SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — National Farm Safety and Health Week kicked off Monday in a sign harvest season is near.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker proclaimed the week statewide with the theme “Shift Farm Safety into High Gear.”
As a part of its outreach efforts, the state Department of Agriculture scheduled a daily safety topic it planned to highlight on its social media.
Those topics range from rural highway safety to mental health, said Department of Agriculture Public Information Officer Krista Lisser.
“This year, farmers had crops that either didn’t get planted, or were late, so that can put mental stress on a farmer or on their family,” she said.
“There’s not such a stigma now. We’re trying to get the word out to farmers it’s okay to seek help and okay to open up.”
Lisser said the farming profession across the country sees an average of 581 deaths a year, making agriculture sector America’s most dangerous.
“A lot of [the deaths] have to do with what our main focus is on the first day, which is tractor safety and rural roadway safety.
“Every harvest season, we hear of these stories of a tractor being hit from behind and the farmer being thrown,” she added.
The week’s schedule of topics is as follows:
Monday, Sept. 16: Tractor Safety and Rural Roadway Safety
Tuesday, Sept. 17: Farmer Health and Opioid/Suicide Prevention
Wednesday, Sept. 18: Safety and Health for Youth in Agriculture
Thursday, Sept. 19: Confined Spaces in Agriculture
Friday, Sept. 20: Safety and Health for Women in Agriculture
Every third week of September since 1944 has been recognized as National Farm Safety and Health Week.
