JA:2021-14. OSHA and AG: An Industry Training Program for Agricultural Workers and Supervisors

Abstract

ABSTRACT Purpose: An OSHA 10-hour General Industry program, taught by OSHA Outreach Instructors, was developed at OSU with application to agricultural environments. As a voluntary program, the course teaches the workforce, as well as owners and supervisors, best management practices regardless of their agricultural or small business exemption status with the Department of Labor. Upon completion, participants receive a DOL recognized certificate, before going towards other specific training, i.e., respiratory fit testing and confined space permit entry. This course is also appealing to OSHA Outreach trainers working in agriculture as a model training program for replication in their geographic region. Results/Findings: The course was developed in 2013 to enhance agricultural collegiate students’ understanding of safety and health principles. It provided a training certificate beyond their credits earned towards graduation. The OSU Ag Safety resident instruction course has an annual enrollment between 45 and 65 students, involving both graduate and undergraduate students. Pilot tested under a sponsored USDA-NIFA initiative, the Safety in Agriculture for Youth project enabled the course to transcend into secondary schools both online and in-person. Nearly 200 teen workers received their OSHA industry cards through classroom. The curriculum is a modified version of the collegiate course, based on age-appropriate tasks and occupational exposures for teen workers. The community-based OSHA and AG program provides adult outreach education with the same 10-hr certification. This program is designed for owners, operators and supervisors to increase their understanding of basic occupational principles with best management practices. More than an injury prevention program, this course provides employers with strategies to make efficient and targeted changes to how they approach occupational safety decisions with their employees using administrative controls, engineering practices and education. Practical Application: Using a combination of topics approved in the OSHA Outreach course, there is an opportunity to teach producers about occupational risks while creating a culture for safety. Likewise, the course satisfies the training requirements imposed by OSHA on those non-exempt production agricultural farms, grain handling facilities, orchards and vegetable operations. As a wholistic training program for employees and managers, agricultural producers understand their role in hazard identification and injury prevention practices.