UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Interested in exploring safety topics central to the everyday lives of farmers, farm workers and their families? Visitors to the Farm Safety Demonstration Area at Penn State’s Ag Progress Days, Aug. 13-15, can learn about the hazards of all-terrain vehicles and ways to minimize the risk of rollovers.
Four total demonstrations — at 10 a.m. and noon on Tuesday and Thursday — will show the hazards related to ATV usage and highlight personal protective equipment for ATV riders.
On Wednesday, Aug. 14, RescueTechs LLC and Martinsburg Volunteer Fire Company will stage an agricultural rescue emergency to demonstrate first responders’ approach to managing farm-related incidents. This demonstration will take place at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
At the exhibit areas located at the corner of West Eighth Street and Demo Alley, Penn State experts will answer agricultural safety and health questions and offer free practical solutions to help increase the visibility of farm equipment on the roadways and children on the farm. Visitors can obtain “Slow Moving Vehicle” emblems for equipment and high visibility shirts/vests for children, while supplies last. Specialists will discuss hay hole covers and how to prevent falls in the barn.
The Penn State College of Medicine and Geisinger Health will offer "Stop the Bleed" training daily, with sessions at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Tuesday; 9:30 a.m. and noon Wednesday; and 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Thursday. The 30-minute sessions will cover what a first person on the scene can do for someone bleeding from a serious injury. Participants will receive a free Stop the Bleed kit, while supplies last.
Penn State Pullers, a student engineering design team based in Penn State’s Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, will showcase the 1/4-scale tractor they designed and built for an international competition held by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers. The demonstration will take place at 2 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday and at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Visitors to the Rural Health and Safety Tent, at the end of West Sixth Street and adjacent to the Farm Safety Area, can access free health screenings, activities and information for all ages from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Screenings may include carotid artery, vision, thyroid, stroke, blood sugar, blood pressure, colorectal and hepatitis C.
Several organizations will provide interactive activities and wellness information:
— AgrAbility for Pennsylvanians will highlight tools, tips and assistive technology to educate farmers and agricultural workers about options to continue farming and working in agriculture despite a disability or health condition.
— Prevention Health will provide carotid artery and thyroid screenings.
— The Northeast Center for Occupational Health and Safety will offer information about the "Stop the Bleed" program, the rollover protection structure rebate program and safety gear.
— North Central Sight Services will provide vision assessments and demonstrations of assistive technology for those with low vision or vision loss.
— Mount Nittany Health will provide stroke assessments.
— LION Mobile Clinic will offer wellness resources and screenings for blood pressure, blood sugar, hepatitis C, and colorectal cancer, led by the Penn State Cancer Institute.
— The Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health will offer health information, oral hygiene tips, respirator fittings for pesticide application, and farm safety and tick information.
In addition, the Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health’s Worker Protection Standard program specialist will provide pesticide applicators with two opportunities daily to earn core pesticide credits by attending 30-minute presentations on pesticide safety topics. Two classes — each worth one core credit — will take place daily at the West Ninth Street Meeting Room:
- “Protecting Yourself from Pesticides” will occur at 9:30 a.m. each day.
- “The Worker Protection Standard — Protecting Those who Work in Agriculture From Pesticide Exposure” will take place at 1 p.m. daily.
Sponsored by Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, Ag Progress Days is held at the Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center at Rock Springs, 9 miles southwest of State College on Route 45. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 13; 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Aug. 14; and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 15. Admission and parking are free.
For more information, visit the Ag Progress Days website. X (formerly Twitter) users can find and share information about the event by using the hashtag #agprogressdays, and the event also can be found on Facebook (@AgProgressDays).