This year the annual ISASH (International Society for Agricultural Safety and Health) conference was held in Halifax, Nova Scotia, June 24-29, 2018. WV AgrAbility staff attended this four-day training for the agricultural safety and health community. This year's theme was "Farm to Sea: Anchoring Agricultural Health and Safety".
ISASH is an organization dedicated to the professional development of agricultural safety and health professionals, providing national and international leadership in preventing agricultural injuries and illnesses in the agricultural community. This conference is a clearinghouse for research and intervention ideas and brings together engineers, educators, insurers, physicians, nurses, veterinarians, statisticians, communicators, anthropologists, business leaders and many others - all of whom play an influential role in agricultural safety and health.
Sessions highlighted health & wellness, partnerships in ag safety, keeping kids safe, injury surveillance, farm safety systems, medical responses in agricultural safety and health, and many others. Various committees offer an opportunity to participate in focus areas. WV AgrAbility staff participated in the Rural Occupational Health Committee and the Family, Farmstead, & Leisure Committee.
WV AgrAbility staff also completed a training session on "Responding to Farmers under Stress: Tips for Front Line Workers and Professionals Supporting the Farming Community." This training workshop looked at the current influences and challenges facing farmers and the impact that this may have on their mental health and well-being. Issues of suicide in the farming community were also addressed, and some basic tools to help connect farmers to the appropriate resources were provided.
Submitted by Inetta Fluharty