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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

John M. Shutske, PhD¹, Michele A. Schermann, RN, MS², Liz Wagstrom, DVM, MS, DACVPM³, Jeff B. Bender, DVM, MS, DACVPM⁴, Steven Kirkhorn, MD⁵, and Todd Powell². (1) Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Department, University of Minnesota, 1390 Eckles Ave, St. Paul, MN 55108-6005, 612-626-1250, shutske@umn.edu, (2) Agricultural Safety and Health Program, University of Minnesota, 1390 Eckles Ave, St. Paul, MN 55108-6005, (3) Science and Technology Department, National Pork Board, 1776 NW 114th Street, Clive, IA 50325, (4) Center for Animal Health and Food Safety, University of Minnesota, 1354 Eckles Ave., 136 Andrew Boss Laboratory, St. Paul, MN 55108, (5) National Farm Medicine Center, Marshfield Clinic, 1000 North Oak Avenue, Marshfield, WI 54449

Agricultural producers face a complex range of public health-related risks. Worker injury and illness is one issue that must be placed in context with an evolving and expanding list of concerns such as biosecurity, agroterrorism, antimicrobial resistance, food safety, infectious disease, and others. To compound this concern, producers face production risks such as volatile markets and weather. Existing literature suggests that considering all of these complex risks simultaneously and taking appropriate action is likely an impossible task for most people, or very difficult at best. Veterinarians and public health practitioners have a responsibility to assist producers in managing this complex risk environment. One potential solution to this growing concern of risk-related decision and information overload is to further explore the concept of "bundling" or aggregating risk communication and education for producers and their employees in a way that is more complimentary rather than treating each risk-related communication and decision process as mutually exclusive. Carefully designed worker health and safety programs should include biosecurity, personal and environmental hygiene (as a way of supporting food safety/quality efforts while also protecting animals and workers). Hiring and management practices that include matching worker capabilities with specific tasks and open communication has benefits for protecting workers from occupational hazards, but also helps protect against intentional threats posed by disgruntled employees. A conceptual model of risk aggregation in programs to improve agricultural worker safety and health, will be presented, along with other examples supported by existing literature.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to

• Identify the multiple, competing risks that agricultural producers and their employees face.
• Describe how the heavy "risk load" in food production can interfere with the delivery of worker health and safety information and education.
• Discuss the proposed conceptual model for bundling risk education and communication efforts to make risk reduction actions by producers more complimentary and effective.

Keywords: Agricultural Work Safety, Risk Communication

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation