D.
E. Baker and L.
M. Redfield
NIOSH Education and Information Division
Thousands
of people have been exposed to safety and health messages
through the Missouri Safety and Health Initiative. Co-funded
by the University of Missouri-Columbia (MU) and NIOSH, Missouri's
program has used workshops, school programs, farm shows, the
media, and an advisory committee to generate awareness of
a variety of health and safety concerns.
Thirty-four
Farm Women's Workshops have been conducted since the program
began in l991. About 643 people attended these workshops,
which are designed to focus on local health and safety concerns.
The
Missouri Youth Initiative was created in 1993 as a result
of requests by Farm Women Workshop attendees. Twelve youth
programs were conducted between September, 1993, and June,
1994. School assemblies, workshops, and a safety fair educated
more than 1,500 youth. Most of the youth reached were between
five and twelve years of age.
Three
Extension/Nurse's In-Service Training Conferences were conducted
between September,1993, and June, 1994. The conferences brought
80 interested extension specialists and rural health nurses
together to discuss: overview of agricultural safety and health
issues, detecting and preventing long- and short-term consequences,
machinery hazards, and how to involve the community for successful
attitude changes.
Three
farm shows were attended by Project staff between December,
1993, and March, 1994. The biggest show attended by Staff,
the Western Farm Show in Kansas City, Mo., attracted about
50,000. The Western Dealers Association provided a large area
for the Safety and Health Roundup. Project staff coordinated
with the Missouri Farm Bureau, the Missouri Department of
Health, the Kansas Highway Patrol, John Deere, Gempler's,
and others to fill the area with a variety of innovative safety
and health displays, including seven built by Project staff.
The
Missouri Initiative also worked with the media. Thirty-five
news releases were sent to more than 150 Missouri newspapers,
magazines, and radio and television stations between July,
1993 and July, 1994. More than 30 radio interviews were conducted
during the same period, many of the interviews being used
by as many as 27 different radio stations.
A Safety
and Health Advisory Committee (SHAC) was developed to help
the Missouri Initiative bring together a diverse group of
people to plan the future of the program. Health professionals,
educators, equipment dealers, farm organization leaders, government
personnel, a farmer, and Project staff work together to determine
and address Missouri's safety and health concerns.
Disclaimer
and Reproduction Information: Information in NASD does not
represent NIOSH policy. Information included in NASD appears
by permission of the author and/or copyright holder. More
NASD Review: 04/2002
This
research abstract was extracted from a portion of the proceedings
of "Agricultural Safety and Health: Detection, Prevention
and Intervention," a conference presented by the Ohio State
University and the Ohio Department of Health, sponsored by
the Centers for Disease Control/National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health.
D.
E. Baker and L. M. Redfield, University of Missouri, Columbia,
MO.
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