Marking National Harvest Safety Week

It’s no secret that agriculture is a dangerous occupation.  The National Grain and Feed Association is celebrating its sixth Harvest Safety Week on August 18th-22nd.  Jess McCluer, Senior Vice President, Safety and Regulatory, for the National Grain and Feed Association, talks about the importance of Harvest Safety Week.

“The National Grain Feed Association is a national trade association that represents member companies that operate over 8,000 facilities in the grain feed and processing industry," he noted.  "Safety is one of our cornerstones, and we have always worked to ensure that safety is one of our primary areas of effort as we strive to cultivate healthy workplaces in agriculture. Each year, towards the end of August, we dedicate a week to sharing these safety resources, and NGFA’s sixth-annual Harvest Safety Week is August 18 through the 22.”

Safety First. Harvest Ready

The NGFA has some new safety resources to share.

"Our theme is ‘Safety First. Harvest Ready.’ We're going to be sharing some new safety videos and, we’ll have pre-recorded presentations by members of the NGFA Safety, Health, and Environment Committee on storage piles, moving vehicles, extreme weather, including heat and cold, and worker fatigue. They’re designed to be easily watched and are based on the vast resources available on NGFA.org, forward slash, safety.”

So, how can you participate in Harvest Safety Week?

"Anyone can sign up to receive Harvest Safety Week emails from NGFA at ngfa.org/safety," McCluer said.  "We also encourage everyone to share these emails, videos, presentations, and individual resources with their customers and networks, and on social media. Use #HSW25 and tag NGFA."

We Are Committed To Boost Safety

He added It’s all about helping to keep people in agriculture safe.

“The goal of Harvest Safety Week – like our other safety-related content – is to make agriculture a safer industry," McCluer noted.  "Employees of our member companies, and their customers and suppliers, work every day to transform our harvest into food, feed, and fuel. As an industry, we’re committed to do whatever we can to boost effective safety awareness and practices. That’s why our theme is ‘Safety First. Harvest Ready.’

Safety is a topic on farms and ranches that needs to be discussed year-round.

"Harvest Safety Week occurs annually, but the content is available year-round because our industry is always active. I think one of the most important parts is that all of the resources that are not reserved for NGFA members at ngfa.org can be shared throughout the year. It’s important to recognize the support of the National Grain and Feed Foundation, which provides critical resources. The more we can boost our awareness and encourage the use of safety best practices, the more our workers will arrive home safely at the end of the day.”

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