National Ag Safety Database.

During the 1990s, the rural population of the United States grew faster than the urban population, resulting in 20% of the population--over 54 million people--living in rural areas. Many urbanites move to the country seeking a more relaxed lifestyle, but living in the country, especially on a farm, is not as carefree and idyllic as city dwellers might think. In the United States, farming is considered to be the second most dangerous occupation after mining. The latest National Safety Council statistics state that farm-related accidents and health problems account for as many as 1,400 deaths and 140,000 injuries each year, most of them preventable. To help reverse this trend, the National Ag Safety Database (NASD), located at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/nasd/nasdhome.html, provides educational materials for farmers, extension agents, and the general public to promote safety in agriculture. The information, gathered from 34 states, 4 federal agencies, and 5 national organizations, includes over 2,650 publications.

The site, produced by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, groups its information in three different categories. The State link leads to articles produced by state agencies that are relevant to each state. (A Federal & National Materials subheading leads to more general publications by groups such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the American Society of Agricultural Engineers.) The Special link lists materials by source, including conference proceedings, federal materials, journals, and news releases. The Topic link groups information in a directory of over 25 farm safety subjects, including personal protective equipment, chemicals/pesticides, and manure pits/farm ponds/wells. Each topic page provides an extensive list of links to related articles, reviews of data sources and research, training materials, and videos that can be purchased from the site.

For example, the Personal Protective Equipment topic page offers farmers guides to the airborne risks they can face, the respiratory ailments they could contract, and the protective equipment they can use to reduce exposures. Respiratory problems are a special environmental concern for farmers, who can be exposed to grain dust, molds, pollen, animal dander, soil dust, and diesel exhausts in the span of a single day. Exposure to these particles can cause or exacerbate acute infections or toxic pneumonitis, hypersensitivity pneumonitis (farmer's lung), chronic asthma, bronchitis, silicosis, and organic dust toxic syndrome. Farmers can also be exposed to toxic airborne gases and pesticides.

Chemicals and pesticides not only can compound respiratory problems for agricultural workers, they also present a separate set of health concerns. Farmers often work with anhydrous ammonia, widely used as fertilizer. In addition to lung problems, exposure to this chemical can also cause blindness and burns. Information accessed through the Chemicals/Pesticides topic page provides an overview of the chemical and its uses, preventive measures to avoid injury during its use, and first aid procedures in case an accident does occur. Also available through the Chemicals/Pesticides page is an Environmental Concerns page, which lists links to federal worker safety and water regulations, steps for protecting groundwater from chemical contamination, and guidelines for pesticide purchasing, storage, handling, and disposal.

A third topic page, Manure Pits/Farm Ponds/Wells, lists articles on the dangers of working in or near these facilities as well as steps for making such facilities safer. A National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health program found that many farm workers are unaware of the potential risks involved in working around manure pits. The gases generated from decaying animal waste in these pits can build up to create oxygen-deficient, toxic, or explosive atmospheres. Between 1980 and 1985, 16 deaths resulted from asphyxiation of workers in animal waste storage pits or tanks.