Farming

Fatal and non-fatal injuries in the agriculture, forestry, and fishing sectors remain both elevated and poorly documented, compared to other work settings. The proposed surveillance project expands on the current Risk Information System for Commercial (RISC) Fishing, to encompass agriculture, forestry, and fishing in the four state (Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington) PNASH region.  

Project aims are to:  

The overall objectives of this project are to evaluate emerging pesticide application technologies and educational programming as interventions for breaking the pesticide exposure pathway on Northwest fruit farming systems. Labor-intensive fruit commodities put farmworkers and their families at disproportionate risk of pesticide-related illness via pesticide handling, drift, or the take-home exposure pathways.

Over the past decade, there has been a dramatic expansion of the Cannabis industry in multiple US states. Although thousands of new employees are joining the workforce each year, very little is known about the occupational hazards and potential health effects for workers involved in Cannabis cultivation. Recent pilot studies have demonstrated that these workers are exposed to a variety of respiratory hazards and may be at increased risk of occupational lung diseases, particularly work-related asthma.  

Previous research demonstrates the important impact of mental health on the well-being of farmers and farm workers. Farmworkers face seasonal work demands, workplace safety conditions, and occupational stressors that all contribute to the prevalence of stress and anxiety in Latino rural communities. Access to health care and culturally appropriate diagnostic and support services has also been identified as an essential barrier to reducing impact and burden.