Murphy, Ph.D., distinguished professor emeritus, Penn State University; and Barbara Lee, Ph.D., emeritus researcher, Marshfield Clinic Research Institute and long-time director of the National Children’s Center. They worked with 20 reviewers and contributors, employing a consensus-building approach featuring a series of in-person and virtual “think tank” and “listening” sessions with child safety advocates, youth serving organization representatives, migrant farmworkers, researchers, educators and representatives of other farm or youth-related organizations. Participants identified successes, gaps and questions related to the following seven theme areas:

Leadership: Strengthen and support national-level initiatives to improve the health and safety of children and young workers in agricultural environments.

Injury, Disease, And Exposure Data: Develop and implement state, regional, and nationally valid systems to collect, analyze, and disseminate fatal and nonfatal injury and disease data on youth in agricultural settings to guide research, policy, and interventions.

Public Policy: Identify and promote public policy strategies that provide safeguards for all children and young workers in agricultural environments.

Organizational Policy: Facilitate and promote agribusiness and farm/ranch organization strategies that safeguard all children and young workers in agricultural environments.

Research: Guide optimal childhood agricultural health and safety initiatives at local, state, regional, and national levels.

Dissemination and Implementation: Increase adoption of evidence-informed childhood agricultural health and safety strategies at local, state, regional, and national levels through effective communication, dissemination, and implementation.

Emerging Threats: Monitor, identify, and address new and emerging threats to the well-being of youth living, working, and visiting in agricultural environments

The National Children’s Center has been funded since 1997 by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to lead childhood agricultural injury prevention efforts in this country. The center is part of the National Farm Medicine Center and Marshfield Clinic Research Institute, Marshfield, Wis.

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Boy hitching implement. The ultimate goal of the National Action Plan is to ensure safe participation of youth in agriculture.

Girl and her mother working in an onion field. The ultimate goal of the National Action Plan is to ensure safe participation of youth in agriculture.

In the blink of an eye: Frightening lawn mower runover in childhood inspires medical career

Wed, 16 Jul 2025 20:50:39 GMT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 16, 2025

CONTACT:

Scott Heiberger
Heiberger.Scott@marshfieldresearch.org
715-389-7541

Melissa Ploeckelman
Ploeckelman.melissa@marshfieldresearch.org
715-240-0900

In the blink of an eye:

Frightening lawn mower runover in childhood inspires medical career

Alexis Mason was 3 when she almost lost her leg to the blades of a riding lawn mower. Her parents and hospital care team weighed the possibility of amputation, a persistent limp, painful complications with skin grafts and myriad other issues. She was discharged after a month, having escaped the worst consequences, and went on to participate in multiple sports in school. But events of that fateful day influenced Mason’s career path, and highlight the dangers of small children near lawn mowers.

Read Alexis’ Story at the Telling the Story Project website, a collaboration of three agricultural safety centers funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The project’s stories weave injury prevention messages into first-hand accounts of farmers and others impacted by agricultural trauma incidents.

“It all worked out in the end, because this interaction with medicine is how I knew I wanted to become a doctor,” said Mason, now a physician practicing in her home state of Alabama.

Nearly 10,000 child/youth lawn mower injuries occur in the United States annually, with approximately 5 percent resulting in amputation. Despite improvements in engineering and safety features, pediatric lawn mower-related injury rates have remained constant over the past 40 years. Injuries also include lacerations, burns and eye injuries. On farms, mowing is often the first job involving machinery that is assigned to young people.

Mason offers this piece of lawn mower safety advice, speaking from experience: “Keep children away from the mowing area, and teach them that lawn mowers are not toys.”

MOWER SAFETY RESOURCES

The Childhood Agricultural Safety Network’s mower campaign website contains fact sheets and posters for both youth and adults. Both sets of materials include illustrations of key safety topics covering supervision, personal protective equipment, appropriate shoes, child bystanders and debris in the grass. Resources are also available in Spanish.

Among mower safety strategies on the Childhood Agricultural Safety Network website:

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children be at least 12 years old to operate push-style lawn mower and 16 to operate a riding mower.
Never let a second person ride or jump on a mower.
Always wear sturdy, closed-toed shoes. Do not mow in sandals or with bare feet.
Before mowing, scan the lawn to remove toys, hoses, tools and large rocks as they could become projectiles.
Keep children out of the mowing area.
Stay alert to others entering the mowing area.

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Alexis Mason, M.D. (.jpg)

Nearly 10,000 child/youth lawn mower injuries occur in the U.S. annually (.jpg)

What to know before you mow

Wed, 21 May 2025 12:59:46 GMT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 21, 2025

CONTACT:
Scott Heiberger
Heiberger.scott@marshfieldresearch.org
715-207-1604

Melissa Ploeckelman
Ploeckelman.melissa@marshfieldresearch.org
715-240-0900

What to know before you mow:

National mower safety campaign asks if youth are ‘Mow Ready’?

Warm weather is upon us, and so is grass mowing season. The Childhood Agricultural Safety Network (CASN) urges parents and other supervising adults to ensure that young people are “Mow Ready” before tackling this potentially hazardous job.

Nearly 10,000 child/youth lawn mower injuries occur in the United States annually, with approximately 5 percent resulting in amputation. Despite improvements in engineering and safety features, pediatric lawn mower-related injury rates have remained constant over the past 40 years. Injuries include lacerations, burns and eye injuries. On farms, mowing is often the first job involving machinery that is assigned to young people.

“Before teens tackle lawn care and maintenance, it’s important for parents and guardians to make sure teens know how to properly and safely do it,” said Andrea Swenson, Ph.D., director of the National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety, which manages the network. “Supporting teens includes adults modeling safe behaviors and providing appropriate supervision.”

Among mower safety strategies on the CASN website:

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that youth be 12 years old and older to operate a push mower, and at least 16 years old to use a riding mower.
Always wear sturdy, closed-toed shoes. Do not mow in sandals or with bare feet.
Before mowing, scan the lawn to remove toys, hoses, tools and large rocks — they could become projectiles.
Keep children out of the mowing area.
Stay alert to others entering the mowing area.

It’s especially important to prohibit children from riding mowers as passengers, whether blades are engaged or not.

“Giving lawn mower rides acclimates young children to the loud noises of mowers, desensitizes them to their inherent dangers, and converts the mowers from working machinery to a riding plaything in children’s minds,” said Charles Jennissen, M.D., a pediatric emergency medicine specialist and researcher at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine. “Many of the children injured as bystanders in our study were approaching the lawn mower to get a ride.”

Jennissen said 73 percent of children injured as bystanders had previously ridden on a lawn mower as a passenger.

CASN is celebrating 25 years dedicated to children and youth growing up safely on farms and ranches. It is a coalition of nearly 250 individuals and organizations. Resources associated with earlier CASN campaigns (including ATVs and tractors) are available online. The Childhood Agricultural Safety Network offers free membership, an online community and use of all campaign materials.

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Youth lawn mowing safety webinar: May 16

Wed, 07 May 2025 17:34:51 GMT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 8, 2025

CONTACT:
Scott Heiberger
Heiberger.scott@marshfieldresearch.org
715-207-1604

Melissa Ploeckelman
Ploeckelman.melissa@marshfieldresearch.org
715-240-0900

Youth lawn mowing safety webinar: May 16

Mowing grass is a common chore for young people, but it involves serious hazards. Nearly 10,000 child/youth lawn mower injuries occur in the United States annually, with approximately 5 percent resulting in amputation.

Learn how to assess, train and supervise youth to do the job safely by attending a lawn mowing safety webinar, May 16 at 11 a.m. (Central Time). The webinar is being hosted by the Childhood Agricultural Safety Network (CASN), facilitated by the National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety, Marshfield Clinic Research Institute.

Registration is free: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/g7S9EQkIQnOCBc2wRoYJig

Webinar speakers include:

Diane Rohlman, Ph.D., Associate Dean of Faculty in the College of Public Health and a professor in the Department of Occupational & Environmental Health at the University of Iowa. Dr. Rohlman directs the Healthier Workforce Center of The Midwest, as well as the Agricultural Safety and Health Training Program. Her research focuses on the health effects of occupational and environmental exposures, with emphasis on the increased workplace risks faced by younger employees.
Charles Jennissen, M.D., a pediatric emergency medicine specialist and Clinical Professor of Emergency Medicine, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine. Dr. Jennissen has helped establish, sustain, study and grow a wide range of successful injury prevention programs, including lawnmower safety and other activities associated with rural living. Jennissen has dedicated much of his medical career to increasing public awareness of injury prevention.

Despite improvements in engineering and safety features, pediatric lawn mower-related injury rates have remained constant over the past 40 years. Injuries include lacerations, burns and eye injuries. On farms, mowing is often the first job involving machinery that is assigned to young people.

“Injuries associated with mowers can happen in an instant, so it is important to be safety prepared,” said Andrea Swenson, Ph.D., director of the National Children’s Center.

The webinar will kick off the Childhood Agricultural Safety Network 2025 Youth Lawnmower Safety Campaign. Find resources associated with this and other CASN campaigns (including ATVs and tractors) at https://cultivatesafety.org/campaigns/ CASN, celebrating 25 years dedicated to children and youth growing up safely on farms and ranches, is a coalition of nearly 250 individuals and organizations.

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Childhood Agricultural Safety Network (.jpg)

Protect youth from lawn mower injury (.png)

Keep children safe in agriculture: register now for Jan. 17 virtual meeting

Fri, 10 Jan 2025 16:40:30 GMT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 9, 2025

CONTACT:
Scott Heiberger
Heiberger.scott@marshfieldresearch.org
715-207-1604

Melissa Ploeckelman
Ploeckelman.melissa@marshfieldresearch.org
715-240-0900

Keep children safe in agriculture: register now for Jan. 17 virtual meeting

Don’t face safety and health challenges alone. Join the Childhood Agricultural Safety Network in kicking off its 25^th year with a virtual meeting at 10 a.m. (Central Time) on Friday, Jan. 17. This coalition of nearly 250 individuals and organizations is dedicated to children and youth growing up safely on farms and ranches. The network includes farm parents, youth-serving organizations, groups representing underserved populations and agribusiness leaders.

There is no fee to register for the meeting, nor to join the Childhood Agricultural Safety Network (CASN) and utilize its online community. The Childhood Agricultural Safety Network (CASN) was established in 2000 and is facilitated by the National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Safety and Health, one of 12 agricultural safety and health centers funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

“The whole idea behind the CASN group is to enhance communication between people and organizations interested in child safety and health,” said Andrea Swenson, Ph.D., director, National Children’s Center, part of the National Farm Medicine Center and Marshfield Clinic Research Institute. “If we all work together, we can do more than any of us can individually.”

Request to join the CASN Online Community where you can discuss child ag injury incidents, ask questions, chat, and share resources, events, news and announcements. The community offers evidence-based child agriculture safety strategies, health expertise and collaboration.

For more information contact Cassey Peltier, peltier.cassandra@marshfieldresearch.org

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Childhood Agricultural Safety Network Logo (.jpg)

Father showing son how to care for cattle (.jpg)

Agricultural injury stories reveal themes for safety

Thu, 12 Sep 2024 20:20:06 GMT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 13, 2024

CONTACT:

Scott Heiberger
Heiberger.Scott@marshfieldresearch.org
715-389-7541

Melissa Ploeckelman
Ploeckelman.melissa@marshfieldresearch.org
715-240-0900

Agricultural injury stories reveal themes for safety

‘Tell a story, save a life’ during National Farm Safety and Health Week, Sept. 15-21

When a farm injury or fatality occurs, sharing stories of those incidents can help others avoid similar hazards.

An analysis of stories told by injury survivors on the Telling the Story Project website, published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Agromedicine, identified themes that can be used to shape more effective injury-prevention messages, according to the authors.

“We think this paper can be a road map for safety professionals and organizations who want to use the power of storytelling,” said lead author Melissa Ploeckelman, outreach specialist with the National Farm Medicine Center and National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety, Marshfield Clinic Research Institute, Marshfield, Wis.

“Tell a story, save a life,” is the project’s motto, and National Farm Safety and Health Week, Sept. 15-21, is the perfect time to share these cautionary tales.

Telling the Story Project embeds injury prevention messages into first-person accounts. The project debuted online in 2017 and uses videotaped interviews and written narratives to share stories from farmers, farm workers and ranchers who have been directly involved in an agriculture incident.

“The goal of this project is for the audience to connect on a cultural, intellectual, and emotional level with the storytellers, hopefully moving them to incorporate safety practices into their work,” said co-author Ellen Duysen, assistant research professor, Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center.

The team coded and analyzed 11 stories from the Telling the Story Project website, which were recounted by those who survived agricultural incidents or by those who lost a family member to an incident. The authors identified common patterns and themes.

“We conducted a qualitative analysis of the interviews we did with the storytellers and broke the findings into themes and meaning units, and then looked at common verbiage,” Duysen said. “This helped us see trends in how people told their stories.”

Finding positive messages

“We gained insight into the circumstances leading up to each injury incident and valuable information on how the storytellers interpreted the aftermath,” Duysen said. “For example, the storytellers used a lot of positive wording when describing what happened, which surprised us a little, given their injuries. They said things like, ‘I was really lucky,’ and ‘Thirty years on, I am grateful for every day above ground.’”

This positivity could be used more often in safety messaging, said co-author Scott Heiberger, communications manager at the National Farm Medicine Center. “Although this is a deadly-serious topic, we have to consider that not everyone in the audience will respond to statistics and fear,” Heiberger said.

Another theme that was revealed was “working alone,” Heiberger said, as storytellers reflected on being by themselves and far from help. One recalled thinking, “I could shout all I want and no one is going to hear me.”

“We can play on that theme, too, reiterating the importance of always having our phone with us, and telling people where we’ll be and when we expect to return,” Heiberger said.

Crafting safety messages

“This analysis should help safety professionals and health educators craft messages that will resonate with the farming community,” Ploeckelman said. “Statistics alone don’t seem to motivate safety behavior change. Stories stick with us longer, especially if they are told by someone we trust, like another farmer.”

The Telling the Story Project website includes educational materials and resources, including discussion guides for educators, 4-H and FFA leaders, managers, and others looking for positive ways to start a conversation about safety. The project content is marketed using social media, press releases and feature articles in agricultural magazines and journals.

“We’re going to continue adding stories to the website, including more stories involving children and safety,” Heiberger said. “We’re also talking with agricultural communications professors at universities who are interested in using Telling the Story Project as part of their writing classes.”

Telling the Story Project is a collaboration of four agricultural safety and health centers, three of them funded by the National for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH): the Upper Midwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center (UMASH), the Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health (CS-CASH) and the National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety, as well as the National FarmMedicine Center.

Additional Journal of Agromedicine co-authors include: Risto Rautiainen, Anthony Johnson and Aaron Yoder, Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center; and Devon Charlier, Upper Midwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center, University of Minnesota. The article is available at https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1059924X.2024.2386105

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Telling the Story Webpage

Telling the Story Project Graphic (.png)

Telling the Story: Mike's Story

Caption: Telling the Story Project embeds injury prevention messages into first-person accounts shared by farmers, farm workers and ranchers who have been directly involved in an agricultural incident. Image (.jpg)

National child agricultural safety center names new director

Mon, 09 Sep 2024 15:41:46 GMT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 10, 2024

CONTACT:

Scott Heiberger
Heiberger.scott@marshfieldresearch.org
715-207-1604

Melissa Ploeckelman
Ploeckelman.melissa@marshfieldresearch.org
715-240-0900

National child agricultural safety center names new director

Andrea Swenson to lead National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety

The National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety is nearing three decades of preventing injuries associated with the agricultural worksite, one of the nation’s most hazardous worksites and the only one where children of any age may be present.

Significant changes in agriculture and in rural communities require new approaches to safety, and leading the center into this evolving landscape is a new director, Andrea Swenson, Ph.D., associate research scientist, Marshfield Clinic Research Institute.

Swenson joined the National Children’s Center in 2019 with training in human development and family science. Swenson’s research focuses on intersections between family dynamics, individual development and social environments in agricultural and rural communities. She led the evaluation core for the center for the last five years and is currently principal investigator on a project researching barriers and motivators for use of the Agricultural Youth Work Guidelines, a tool to assist adults in assigning developmentally appropriate tasks for youth agricultural workers. In addition, Swenson leads projects on supporting youth health and safety curriculum for educators and family interactions with medical systems in rural communities.

“Having been raised on a dairy farm and having family members engaged in agriculture, I value the complex labor that farm families and farm workers engage in every day, and strive to improve the quality of programs designed to increase the safety and health of those working in agriculture,” Swenson said.

Swenson is succeeding Barbara Lee, Ph.D., the only director in the center’s 27-year history. Lee rallied national attention to the issue of childhood agricultural injuries in the 1990s.

“Barbara’s work and commitment for safeguarding youth continues to save countless lives from death and injury,” Swenson said. “Her leadership continues to drive and inspire needed policy and research to improve work and living conditions of youth around the country and internationally. I look forward to her mentorship and guidance as we continue her legacy of enhancing the health and safety of all children exposed to hazards associated with agricultural work and rural environments.”

Lee was instrumental in establishing the National Children’s Center in 1997, funded with a five-year competitive grant from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The center is now one of 12 agricultural safety centers funded by NIOSH, and the only center dedicated to childhood agricultural injury prevention. The National Children’s Center is a program of the National Farm Medicine Center, part of the Marshfield Clinic Research Institute in Marshfield, Wis.

Lee now serves as the National Children’s Center’s associate director, providing administrative guidance as needed. She will focus on several projects, with an emphasis on organizational and public policy. Additionally, Lee is the senior associate editor for the Journal of Agromedicine.

Before the National Children’s Center, there were relatively few resources and virtually no guidance on strategies to safeguard working and non-working children on farms.

The national approach to childhood agricultural injury prevention has paid off. Among early Children’s Center interventions was the development of guidelines for parents to match chores with their child's developmental and physical capabilities. Follow-up data demonstrated a 56% decline in youth farm injury rates from 1998 to 2009, which ranked among Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report’s Ten Great Public Health Achievements 2001-2010.

The “guidelines for parents” have since been updated as the “Agricultural Youth Work Guidelines,” which are available in multiple formats.

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Dr. Andrea Swenson
Children's Center Director

Agricultural child labor: Aug. 6 webinar to feature issues involving migrant, seasonal farmworker children

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 15:26:43 GMT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 31, 2024

CONTACT:
Scott Heiberger
Heiberger.scott@marshfieldresearch.org
715-207-1604

Melissa Ploeckelman
Ploeckelman.melissa@marshfieldresearch.org
715-240-0900

Agricultural child labor: Aug. 6 webinar to feature issues involving migrant, seasonal farmworker children

A free webinar addressing the challenges faced by migrant and seasonal farmworker children and the role of child labor legislation is scheduled for noon-1 p.m. (Central Time) on Aug. 6, recognized as National Farmworker Appreciation Day in the United States.

The webinar, conducted in both English and Spanish, is being presented by the Childhood Agricultural Safety Network.

Featured speakers:

Melanie Forti, Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs’ Children in the Fields Campaign director and Health and Safety Programs director.
Reid Maki, National Consumers League Child Labor Coalition coordinator and Child Labor Advocacy director.

There is no fee for the webinar but registration is required. Click here.

For more information, contact Cassey Peltier at peltier.cassandra@marshfieldresearch.org

The Childhood Agricultural Safety Network is facilitated by the National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety, a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)-funded center. The Childhood Agricultural Safety Network is an international coalition of organizations that work together to help keep children safe on the farm. These organizations represent the agricultural community, child injury prevention, minority-serving associations and related industry organizations.

Farmworker Appreciation Day acknowledges the contributions that farmworkers make to society and the economy, and their critical role in food production. The day also highlights the evolution of farm labor demographics and the significant contributions of immigrant workers. Farmworker Appreciation Day has its roots in the 1960s and has been recognized on Aug. 6 since 1994.

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Trabajo infantil agrícola: Seminario virtual del 6 de agosto abordará problemas que involucran a niños trabajadores agrícolas migrantes y de temporada

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 15:16:55 GMT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 31, 2024

CONTACT:
Scott Heiberger
Heiberger.scott@marshfieldresearch.org
715-207-1604

Melissa Ploeckelman
Ploeckelman.melissa@marshfieldresearch.org
715-240-0900

Trabajo infantil agrícola: Seminario virtual del 6 de agosto abordará problemas que involucran a niños trabajadores agrícolas migrantes y de temporada

Un seminario virtual gratuito que abordará los desafíos que enfrentan los niños trabajadores agrícolas migrantes y de temporada y el desempeño legislativo sobre el trabajo infantil está programado para el 6 de agosto de 12:00 a 1:00 p.m. (hora central), reconocido como el Día Nacional de Apreciación al Trabajador Agrícola en los Estados Unidos.

El seminario virtual se realizará en inglés y español, y es presentado por la Red de Seguridad Agrícola Infantil.

Presentadores destacados:

Melanie Forti, directora de la Campaña Children in the Fields de la Asociación de Programas de Oportunidades para Trabajadores Agrícolas y directora de Programas de Salud y Seguridad.
Reid Maki, coordinador de la Coalición contra el Trabajo Infantil de la Liga Nacional de Consumidores y director de Defensa del Trabajo Infantil.

El seminario virtual es gratuito, pero se requiere inscripción. Haga clic aquí.

Para obtener más información, comuníquese con Cassey Peltier at peltier.cassandra@marshfieldresearch.org

La Red de Seguridad Agrícola Infantil es facilitada por el Centro Nacional para la Salud y Seguridad Rural y Agrícola Infantil, un centro financiado por el Instituto Nacional para la Seguridad y Salud Ocupacional (NIOSH). La Red de Seguridad Agrícola Infantil es una coalición internacional de organizaciones que trabajan juntas para ayudar a mantener a los niños seguros en las granjas. Estas organizaciones representan a la comunidad agrícola, la prevención de lesiones infantiles, asociaciones al servicio de minorías y organizaciones relacionadas con la industria.

El Día de Apreciación del Trabajador Agrícola reconoce las contribuciones que los trabajadores agrícolas proveen a la sociedad y la economía, y su crítico rol en la producción de alimentos. El día también destaca la evolución de la demografía laboral agrícola y las importantes contribuciones de los trabajadores inmigrantes. El Día de Apreciación del Trabajador Agrícola tiene sus raíces en la década de 1960 y se ha reconocido el 6 de agosto desde 1994.

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Grass mowing season brings injuries

Fri, 14 Jun 2024 21:50:17 GMT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 19, 2024

CONTACT:

Scott Heiberger
Heiberger.scott@marshfieldresearch.org
715-207-1604

Melissa Ploeckelman
Ploeckelman.melissa@marshfieldresearch.org
715-240-0900

Grass mowing season brings injuries:
Lawn mower safety campaign asks if your youth are ‘Mow Ready’?

PORTLAND, Ore. -- In an effort to cut both grass and injury rates, the Childhood Agricultural Safety Network (CASN) is launching a national lawn mower safety campaign that asks if youth are ‘Mow Ready’? Despite improvements in engineering and safety features, pediatric lawn mower-related injury rates have remained constant over the past 40 years. Nearly 10,000 child/youth lawn mower injuries occur in the United States annually, including lacerations, burns and eye injuries. Approximately 5 percent of injuries result in amputation.

Mowing grass is a common chore for teenagers, both in the household and for hire. On farms, mowing is often the first job involving machinery that is assigned to young people.

“Injuries associated with mowers can happen in an instant, so it is important to be safety prepared,” said Andrea Swenson, Ph.D., director of the National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety, which manages CASN.

The Childhood Agricultural Safety Network announced the lawn mower safety campaign at the International Society for Agricultural Safety and Health (ISASH) annual conference taking place this week in Portland, Ore.

CASN has published two sets of campaign fact sheets and posters: one set is for youth, and the other set is for the adults who supervise them. Both sets of materials include illustrations of key safety topics covering supervision, personal protective equipment, appropriate shoes, bystanders and debris in the grass. Campaign materials include resources for traditional (gas/diesel) mowers. Resources on electric mowers will be released later this year.

Previous CASN campaigns have focused on keeping kids off tractors, all-terrain vehicle and utility task vehicle safety, and media guidelines for safe depiction of agricultural practices.

CASN is a coalition of organizations that work together to help keep children safe on the farm. These organizations represent the agricultural community, child injury prevention, minority-serving associations and related industry organizations.

To learn more about the Childhood Agricultural Safety Network, including free membership, participating in the online community and free access and use of all campaign materials, visit https://cultivatesafety.org/casn/.

Lawn mower safety strategies featured in resources on the CASN website include:

Children younger than 12 should not operate push-style lawn mowers. It is recommended no one younger than 16 operate a riding mower.
Never let a second person ride or jump on a mower while it’s running.
Always wear sturdy, closed-toe shoes. Do not mow in sandals or with bare feet.
Before mowing, scan the lawn to remove toys, hoses, tools and large rocks — they could become projectiles.
Keep children out of the mowing area.
Stay alert to others entering the mowing area.

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Mower Poster

Lawn Mower in grass

Childhood Agricultural Safety Network

Grass mowing season brings injuries

Fri, 14 Jun 2024 21:48:29 GMT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 17, 2024

CONTACT:

Scott Heiberger
Heiberger.scott@marshfieldresearch.org
715-207-1604

Melissa Ploeckelman
Ploeckelman.melissa@marshfieldresearch.org
715-240-0900

Grass mowing season brings injuries:
Lawn mower safety campaign asks if your youth are ‘Mow Ready’?

Mowing grass is a common chore for teenagers, both in the household and for hire. On farms, mowing is often the first job involving machinery that is assigned to young people.

Previous CASN campaigns have focused on keeping kids off tractors, all-terrain vehicle and utility task vehicle safety, and media guidelines for safe depiction of agricultural practices.

Lawn mower safety strategies featured in resources on the CASN website include:

Children younger than 12 should not operate push-style lawn mowers. It is recommended no one younger than 16 operate a riding mower.
Never let a second person ride or jump on a mower while it’s running.
Always wear sturdy, closed-toe shoes. Do not mow in sandals or with bare feet.
Before mowing, scan the lawn to remove toys, hoses, tools and large rocks — they could become projectiles.
Keep children out of the mowing area.
Stay alert to others entering the mowing area.

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Mower Poster

Lawn Mower in grass

Childhood Agricultural Safety Network

Farm mom tells son’s story to save others

Fri, 07 Jun 2024 17:39:59 GMT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 12, 2024

CONTACT:

Scott Heiberger
Heiberger.Scott@marshfieldresearch.org
715-389-7541

Melissa Ploeckelman
Ploeckelman.melissa@marshfieldresearch.org
715-240-0900

Farm mom tells son’s story to save others

Gasoline handling demands safe practices, safe containers

Using gasoline to start or keep a fire burning is an extremely dangerous act that is all too common in American barnyards and backyards.

Jane Allsup, of Winterset, Iowa, lost her 10-year-old son, Christopher, when an outdated portable gasoline container exploded as he attempted to rekindle the previous night’s fun sitting by the fire on their family farm. Newspaper and matches didn’t work, so Christopher sprinkled the damp, smoldering logs with gasoline. He unknowingly stood in a cloud of highly flammable vapors escaping from an old, unsafe container, and the vapors ignited when contacted by an ember.

Since that tragic day in 2013, Jane Allsup and The Legacy of Christopher Allsup Foundation have told Christopher’s story. Thanks to Allsup and others' safety advocacy, gasoline handling policy and education have improved. However, due to the prevalence of gasoline in farm work, yard work, and recreation, the risk of explosion remains.

Thousands of Americans are treated each year for burn injuries related to gasoline. Safe practices, such as never using gasoline to start a fire, are key to reducing injuries. But what of those plastic gasoline containers? Tens of millions of them, many outdated and unsafe, line the shelves of rural and suburban America.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) now requires all new gas cans and other fuel containers to have flame mitigation devices, known as flame arrestors. A flame arrestor could have saved Christopher’s life. A flame arrestor is a mesh screen built into the spout. It allows gasoline to flow out of a portable gas container but will dissipate flashback flames and prevent an explosion.

One gallon of gasoline is estimated to possess the explosive force of 14 sticks of dynamite.

“The dangers of gasoline are often unknown or underestimated by those handling it," said Allsup, whose foundation conducts gas can exchanges each year. "People don't realize they are standing in a highly flammable vapor cloud. This can lead to tragedy, particularly in the agricultural community where onsite fueling is common and where youth are often involved in the handling and using gasoline."

Christopher was a loving, vibrant, happy young man, Allsup said. She and her family miss his hugs, smiles, and conversations. She draws some strength from raising awareness about gasoline container safety.

“If I can get people to think about this and talk to their children about gasoline safety, that keeps me going, knowing that I might save a life.”

Christopher’s story and more information about gasoline handling safety can be found at Telling the Story Project. The project features personal accounts, embedded with prevention messages, of families and individuals directly affected by injuries and close calls.

Telling the Story Project is a collaboration of three agricultural safety centers funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH): the National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety; Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center; and Upper Midwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center, University of Minnesota. Also partnering is the National Farm Medicine Center, Marshfield Clinic Research Institute, Marshfield, Wis.

For more information about the not-for-profit Legacy of Christopher Allsup Foundation, Inc., visit its website https://thelegacyofchristopherallsupfoundationinc.wordpress.com/ and Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/thelegacyofchristopher.

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Christopher Allsup (.JPG)

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Old, unsafe cans turned in at gas can exchange (.jpg)

Child Labor in Agriculture – Join Online Think Tank, June 6

Wed, 29 May 2024 15:21:21 GMT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 29, 2024

CONTACT: Scott Heiberger
heiberger.scott@marshfieldresearch.org
715-207-1604

CONTACT: Melissa Ploeckelman
Ploeckelman.melissa@marshfieldresearch.org
715-240-0900

Child Labor in Agriculture – Join Online Think Tank, June 6

Agricultural work offers children and teens opportunities to develop skills and more fully benefit from farm/ranch life. But there are risks. More youth die working in agriculture than all other industries combined, and many of these injuries and deaths result from youth performing tasks that exceed their physical and mental abilities.

There has been an increase in the number of youth employed in agriculture for several reasons, including labor shortages, the impact of COVID on farmworker families and a rise in unaccompanied migrant children. Child labor has been increasingly visible in the news media, with reports featuring child labor violations, loosening and tightening of state child labor laws, youth injuries and more.

Join the National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety for a Child Labor in Agriculture Think Tank, 2-3 p.m. (Central Time), June 6. This think tank will address emerging and persistent issues regarding youth work environments. Brief information sharing sessions will be followed by small group discussions. Topics and speakers include:

Background of youth working in agriculture – Marsha Salzwedel, Ed.D., National Children’s Center
Child labor regulations, policy, and current issues – Reid Maki, Child Labor Coalition
Developmental issues for working youth: benefits and challenges – David Schwebel, Ph.D., University of Alabama, Birmingham

To join us for this FREE online think tank session, click here to register: Child Labor Think Tank If the link above doesn’t work, please cut and paste the following link into your browser: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZclc--tqDkiH9NuQWmWJM7R3cU40qXrv9Fn

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AYWG image of children working on hand harvesting fruits and vegetables (.png)

Lessons for life: Sister finds her farm safety voice as a student and athlete

Tue, 23 Apr 2024 15:19:47 GMT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 24, 2024

CONTACT:
Scott Heiberger
Heiberger.scott@marshfieldresearch.org
715-207-1604

Melissa Ploeckelman
Ploeckelman.melissa@marshfieldresearch.org
715-240-0900

Lessons for life:

Sister finds her farm safety voice as a student and athlete

College is a life-changing experience for many people, but Jaiden Boomsma’s life changed well before she arrived on the campus of South Dakota State University (SDSU).

Seven years ago this month, when Jaiden was 15, she lost her little brother Jaxon in a tractor runover on their grandparents’ farm. Soon after, the Boomsma family established a memorial to “Keep his Smile Alive” and try to prevent a similar tragedy from striking another family.

Through it all, track and field has been a constant. The training, competition, teammates and coaches have all provided Jaiden a safe place when the grief swells up, and a platform on which to celebrate life.

“Every time I win, I sit there and think, this is for you, Jaxon,” Jaiden said. “Track has allowed me to not only honor him, but it gives me days to not think about it, when I can just focus on my blocks, I can focus on the long jump. So it goes both ways. Track also reminds me how many people I have in my life. It’s been one of my biggest blessings.”

As she prepares to graduate in May with a degree in business economics, and looks forward to competing in sprints and long jump at the Summit League championships May 9-11 in St. Paul, Minn., Jaiden shared how college and track have helped develop her agricultural safety voice. (Read Jaiden’s full story at the Storytelling page of the National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety.)

One class, “marketing for non-profits,” stands out.

“They said, ‘Market what your goal is,’ and my goal with the (Jaxon Liam Boomsma) Memorial is farm safety, so I made a TikTok video for National Farm Safety and Health Week,” Jaiden recalled. “I started the video with, ‘This week is Farm Safety Week; a very important week for my family because in April 2017, I lost my little brother in a tractor accident on the farm.’ And then I highlighted some of the stuff we do with the Memorial like the scholarships and events around Yankton, and basically showed how it all related to my family.”

The video also included the Boomsmas’ book, titled, “Staying safe on the farm with Jaxon,” which has become the calling card of the Memorial. Several years ago, Jaiden and her siblings, Callie and Carter, worked with their Aunt Mary Boomsma on the book, available through the Memorial’s Facebook page.

Reaction to the video far exceeded expectations, garnering 233,000 views and more than 31,000 likes. Orders for the book flooded in.

Jaiden will be pursuing a career as a financial advisor, and plans to continue farm safety presentations at local schools and spreading the family’s story.

“I am so blessed to say Jaxon has been my motivation to push through adversity with a smile. He is my motivation for all my accomplishments and growth, on and off the track.”

Jaiden’s full story is available at the Storytelling page of the National Children’s Center.

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Jaiden Boomsma (.jpg)

Jaiden with Jaxon (.jpg)

Farmers share stories as ‘teachable moments’ in safety during Ag Literacy Week March 18-22

Thu, 14 Mar 2024 19:41:26 GMT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 18, 2024

CONTACT:

Scott Heiberger
Heiberger.Scott@marshfieldresearch.org
715-389-7541

Melissa Ploeckelman
Ploeckelman.melissa@marshfieldresearch.org
715-240-0900

Farmers share stories as ‘teachable moments’ in safety during Ag Literacy Week March 18-22

New social media toolkit can be used to educate, start conversations

March 18-22 is Ag Literacy Week and the Telling the Story Project team members are helping you spread the word. A toolkit has been created to help share these stories and can be found here: https://tellingthestoryproject.org/social-media/.

It contains social media posts linking to personal stories told by farmers, agricultural workers, family and community members who have been impacted by injuries, fatalities, or close calls.

Have you ever stood in a room filled with farmers and asked if they’ve had a close call or injury incident on the farm? Most hands will probably go up, and each hand represents a story.

Telling the Story Project (www.tellingthestoryproject.org) is about sharing those stories.

Four agricultural safety centers, three of them regional centers funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), collaborate with storytellers to disseminate cautionary tales embedded with prevention messages and carrying the theme: “We don’t want this to happen to anyone else.”

Using the kit, or the website, is a great way to share these stories, especially with the next generation of agriculture, such as middle school, high school and college students.

“Telling stories, reading stories, and hearing stories, all to promote learning --Telling the Story Project stories fit so well with that intent,” said Ellen Duysen, coordinator and outreach specialist for the Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health (CS-CASH), University of Nebraska Medical Center. “Our stories can be used year-round to teach injury prevention lessons and to initiate safety conversations with family and friends, as well as to normalize these discussions.”

Other collaborators in the project include the Upper Midwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center (University of Minnesota), and the National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety and the National Farm Medicine Center, both part of Marshfield Clinic Research Institute.

Agricultural media editors say that real stories make safety messages more relevant, according to UMASH-funded research. Telling the Story Project content is meant to be shared. Farmers, media professionals, teachers, Extension, and safety professionals are especially encouraged to link to the stories and repurpose content. Please see terms of use for republishing and crediting.

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Child injuries on farms are not ‘accidents’

Tue, 12 Mar 2024 14:02:13 GMT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 18, 2024

CONTACT: Scott Heiberger
heiberger.scott@marshfieldresearch.org
715-207-1604

CONTACT: Melissa Ploeckelman
Ploeckelman.melissa@marshfieldresearch.org
715-240-0900

Child injuries on farms are not ‘accidents’

Long-time researcher challenges traditional notions of incident reporting

Headlines such as, “Toddler killed in tractor accident,” or, “Boy dies in farm accident,” grab our attention and sympathy, but they also prevent us from addressing the root causes of those tragedies, says a childhood agricultural injury prevention researcher.

“An ‘accident’ suggests that the situation could not have been anticipated or prevented,” said Barbara Lee, Ph.D., director of the National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety, part of the National Farm Medicine Center, Marshfield Clinic Research Institute, Marshfield, Wis.

“We know better. It’s time to get serious and use the appropriate terminology.”

Instead of “accident,” Lee suggests the term “incident,” or a word describing what happened, such as “crash,” “explosion,” or “fall.”

“Using ‘accident’ avoids a serious investigation of the event, and it hampers efforts to alter unsafe environments or conditions in which children are present,” wrote Lee in an open-access commentary recently published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Agromedicine. “Child Farm Injuries are Never ‘Accidents,’” a commentary by Barbara Lee, is available at https://doi.org/10.1080/1059924X.2024.2311050

Although an adverse event might seem unique, injury data will likely reveal many similar events.

For nearly four decades, Lee has focused on safeguarding children who work, visit and live on U.S. farms. The incidence of serious injuries and deaths to children on farms is declining, she writes, yet, “We have not kept pace with the world outside of agriculture that has adopted appropriate terminology and descriptions of injury events.

“I feel very frustrated every time the news describes a childhood farm injury incident as an ‘accident,” or worse yet, ‘a freak accident.’”

In 2023, Lee and colleagues at the National Farm Medicine Center documented the frequency of the word “accident” using their Agricultural Injury News database of publicly available news reports. Analysis of 719 public news reports involving youth ages 0-17 over a seven-year period (2016-2022) revealed that the word “accident” was present in 38% of the headlines, and/or present in 63% of the narrative descriptions of the event. A similar analysis of adult news reports revealed less use of the word “accident,” leading to speculation that reporters and editors might choose to use “accident” in child cases hoping to minimize the pain, shame or remorse that parents might feel after losing a child.

Lee notes that nearly 30 years ago, the auto safety field stopped using the word “accident” and now refers to events as crashes, collisions or overturns. The former Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA) is termed a Motor Vehicle Crash (MVC). This terminology shift helped influence an increased emphasis on improving auto and roadway safety and the same strategy is being adopted in many industries. Child farm safety advocates firmly believe avoiding the term “accident” could influence adults to replace unsafe traditions with proactive measures that safeguard innocent children and working youth from the wide range of hazards encountered in agricultural settings.

“From an injury prevention perspective, child farm injuries and deaths are never ‘accidents,’” Lee said.

Additional information is provided in the Media Guidelines developed by the National Children’s Center and Childhood Agricultural Safety Network. The guidelines provide recommendations for reporting news events, including appropriate terminology, photos of safe practices and prevention messages.

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No Accidents image (.jpg)

Trauma Scene Training (.jpg)

Helicopter Landing in Agricultural Field (.jpg)

‘Turning tragedy into opportunity’

Mon, 19 Feb 2024 21:32:27 GMT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Feb. 20, 2024

CONTACT:

Scott Heiberger
Heiberger.Scott@marshfieldresearch.org
715-389-7541

Melissa Ploeckelman
Ploeckelman.melissa@marshfieldresearch.org
715-240-0900

‘Turning tragedy into opportunity’

Nebraska woman honors dad’s memory by helping workers, farmers stay safe around grain

Cadrien Livingston was just 10 years old when her dad, Craig, died in a grain bin incident on their northeast Nebraska ranch.

“Four days after we lost Dad, Mom and I sat down at the kitchen table,” said Cadrien, now 25. “She explained to me that we needed to make some tough decisions.”

Decisions such as whether to stay on the ranch, or sell it and move to town and get a job.

“As Mom and I talked, I knew I wanted my sisters to have the same opportunities I had to grow up and enjoy ranch life,” Cadrien said. “It was also important to me and Mom to keep Dad’s legacy going.”

Today, the 88 Ranch is thriving, and Cadrien provides grain handling safety training as a regional safety manager for Viterra. Her LinkedIn page features the phrase, “Turning tragedy into opportunity.”

“I want Dad’s life to count for more than just how he died,” Cadrien said. “It’s important to me to share his story every time I can, and do everything possible to make sure no other families have to go through this kind of experience.”

Read “Craig’s Story” at the Telling the Story Project website, a collaboration of three agricultural safety centers funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The project’s stories weave injury prevention messages into first-hand accounts of farmers and others impacted by agricultural trauma incidents.

Participating centers include: Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health (Nebraska); National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety; and the Upper Midwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center (Minnesota).

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Craig Livingston with wife Valerie and daughters (from left) Cassie, Cadrien and Carlee.

Craig Livingston and oldest daughter Cadrien.

Hired Agricultural Youth Work Guidelines published

Thu, 09 Nov 2023 16:15:50 GMT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 9, 2023

CONTACT:

Scott Heiberger
Heiberger.scott@marshfieldresearch.org
715-207-1604

Melissa Ploeckelman
Ploeckelman.melissa@marshfieldresearch.org
715-240-0900

Hired Agricultural Youth Work Guidelines published

Employers, farm parents can use guidelines to assign appropriate jobs to teenagers

There are many benefits to adolescents working in agriculture, but there also are risks, especially when youth are assigned jobs beyond their capabilities. Since 2009, more youth have died working in agriculture than in all other industries combined.

The just-published Hired Agricultural Youth Work Guidelines (HAYWG) are designed to help farm employers and supervisors of hired youth reduce the risk of injury for young workers. HAYWG includes guidance for training and supervising young workers, information on regulations and tip sheets for supervising youth performing common farm tasks. Adults can use this resource in tandem with the Agricultural Youth Work Guidelines (AYWG), which help them assign age- and ability-appropriate tasks to youth. Release of the new guidelines was announced Nov. 9 at the Midwest Rural Agricultural Safety and Health Conference in Dubuque, Iowa.

“Employers, supervisors and farm parents will find these guidelines helpful,” said Marsha Salzwedel, Ed.D., agricultural youth safety specialist with the National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety, Marshfield Clinic Research Institute. “It is important to know the regulations for youth hired to work on farms, as well as understanding how training and supervising youth is different from adults. Youth don’t have the same physical and cognitive abilities as adults. They also tend to have shorter attention spans, are susceptible to peer pressure, tend to be impulsive, are more willing to take risks, and are less likely to ask questions than adults.”

The booklet and individual guidelines are available at cultivatesafety.org/hired-youth and can be used for in-person training and/or as posters to remind employers, supervisors, and workers of the importance of staying safe.

The guidelines are based on the latest scientific evidence and best practices. Translation into Spanish is underway. An interactive online version, now in development, will allow users to modify skin tones and equipment colors.

“Employers and supervisors are responsible for ensuring a safe workplace and compliance with regulations,” Salzwedel said. “Ensuring a safe workplace includes providing good training and supervision, addressing workplace hazards and employing protective strategies. Compliance with regulations includes both state and federal regulations governing the tasks youth perform. It is important to check both state and federal regulations, as state regulations may be more restrictive than federal regulations or apply in instances where federal regulations do not.”

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Cover Photo for HAYWG Guidelines Booklet (.jpg)

Cover Photo for HAYWG Guidelines Booklet (.pdf)

HAYWG Logo (.jpg)

HAYWG Logo (.pdf)

Youth agricultural safety featured in public health journal

Mon, 30 Oct 2023 13:06:45 GMT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 30, 2023

CONTACT:

Scott Heiberger
Heiberger.scott@marshfieldresearch.org
715-207-1604

Melissa Ploeckelman
Ploeckelman.melissa@marshfieldresearch.org
715-240-0900

Youth agricultural safety featured in public health journal

Special issue to provide foundation for international webinar, Nov. 14

A changing world and a milestone anniversary led to the publication of an extensive collection of international research papers, reports and editorials related to youth agricultural safety.

“Safeguarding Youth from Agricultural Injury and Illness: International Perspectives,” edited by the National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety, has been published by the open-access journal, Frontiers in Public Health. The special issue includes 29 manuscripts from Argentina, Australia, Burkina Faso, Canada, Ireland, Israel, Lithuania, Nigeria, Sweden, United Kingdom and United States. Its content is also available as an e-book. Simply go to the special issue page and click the “download e-pub” tab.

The special issue began two years ago when Frontiers invited Barbara Lee, Ph.D., director of the National Children’s Center, Marshfield Clinic Research Institute, to serve as a guest editor. Lee suggested an edition dedicated to youth agricultural safety. At the same time, the National Children’s Center was celebrating its 25^th anniversary.

“What’s changed in the past 25 years is our network of colleagues. I approached Frontiers with a new concept,” Lee said, to feature international perspectives on children, agriculture, safety, and health in one publication.

“Even before the National Children’s Center was established, Marshfield was the hub of discussion for child agricultural injury prevention. We held the first national gathering on the topic in 1992,” Lee said.

Lee assembled a team of Marshfield-based colleagues as editors, along with two international editors, Peter Lundqvist, Ph.D., professor at Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden, and Richard Franklin, Ph.D., professor at James Cook University, Townsville, Australia. Marshfield Clinic Research Institute editors included: National Farm Medicine Center Director and Research Scientist Casper Bendixsen, Ph.D.; and associate research scientists Bryan Weichelt, Ph.D., Florence Becot, Ph.D., and Andrea Swenson, Ph.D. Research Coordinator Christopher Benny served as topic coordinator, promoting the call for papers and working with the editorial board and authors.

“Now we want to take some of the bigger messages of what we learned from compiling this special issue to international audiences,” Lee said.

Themes emerging from the special issue include the need for more comprehensive injury data, the role of public policy, and an examination of regulations regarding children working in agriculture.

“As we begin to share these international perspectives, we’re asking how we can best work together,” Lee said. “For instance, do we develop an international action plan? We definitely need to share and modify resources that have been effective, such as evidence-based work guidelines for youth.”

WEBINAR NOV. 14: A webinar leveraging this special issue will take place Nov. 14. Click here to register. The webinar, titled, “Safeguarding the health and safety of children in agriculture,” is being organized jointly by the International Association of Work in Agriculture and the National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety. The webinar will shed light on the health and safety of children in agriculture in Northern and Southern countries, with an emphasis on family farm systems. After a discussion of recent research, attendees will engage in a moderated discussion of opportunities for future research and interventions, as well as collaborations.

MEDIA KIT: Click here for the full release, flyers and social media posts promoting the Frontiers in Public Health special issue and webinar.

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Cover, special issue of Frontiers in Public Health dedicated to international child agricultural safety and health. (Image courtesy Frontiers in Public Health)
Cover (.jpg)

Girl harvesting strawberries. (Image courtesy Frontiers in Public Health)
Girl Harvesting Strawberries (.jpg)

Boys in Australian canola field with grandfather. (Photo by Richard Franklin)
Canola Field (.jpg)