Disseminating information

Extensive use has been made of the farm and rural media networks to promote safer and healthier work practices. Since 1977, over 550 news releases, stories, and articles have been published, based on work done at Purdue. In addition, over 325 radio and TV interviews relating to agricultural safety and health have been conducted. This has included special reports by NPR, CNN, ABC, Market-to-Market, Ag Day, NBC, and other nationally syndicated media organizations and programs.

Several of Purdue’s agricultural injury prevention materials have found wide acceptance and use with farmers and agricultural safety professionals throughout the United States. Over 925 copies of Purdue’s 22 minute Agricultural Tractor Safety film have been sold across North America, making it one of the most popular agricultural safety films ever produced. The film was modified with a Spanish sound track for use in Texas and California, where there are large numbers of Spanish speaking farm workers. Suffocation Hazards in Flowing Grain, produced at Purdue, was the standard audio-visual presentation on flowing grain hazards for over 20 years, being used widely with farmers and grain handlers. Several of Purdue’s safety publications, developed under a contract with OSHA, were designed specifically for use with agricultural workers with limited reading skills, and have been reproduced in other states in large quantities.

One of the program’s most successful agricultural injury prevention strategies has been the use of family oriented coloring and activity books. This has included Safety on the Farm, a farm safety coloring book designed for use with children and their parents. Over 95,000 copies were produced and distributed throughout the United States. The second edition of the coloring book, Careful Country Farm Safety and Activity Book, became available in 1994. Over 155,000 copies have been produced and distributed. In addition to the coloring book, an accompanying Careful Country Teacher’s Kit was produced to aid parents and educators in teaching farm safety to children. Nearly 875 kits have been purchased by safety leaders and school teachers across the country.

In 1996, in response to the growing number of farm-related fatalities and injuries in Amish and Old Order Communities, Purdue worked in conjunction with the Indiana Rural Safety and Health Council and The Northern Indiana Family Safety Committee to produce Weeds in Our Garden. This child oriented coloring and activity book was designed specifically for use by Amish children. Over 27,000 copies have been distributed nationally. A second publication on Amish buggy safety was developed with support from the Governor’s Task Force on Impaired and Dangerous Driving. Over 65,000 copies were circulated to Amish communities nationwide.

An extensive video library has been assembled and is available for use by Extension Educators through the Purdue Audio Visual Library. A directory of resources is updated on a regular basis and distributed widely to rural educators.

One of the first WWW sites on farm safety resources for children (farmsafety.org) was established in 1995 by Purdue in cooperation with the Indiana Rural Safety and Health Council. This has been expanded on a regular basis to include new resources and links with other programs. In 2001, the site received a national educational award from ASAE.

With support from NIOSH/CDC and USDA-CSREES, and in collaboration with Professor Roger Tormoehlen of Purdue’s Department of 4-H and Youth, the program has been involved since 1995 in developing and testing a comprehensive, research based, agricultural safety curriculum for youth employed in agricultural production. This curriculum is being designed to meet the federal training requirements and addresses the most significant causes of farm-related injuries. The curriculum, when completed will be available in electronic and hard copy format and a version designed for those with limited literacy skills.