Year-Round Agricultural Safety and Health Promotion Ideas

Agricultural safety can be practiced year-round! Here are some ideas to promote and educate others on the importance of farm safety and health throughout the year. Use these ideas to start a program or supplement one already in place.

Year Round Promotion Ideas

• Work with your local county extension office, Farm Bureau officers and committees, state Cooperative Extension farm safety specialist, farm supply stores and dealerships, farm organizations, rural heath care providers and others to develop an ongoing effective farm safety promotion program. Use farm safety resource materials contained on the Agricultural Safety page to identify some of the farm safety experts around the country.
• Use material found throughout the National Safety Council website to submit news releases and public service announcements to the local media. Work with local farm safety resources to prepare additional news releases that may be applicable to farms in your community.
• Work with local television and radio programs to feature spots on farm safety and health issues to promote safety throughout the year.
• Organize a safety field day for farmers and farm families that can be used to educate the whole family on farm safety and health issues.
• Organize and conduct a farm safety day camp for youth to educate the children in the community on a variety of hazards found on the farm.
• Make sure any local farm event or gathering has someone on the program speaking about a farm safety topic. Develop a list of local events, desired topics and possible speakers for throughout the year.
• Sponsor and promote a first-on-the-scene response program for farm families. Familiarize them with what to do in the event an injury occurs on the farm. Train them on farm hazards, how to turn equipment off, and how to summon help.
• Sponsor and promote a first-aid and a CPR course for farm families in your community.
• Sponsor and promote a farm emergency response and rescue training class for emergency medial and rescue personnel in your community.
• Sponsor and promote a Defensive Driving Course for farm and rural residents in your community.
• Organize and promote a farm safety poster or coloring contest at your local grade school or community organization. Offer safety items, farm safety activity books, or coloring books as prizes.
• Work with local businesses to display farm safety and health posters and safety reminders throughout the year.
• Work with rural health professionals to provide free blood pressure and cholesterol testing at farm supply stores, equipment dealerships, etc.
• Develop a farm safety display and use it at farm field days, events and programs, county fairs, etc. to promote farm safety and health.

Information supplied by the National Safety Council's Agricultural Division.