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Western Farm Show Health & Safety Roundup features safety demonstrations, health screenings
By Susan McCabe February is the perfect time to catch up on personal health screenings and get the latest farm safety advice. Fortunately, it's easy to accomplish both at the 2012 Western Farm Show in Kansas City. The well orchestrated Health & Safety Roundup is one of the Farm Show's most popular attractions and is open to all Farm Show attendees throughout the three-day show, Feb. 24 to 26. Missouri Farm Bureau coordinates this annual favorite, bringing a dozen health and safety-related exhibits, screenings and experts to the Farm Show. Missouri Farm Bureau Promotion and Education Director Diane Olson hopes the Health & Safety Roundup will inspire the agricultural community to focus on year-round good health and workplace safety. "Each year, attendees tell us they have a new appreciation for the kinds of things that happen in the workplace on a daily basis, and that they apply the tips they learn from the Health & Safety Roundup to their farming operations," says Olson. "Likewise, we always hear one or two stories from individuals who tell us the health screening they received at the show the year before may have saved their life because it brought attention to a problem." Olson says the Ray County, Mo., Health Department will be on site to provide cholesterol and glucose screenings for a minimal fee of $18; fasting is not required. Blood pressure checks are also free to the crowd. The Missouri Lions will provide free hearing tests, while the Lions Eye Research Foundation will offer free vision screenings. With an emphasis on improving the quality of life for farmers and rural families, the Farm Show's Health & Safety Roundup includes some unique safety demonstrations and hands-on exhibits. For example, the Missouri Highway Patrol's Rural Crimes Investigation Unit will spotlight the war on drugs, showing farmers how to protect against the theft of agricultural chemicals and supplies used to make methamphetamine and other illegal substances. Joined by the Johnson County, Kan., Sheriff's Department, its officers will explain the department's TRACE Program--Theft Reports of Agricultural and Construction Equipment. Olson says Johnson County's program is similar to an Amber Alert for farm and construction equipment. KCP&L will discuss the hazards of using farm machinery in the proximity of downed power lines. The University of Central Missouri will have a large presence at this year's Health & Safety Roundup. Its Institute for Rural Emergency Management will have a 16-foot trailer on site, displaying key supplies to have on hand for tornados, earthquakes and other natural disasters. The university will remind attendees about the importance of its In Case of Emergency (ICE) program, encouraging attendees to program the acronym ICE into their cell phones to alert law enforcement officials of whom to call if that person has been in an accident. "We already know much of this information, but we just don't do a good job of keeping it at the forefront of our farming operations and putting key safety tips into practice," says Olson. Teens will enjoy a refresher course on gun safety during the Farm Show. Led by 4-H students, the Health & Safety Roundup will operate a shooting gallery on Feb. 25 and 26. Opportunities for target practice will allow young adults to take aim at staying safe when hunting. To set the record straight about safely transporting farm equipment on the road, the Missouri Highway Patrol will take questions from attendees on everything from moving wide loads to proper licensing for agricultural machinery. Finally, University of Missouri Extension has a number of tips to share with Farm Show attendees, beginning with water quality and usage. In addition, the agency will provide several hands-on demonstrations of grain bin safety, proper shielding of equipment and respiratory precautions. And don't miss its student group's display of one-quarter scale tractors in the Health & Safety Roundup exhibit area. "I can't say this enough," says Olson. "When it comes to farm safety, if you don't take the opportunity to do things right the first time, you may not be around to have the opportunity again."
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