Two of the leading causes of farm fatalities in West Virginia are improper use of farm machinery and firearms. WV AgrAbility staff Inetta Fluharty and Amanda Fulk will provide information on those topics at a booth during the WV State Fair from August 12-17. They will promote AgrAbility and USDA Youth Farm Safety (YFS) with emphasis on ergonomics and assistive technologies for the disabled farmer. Highlights will also include awareness training, such as ATV safety for youths and adults. This training is part of the YFS program, which is designed to reduce West Virginia youth related farm deaths and injuries. West Virginia counties prominent in the YFS program this year include Hampshire, Hardy, Doddridge, and Putnam. Underserved WV farms have inherent hazards related to the use of machinery in mountainous and rough terrain, environmental and chemical exposures coupled with a lack of agricultural safety education for many part-time farmers, and additionally, there exists a lack of proximity to medical facilities when injuries occur.
Submitted by Amanda Fulk