Belief Statements and Guiding Principles for Youth Working in Agriculture

The Safety in Agriculture for Youth (SAY) Project National Steering Committee developed a belief statements document regarding youth working in agriculture. The belief statements outline consensus-based beliefs and principles that promote safety and health for youth working in agriculture. Click HERE to view the formal PDF version of the belief statements.

To date, the belief statement has been endorsed by the following organizations:

  • Agricultural Safety and Health Council of America (ASHCA)
  • AgriSafe Network
  • American Association for Agricultural Education
  • American Farm Bureau Federation
  • Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM)
  • CareerSafe Online
  • Carle Center for Rural Health and Farm Safety
  • Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health (CSCASH)
  • College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences, Utah State University
  • Farm Safety 4 Just Kids
  • Grain Handling Safety Coalition
  • Great Plains Center for Agricultural Safety and Health
  • High Plains Intermountain Center for Agricultural Health and Safety
  • National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners
  • National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety
  • National Council for Agricultural Education
  • National Council of Agricultural Employers
  • National FFA Organization
  • National Grange
  • New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health (NYCAMH)
  • North Carolina Agromedicine Institute
  • Northeast Center for Occupational Safety and Health (NEC)
  • Ohio State Agricultural Safety and Health
  • Penn State Agricultural Safety and Health Program
  • Progressive Agriculture Foundation
  • Purdue University Agricultural Safety and Health Program
  • Southwest Center for Agricultural Health, Injury Prevention and Education
  • University of Illinois Extension Agricultural Safety Program
  • University of Missouri Extension Agricultural Safety and Health Program
  • Upper Midwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center (UMASH)

List updated June 11, 2018

If your state, multi-state, or national organization would like to endorse the belief statements, email Dr. Aida Balsano with copy to Dr. Aaron Yoder.

Belief Statements

  • Creating and promoting a culture of safety among youth working in agriculture is a primary goal for all stakeholders.
  • All youth working in agriculture deserve protection from workplace hazards and risks that may be associated with agricultural worksites.
  • Youth developmental principles are the basis for determining if and when a youth should participate in agricultural work.
  • Supervision of youth performing jobs or tasks should be guided by professionally recognized best practices based on developmental stages of growth.
  • Research and evaluation should guide development of safety and health best practice recommendations and guidelines.
  • Evidenced-based, culturally appropriate models should be utilized to educate about agricultural safety and health.
  • Hired youth working on farms subject to Occupational Safety and Health Act enforcement should be informed of applicable rights to a safe workplace, training, personal protective equipment, and to ask questions or raise concerns about their safety.

Guiding Principles for Practice

  • Parents, employers, agricultural educators, healthcare providers, and safety and health professionals play critical roles in designing and implementing youth agricultural safety education and training that is comprehensive, developmentally appropriate, accessible, and effective.
  • College and university agricultural science and education teacher preparation programs should include agricultural safety and health education that meets Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (AFNR) Career Cluster Content Standards and/or appropriate state standards.
  • Secondary school education and programs should include agricultural safety and health education that meets Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (AFNR) Career Cluster Content Standards and/or appropriate state standards.
  • Cooperative Extension education and programs should include agricultural safety and health education that is evidenced-based and meets appropriate state standards. Extension educators should consider developing safety and health educational curricula that align with AFNR Career Cluster Content Standards.
  • Agricultural worksite hazard assessment programs should be in place, including regularly updated safety checklists, injury prevention programs, and regular review of health and safety best practices.
  • Education and training for parents, employers, and other supervisors of youth workers should include instruction about:
    • Existing age-based work laws/regulations
    • Physical and cognitive abilities of youth
    • Need for appropriate supervision and training
    • Basic emergency response practices, both general and specific to the workplace
    • Basic hazard and risk reduction techniques such as the safety hierarchy, Job Safety Analysis, injury and near-injury investigations, and lockout/tagout.
  • Youth workers should receive basic training in proper body mechanics due to musculoskeletal changes from physiologic growth and development, and to protect against cumulative effects of exposure to hazards.
  • Youth should be encouraged to request help and/or additional training when taking on a new, unfamiliar task or experiencing difficulty with any specific task.
  • Parents should and employers must provide opportunities for youth to receive safety and health training specific to any job or task they are assigned to,   including but not limited to Job Instruction Training (JIT) and Tailgate Training techniques.
  • Parents with family farm youth workers should reference current safety and health regulations to better understand high risk activities and best safety practices.
  • Parents, employers, and other supervising adults are encouraged to help youth obtain safety training through nationally recognized educational curricula and supporting resources such as those listed in the SAY National Clearinghouse.
  • Parents, employers and other supervising adults should conduct a thorough assessment of weather, environmental, and equipment    conditions prior to assigning work to youth.
  • Parents should and employers must provide youth with appropriate personal protective equipment and training in its use and care as required by state and federal regulations.
  • Hired youth work assignments must be in compliance with state and federal work safety regulations including but not limited to U.S. Department of Labor Hazardous Occupations Orders in Agriculture (Ag HOs); Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) General Industry 1910 and Agriculture 1928 Standards; and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Worker Protection Standards (WPS) and Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act (MSPA).

 

SAY National Steering Committee

Jim Armbruster, Senior Relations Manager, National FFA Organization
R. Kirby Barrick, Professor, University of Florida, American Association for Agricultural Education (AAAE)
Christy Bartley, Extension Assistant Director of Programs: 4-H Youth Development, Penn State University
Steve Brown, Educational Program Specialist, U.S. Department of Education
Linda Fetzer, SAY Communications Coordinator, Penn State University
William E. Field, Professor and Extension Safety Specialist, Purdue University
Frank Gasperini, President/CEO, Agricultural Safety and Health Council of America
Dee Jepsen, Associate Professor and Extension Safety Specialist, The Ohio State  University
Jill Kilanowski, Associate Dean, Mount Carmel College of Nursing, Columbus, Ohio
Barbara Lee, Director, National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety
Dennis Murphy, Professor Emeritus, Penn State University
Michael Pate, Nationwide Associate Professor of Ag Safety and Health, Penn State University
Susan Reynolds-Porter, Chief Executive Officer, Progressive Agriculture Foundation
Tony Small, Managing Director, The National Council for Agricultural Education
Marty Tatman, Director, Program Development, American Farm Bureau Federation
Larry Teverbaugh, Founder & CEO, CareerSafe Online
Aaron Yoder, Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center, NIOSH Ag Centers

 

Reviewed by:
Linda Fetzer, Pennsylvania State University – lmf8@psu.edu
Dave Hill, Pennsylvania State University (Has since retired)
Dennis J. Murphy, Pennsylvania State University (Has since retired)

National Youth Farm and Ranch Safety Symposium

The National Youth Farm and Ranch Safety Symposium, an event funded as one objective of the Safety in Agriculture for Youth (SAY) project, provided an opportunity for interaction and discussion among stakeholder groups, educators, parents, and agricultural employers who provide or seek training opportunities for young workers. The overarching goal of the symposium was to bring together a diverse group of professionals to enhance awareness of, access to, and utilization of farm and ranch safety materials by youth and by adults who instruct or work with youth.

In a concise format, speakers presented a broad range of topics. Their purpose was to initiate constructive dialogue about ideas, resources, gaps, and best practices for safely involving youth on the farm or ranch, regardless of whether the youth are working for family operations or for general hire.

The symposium was held October 27–28, 2014, in Louisville, Kentucky. For a PDF of the symposium program, please click here.

This article identifies the keynote speakers and provides links to video clips from each of the four plenary sessions.

Plenary One: Current Regulations—the Good, the Bad, and the Opportunities

Brad Rein – National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA

Karen Garnett – U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division

Shari Burgus – Farm Safety for Just Kids

*Marilyn Adams – Farm Safety for Just Kids

Barbara Lee – National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety

Dawn Castillo – National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Aida Balsano – National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA

Plenary Two: Youth for Hire—Employment Options in Agriculture

Karen Garnett – U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division

Kristi Boswell – American Farm Bureau Federation

*Marty Tatman – American Farm Bureau Federation

Mike Honeycutt – National Council for Agricultural Education

Sydney Snider – Ohio FFA, State President

Amy Liebman – Migrant Clinicians Network

Frank Gasperini – National Council of Agricultural Employers

David Hard – National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

* Kitty Hendricks – National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Barbara Lee – National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety

Mary Miller – National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety, Consultant

Plenary Three: When can I?Age versus Competence

David Schwebel – University of Alabama at Birmingham

Barbara Lee – National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety

Mike Honeycutt – National Council for Agricultural Education

Bill Field – Purdue University

Plenary Four: Making the Time to Teach Ag Safety and Health—Formal versus Nonformal (Education and Teaching Resources)

Kirby Barrick – American Association for Agricultural Education

Dennis Riethman – Former Vocational Agriculture Instructor

Lisa Lauxman – National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA

Aaron Yoder – NIOSH Ag Center, Central States

Shari Burgus – Farm Safety for Just Kids

Bernard Geschke – Progressive Agriculture Foundation

Mary Miller – National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety, Consultant

 

Summarized by:
Kathy Mann, Ohio State University
 
Reviewed by:
Dave Hill, Penn State University – deh27@psu.edu
Dennis Murphy, Penn State University – djm13@psu.edu
Linda Fetzer, Penn State University – lmf8@psu.edu

 

 

 

SAY Project Background


Safety in Agriculture for Youth logo

SAY Project Logo

Special Note:  The material below represents the original plans for the SAY project as stated in the 2013-15 project proposal.  While much progress has been made toward the original goals and objectives, these and organizational structures shift over time.  To stay abreast of SAY project changes, be sure to look at the annual SAY project reports at the bottom of the SAY Project homepage

Project Vision

The mission of the Safety in Agriculture for Youth project (SAY) is to develop a sustainable and accessible national clearinghouse for agricultural safety and health curriculum for youth. This “national curriculum” is not a curriculum per se but is an umbrella compilation that includes many different curricula, programs, projects, and activities that together have a common purpose of increasing safety and health knowledge and reducing hazard and risk exposure to youth on farms and ranches. Additionally, this national curriculum must be sensitive to all types and scales of production agriculture and all ages and experience levels of target audiences; it must include parents and other educators; it must be culturally appropriate; and it must be usable in both formal and informal educational settings.

Project Goals

The goals of SAY are to coordinate a national curriculum and become a sustainable national clearinghouse by 

  1. connecting and enhancing existing educational resources in this area;
  2. developing a centralized location for relevant training and farm and ranch safety materials for both formal (school) and informal (home and agricultural industry) settings; and
  3. developing a national strategy that would enhance awareness of, access to, and utilization of farm safety materials by youth and adults who instruct and/or work with youth.

Project Objectives

SAY has the following implementation objectives:

  • Formulate the project team and identify and invite organizations to serve on the national steering committee and stakeholder groups.
  • Identify formally all safety and health curricula for agricultural youth that possibly align to current nationally recognized core competencies and learning objectives or outcomes.
  • Establish a protocol for development of a pool of exam items (test questions).
  • Develop and deliver an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)-approved, 10-hour, web-based youth agricultural safety and health training course.
  • Develop and deliver an OSHA-approved, 10-hour, traditional (classroom-based and instructor-led) youth agricultural safety and health training course.
  • Establish a risk-assessment protocol for developing supervision strategies and guidelines for formal secondary students’ experiential learning activities (that is, supervised agricultural experiences).
  • Provide, through workshops, access to supervision and safety best practices and risk-assessment protocols.
  • Develop an immersive, 3-D, virtual learning environment, in proof-of-concept form, teaching farm safety hazards to youth ages 13 to 15.
  • Develop a sustainable process that ensures user-friendly access to educational resources and expertise.
  • Develop and implement a national strategy to promote awareness and utilization of youth safety materials by diverse stakeholder audiences.
  • Develop and implement a national strategy to increase use of youth safety materials through eXtension.org/agsafety.

Project Organization Chart

This two-year project began in September 2013 and will use the project team, a national steering committee, and four stakeholder groups (shown below) to complete the stated objectives.

SAY Natl Steering Comm

 
Summarized by:
Linda M. Fetzer, Pennsylvania State University – lmf8@psu.edu
 
Reviewed by:
Dave Hill, Pennsylvania State University – deh27@psu.edu
Dennis J. Murphy, Pennsylvania State University – djm13@psu.edu