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Kansas Wheat proud to support Mid-America Center for Agricultural Safety and HealthIt is easy to forget that farming continues to be one of this country's most dangerous occupations. Yet, the National Safety Council reports that of all the major industries in the U.S., agriculture has the highest number of workplace deaths. Moreover, spouses and children of farmers are also at increased risk of severe injury and death. That's why Kansas Wheat is proud to support the new Mid-America Center for Agricultural Safety and Health. Established at Kansas State University this month, the Center will involve faculty from a number of academic disciplines, to develop training and preventative programs leading to improved safety in a number of hazards associated with farming, including injuries caused by livestock, during farm maintenance, and exposure to pesticides. The Center will educate producers about these safety initiatives through K-State Research and Extension, according to Mitch Ricketts, Health, Safety and Environmental Coordinator for K-State Research and Extension. Ricketts is head of the new Center, which will be formally organized this fall. Ultimately, the Center will be the go-to resource for developing research and Extension proposals with agricultural safety and health themes, developing academic courses in agriculture safety and health and will establish relationships with producers, industry representatives and communities for developing new safety and health projects. "We will work with producers and other stakeholders to identify the most feasible and socially acceptable methods for preventing injuries and illnesses," Ricketts said. "Decades of work in occupational safety and health demonstrate that new practices are likely to be adopted only when they have the support and 'buy-in' of the target population." Thus, the Center asked for, and received, support from a broad coalition of agriculture advocacy groups and health organizations. Kansas Wheat was joined by Kansas Farm Bureau, the Kansas Livestock Association and Kansas Corn Commission, to name a few. The University of Kansas School of Medicine and Iowa State University also wrote letters of support for the Center. "We are pleased that the Center will take a research-based approach to identify common causes of injuries sustained in agricultural jobs. The health and well-being of farmers is an important concern of our organizations and the Center will help make this happen," said Dusti Fritz, Kansas Wheat chief executive officer. According to Ricketts, one in 79 agricultural workers will be killed in a career that spans 40 years. That rate is 10 times higher than the average for American workers in general, and 27 percent higher than the death rate for mining--the country's second most dangerous industry. The Mid-America Center for Agricultural Safety and Health will no doubt have a positive impact on that statistic. 9/15/08 Date: 9/8/08
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