AgriSafe in Action: March 2019
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When a medical emergency occurs, having someone there who knows what to do can mean the difference between life and death. Nobody questions the importance of first aid training, especially on the farm. For example, if someone’s heart has stopped, you do chest compressions. But what if the emergency is someone having a panic attack, dealing with an opioid addiction, or contemplating suicide? Having someone available who knows what preventative measures to take can mean the difference between life and death.When you’re the person giving chest compressions, nobody expects you to perform the open-heart surgery. Likewise, when you’re the person providing support and resources during a mental health crisis, nobody expects you to have all the answers or be a therapist. Your job is just to provide help until the services of a professional can be obtained. That’s where mental health first aid training comes in. Mental Health First Aid USA, a program managed by the National Council for Behavioral Health and the Missouri Department of Mental Health, offers an eight-hour course that gives people the skills to help someone experiencing a mental health crisis. Trainees learn to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illness. For more information:
Click Here!
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Nurse Scholar Spotlight!
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Dr. Tara Haskins DNP, RN
Dr. Haskins is currently an Associate Professor in the Division of Nursing at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana. Louisiana Tech is known for providing leadership on rural health issues through advocacy, communications, education, and research. Originally from Bienville Parish, Louisiana, she grew up observing her grandmother work at a small family clinic as a nurse. Seeing such an important role in supporting the health of the patients and families of that rural community inspired Dr. Haskins to pursue a career in nursing. The National Rural Health Association selected Dr. Haskins for its 2018 Rural Health Fellows Program. The Rural Health Fellows program is a yearlong, intensive training program that develops leaders who can articulate a clear and compelling vision for rural America.
Dr. Haskins was also a member of the inaugural AgriSafe Nurse Scholar program. Dr. Haskins said that one of her favorite topics during the Nurse Scholar Program was “Chemical Exposures and Health Effects in Agricultural Communities.” She found this topic particularly interesting since she is currently conducting research and scholarly work on Parkinson’s disease of which pesticide exposures are a major risk factor. Dr. Haskins said the topics covered during the Nurse Scholar Program were beneficial to her profession because these are issues that affect the population she is engaging with, and many of these topics are not covered in depth during nursing school. Many of her students are from rural areas and will be returning into those rural communities to practice nursing upon graduation. “The Nurse Scholar Program was comprehensive and the instructors were experts in their fields.” At Louisiana Tech, Dr. Haskins teaches Psychiatric Mental Health and was able to integrate information learned during the Nurse Scholar program, such as a high suicide rate among farmers, and common stressors prevalent among agricultural producers that affect overall quality of life. Dr. Haskins found the feature of on-demand webinars to be extremely beneficial because she could watch and re-watch the presentations at a time convenient to her schedule. “Overall [the Nurse Scholar program] has allowed me to expand the amount of information that I’m able to deliver to the rural community in which I serve.”
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Agricultural Safety Awareness Program Week 2019
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The 2019 Agricultural Safety Awareness Program (ASAP) Week will be celebrated March 3-9. The
American Farm Bureau’s Agricultural Safety Awareness Program (ASAP
).
UMASH and the US Agricultural Centers funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) are spotlighting agricultural health and safety with a variety of resources for farmers and ranchers, farmworkers, farm families, and others to promote Ag Safety Awareness Program (ASAP) Week. For more information
Click Here!
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"Stand-Up for Grain Safety Week" set for March 25-29, 2019. Grain handling and storage is a key safety issue for the grain, feed, and processing industries. The event will focus on grain bin entry,
machine guarding
,
respiratory protection
,
falls, heat, lock out/tag out, and other industry issues. Employers and workers are encouraged to participate in local stand-up events.
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AgriSafe Welcomes New Interns
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Maurene Param
is a third year undergraduate studying Public Health and Psychology at Tulane University, New Orleans. Her interest in the field began in her hometown, Long Beach, CA, as a volunteer at a local hospital where she noticed the need for resources and follow up care for patients. This led her to seek out opportunities that explore the many realms of healthcare. She is excited to work with AgriSafe as their Marketing Intern and engage herself in the agricultural community working specifically with the Opioid project.
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Parth Dave
is the new data analyst intern for AgriSafe. He will be working with a program called Invest in Your Health for Young Ag Workers as well as help review and prepare data for ongoing quarterly and annual reports for an occupational training program that focuses on Grain Safety
and Women’s Health. He got his Bachelor’s in Science from Louisiana State University in Environmental Management Systems with a concentration in Resource Conservation. As an undergraduate, he worked on a research farm that focused on oat and wheat production. He selected this internship opportunity to further his knowledge and experience in the field of agriculture
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Health Spotlight:
Protecting Yourself from Cold Stress
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This winter has been filled with extremely cold temperatures accompanied with high levels of snowfall, leaving individuals vulnerable to the effects of the cold that they may be unaccustomed too. Understanding which health problems are affected by temperature is important for preventing heat and cold-related deaths and illnesses, particularly in the elderly. Workers who are exposed to extreme cold or work in cold environments may be at risk of cold stress. Extremely cold or wet weather is a dangerous situation that can cause occupational illness and injuries such as hypothermia, frostbite, trench foot, and chilblains.
Health and Safety Tip
: Carry extra socks, gloves, hats, jacket, blankets, a change of clothes and a thermos of hot liquid. Include chemical hot packs in your first aid kit. For more information:
Click Here!
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2019 ISASH Call For Abstracts
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The International Society for Agricultural Safety and Health (ISASH) invites abstract submissions for the 2019 Annual Conference in Des Moines, Iowa, U.S.A.
The theme for 2019 is “River to River: Yielding Agricultural Health and Safety.”
Abstracts for displays (program posters, research posters, educational displays) are due
March 22, 2019
. For more information visit ISASH's website:
Click for more information
.
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AgriSafe offers Invest In Your Health Trainer Exchanges where professional can be certified to train on five AgriSafe modules (targeted for ages 16-23). AgriSafe provides the course instruction and training materials. Free training is available on-site or on-demand through online webinars.
.
Click for more information.
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2019 AgrAbility National TrainingWorkshop
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Join AgrAbility March 25-28, 2019 in Lincoln, Nebraska for the 2019 AgrAbility National Training Workshop, the premier training event addressing issues of disability in agriculture. Professionals and consumers from all over the country will participate in four days of plenary sessions, breakouts, tours, networking, and special events. This year’s conference headquarters is the
Embassy Suites -Downtown Lincoln
. For more information:
Click Here!
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Upcoming Webinars in March
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Train the Trainer:
"Say What? Protecting Your Hearing
"
Presenters:
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Dr. Marjorie C. McCullagh
, PhD, RN, APHN-BC, COHN-S, FAAOHN, FAAN, Professor, Director, Occupational Health Nursing Program, Department of Systems, Populations and Leadership, University of Michigan School of Nursing
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Natalie Roy
, MPH, Executive Director, AgriSafe Network
Time:
Tuesday, March 19, 2019
3:30 PM - 4:30 PM CST
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Train the Trainer:
"Stand-up For Grain Safety Week: Topic Discussion & Resources"
Presenter:
Dr. Robert Aherin
, PhD, CSP, Professor & Agricultural Safety & Health Program Leader, University of Illinois – ACES - Department of Agricultural & Biological Engineering, GHSC Board Member
Time:
Wednesday, March 20, 2019
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM CST
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"Hazard Communications Standards"
Presenter:
Dan Neenan
, MBA, Paramedic
Director, National Education Center for Agricultural Safety
Time:
Friday, March 22, 2019
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM CST
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