Oral

More than one million children live on farms in the United States and many more visit and/or work on our nation's 2.2 million farms where they are exposed to an array of risks associated with agriculture. Hazards include tractors and other motorized vehicles, noisy and dangerous machinery, livestock, pesticides and other agents of injury, often compounded by lack of supervision. Since 1996 when the US launched its childhood agricultural injury prevention initiative directed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the rate of non-fatal injuries has declined by nearly 60%, while fatalities persist at about 107/year. An initial National Action Plan (1996) was updated in 2001 to guide research, interventions and policy for protecting children in agriculture. Presenters will describe strengths and weaknesses of the various strategies employed over the past 15 years, including efficacy of guidelines for children's work in agriculture, farm safety education programs, child labor regulations and interventions for migrant and immigrant children. Presenters of this session are the lead team spearheading the effort to develop The 2012 Blueprint for Protecting Children in Agriculture—an updated national agenda, generated with input from diverse stakeholders, that will prioritize future interventions, policies, funding, and research to improve childhood agricultural safety and health.

Session Objectives: Identify the strengths and weaknesses in strategies employed over the past 15 years to project children in agriculture

CE Credits: Medical (CME), Health Education (CHES), Nursing (CNE), Public Health (CPH) , Masters Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES)