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Iowa�s Center for Agricultural Safety and HealthDepartment of Occupational and Environmental Health
College of Public Health100 Oakdale Campus, #124 IREH
The University of IowaIowa City, IA 52242-5000
Telephone: 319/335-4438 FAX: 319/335-4225 www.public-health.uiowa.edu/icash
IOWA�S CENTER FOR
AGRICULTURAL
SAFETY AND HEALTH
20052005200520052005Annual ReportAnnual ReportAnnual ReportAnnual ReportAnnual Report
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2005 Board of DirectorsMarilyn Adams
Farm Safety 4 Just KidsKelley Donham (Chairperson)
The University of IowaBrent Halling
Iowa Department of Agricultureand Land Stewardship
Joyce HornsteinIowa State University
Paul JamesThe University of Iowa
Terry MeekProteus, Inc.Tom Newton
Iowa Department of Public HealthCorinne Peek-Asa
The University of IowaJeris Peterson
ProducerMachelle Shaffer
Iowa Department of Agricultureand Land Stewardship
Carolyn SheridanAgriSafe Network, Inc.
Sam SteelNational Education Center for
Agricultural SafetyKathy Williams
Iowa Department of Public HealthWendy WintersteenIowa State University
2005 I-CASH Annual ReportKay Mohling, Editor
Cover Design by Patti O�Neill,University of Iowa College of Public Health
Vision StatementTo make Iowa the world�s healthiest and safest agricul-tural environment in which to live and work throughcreative leadership and collaboration among I-CASH,its partners and Iowa�s agricultural community.
Mission StatementThe Mission of I-CASH is to enhance the health and safetyof Iowa�s agricultural community by establishing andcoordinating prevention and education programs.
2005 Advisory CouncilShari Burgus (Chairperson)
Farm Safety 4 Just KidsJan Goldsmith
Highway Safety ConsultantCharles A. JennissenThe University of Iowa
Tracy KeningerEaster Seals Rural Solutions
Mark KuhnProducer
Chris PetersenIowa Farmers UnionMichael RosmannAgriWellness, Inc.
Linda TruaxAgriSafe Rural Neighbors
Margaret VanGinkelIowa Concern Hotline
I-CASH Staff
Kelley DonhamDirector
Eileen FisherAssociate Director
Meggan FisherResearch Assistant
LaMar GrafftRural Health and Safety Specialist
Aaron KlineResearch Assistant
Kay MohlingProgram Coordinator
Sara SchneidersCertified Safe Farm Project Coordinator
The University of Iowa prohibits discrimination in employment and in its educationalprograms and activities on the basis of race, national origin, color, creed, religion, sex,age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or associationalpreference. The University also affirms its commitment to providing equal opportuni-ties and equal access to University facilities. For additional information on nondis-crimination policies, contact the Coordinator of Title IX, Section 504, and the ADAin the Office of Affirmative Action, (319) 335-0705 (voice) or (319) 335-0697 (text),The University of Iowa, 202 Jessup Hall, Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1316.
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Table of ContentsOpening Thoughts From The Director.......................................................................................... 4
I-CASH Partner ProgramsIowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship:
Pesticide Applicator Certification .................................................................................................... 5Worker Protection Standard ............................................................................................................ 5
Iowa Department of Public Health:Agricultural Injury Registry (SPRAINS) ........................................................................................ 5
Iowa State University:Farm Safety Program ...................................................................................................................... 6Iowa Concern Hotline ..................................................................................................................... 6Pesticide Applicator Training Program ............................................................................................ 6
The University of Iowa (projects led by I-CASH core faculty and staff):Agricultural Occupational Health Training Program ....................................................................... 7Certified Safe Farm ......................................................................................................................... 7Comprehensive Assessment of Rural Health in Iowa .................................................................... 8Hall of Fame Award ........................................................................................................................ 8Injury Prevention in Agricultural Youth Grant ................................................................................. 8
The University of Iowa (projects at other UI research centers):Agricultural Health Study ................................................................................................................ 9Center for Health Effects of Environmental Contamination (CHEEC) ......................................... 9Center for International Rural and Environmental Health (CIREH) .............................................10Environmental Health Sciences Research Center (EHSRC) ........................................................10Great Plains Center for Agricultural Health (GPCAH) .................................................................10Injury Prevention Research Center (IPRC) .................................................................................. 11Iowa Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (Iowa FACE) ................................................. 11
I-CASH Affiliate ProgramsAgriSafe Network, Inc. ..................................................................................................................12AgriWellness, Inc. ..........................................................................................................................12Easter Seals Rural Solutions ...........................................................................................................13Farm Safety 4 Just Kids (FS4JK) ..................................................................................................13Iowa Farm Safety Council .............................................................................................................13National Education Center for Agricultural Safety (NECAS) .......................................................14Proteus, Inc. ...................................................................................................................................14
Financial Report .......................................................................................................................... 15
Appendix A: I-CASH Presentations/ Educational Activities/ Newspaper Publications ...........................16
Appendix B: I-CASH Member Publications .............................................................................................19
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Opening Thoughts From The Director
Kelley J. Donham, MS, DVMDirector, Iowa�s Center for Agricultural Safety and Health
Hurricane Katrina & Agricultural Injuries and Illnesses:Acute Tragedy and Chronic Tragedy
On August 29th and the following months, the international media was filled with imagesof wind, floods and human misery left in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Estimatesindicate 579 people lost their lives in metropolitan New Orleans. This media coverageand response to the acute tragedy of Katrina are in stark contrast to the chronic tragedythat occurs on farms and ranches across the country. Every year our nation�s agriculturalcommunities experience the equivalent of one Katrina in terms of death loss. In Iowaalone, the annual number of agricultural related fatalities is equal to approximately one-tenth of a Katrina. However, there are no newspaper headlines, television cameras, oroutpouring of public and private responses devoted to agricultural injuries or illnesses.
Chronic problems, (and familiarity), breeds acceptance. I bring up this dichotomy of response to tragedies, toremind us of the importance of the I-CASH vision �to make Iowa the world�s healthiest and safest agriculturalenvironment in which to live and work.� To reach this goal we must have vigilance in our work, and we mustcontinue collaboration and coordinated efforts with our public and private partners.
I use an analogy to Maslow�s Hierarchy of Needs to suggest how most farm families prioritize health andsafety, which usually follows in relative importance after basic food and shelter, economic security, children andfamily health, and necessities for the farm operation. Only after the basic needs have been secured, can thefamily and farm worker focus on their farm wellness and risk reduction. Therefore, our job is to find ways toreposition health and safety as a more fundamental concern of the farm family and agricultural enterprises. Oneway is to find immediate incentives for agricultural health and safety. For large farm operations, the NationalPork Board has been working on a new set of educational materials to help implement safety programs. Oneof the driving forces for large companies is to assure they are in compliance with OSHA regulations.
However, there are 90,000 farms in Iowa that are not generally subject to OSHA. Therefore, different incentiveshave to be developed to raise the value of farm health and safety. Money is a good incentive, and programs likeCertified Safe Farm are an example. We have shown that participation in this program saves 47% of the costincurred by occupational injuries and illnesses. The program can pay for itself, and put money in the pocket ofthe farmer.
It is unlikely that the chronic problem of farm health and safety in agriculture will ever have the publicity andurgency of a Hurricane Katrina, even though the disasters are somewhat equivalent. However, we cannotaccept and become complacent about the chronic tragedy of agricultural occupational injury and illness.Therefore, we must design and invest in new programs that can be integrated into agricultural enterprises, andraise the value of farm health and safety. Then perhaps we can make greater strides toward our goal of makingIowa the world�s healthiest and safest agricultural environment in which to live and work.
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I-CASH Partner ProgramsThe following are brief descriptions of major activities of the four I-CASH state institutional partners (The Iowa Department ofAgriculture and Land Stewardship, Iowa State University, The University of Iowa and the Iowa Department of Public Health).
Iowa Department of Agriculture andLand StewardshipPesticide Applicator CertificationThe Iowa Department of Agriculture and LandStewardship (IDALS), in cooperation with Iowa StateUniversity (ISU) Extension and the US EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA), conduct the pesticideapplicator certification program. Private pesticideapplicators are certified to apply Restricted UsePesticides and commercial pesticide applicators arecertified to apply General and Restricted UsePesticides.
� As of June 30, 2005, Iowa had 11,743 certifiedcommercial applicators, 441 certified commercialhandlers, and 26,227 certified private applicators.
� Certification testing will be held at about 1,875sites in fiscal year 2006.
www.agriculture.state.ia.us
Worker Protection StandardThe Worker Protection Standard (WPS) foragricultural pesticides is a regulation issued by the EPA.The WPS emphasizes educating agricultural employerson farms, forests, nurseries, and greenhouses of theneed to train their workers and pesticide handlersregarding the safe use of pesticides.
� The Pesticide Bureau provided the IowaDepartment of Public Health with a new brochuredeveloped by EPA Region VII and the 4 RegionVII States. �Iowa Pesticides - Tips & Complaints�was produced in both English and Spanish, and wasdistributed at migrant camps throughout Iowa.
� The Pesticide Bureau and ISU Extension providedtraining on pesticides and pesticide labeling to theIowa Statewide Poison Control Center. The trainingstressed getting the EPA registration number fromcallers on pesticide related incidents, as the numberis a unique identifier for specific pesticide products.
� With matching funds from EPA and IDALS, ISUExtension developed and distributed WPS trainingmaterials, held presentations for agriculturalemployers, developed WPS training activities forcertified private applicators, updated a pesticidesafety publication, and developed a new PPE glovepublication.
www.extension.iastate.edu/pme/pat/workerprotection
Iowa Department of Public HealthAgricultural Injury RegistryThe Iowa SPRAINS program has provided valuableinsight into Iowa�s agricultural-related morbidity andmortality since its inception in 1990.
Agricultural injury surveillance has four objectives:
1) provide descriptive epidemiologic associations forcontemporary agricultural injury;
2) identify high-risk groups and high-riskcircumstances for injury;
3) identify potential educational, regulatory, andengineering intervention strategies to prevent farminjury; and
4) evaluate the effectiveness of establishedintervention control measures.
These data continue to be used by injury preventionspecialists for grant proposals, and are used to focusdata-driven interventions on specific high-risk groups.
www.idph.state.ia.us
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Iowa State UniversityFarm Safety ProgramThe activities of the Iowa State University Extensionfarm safety program are directed towards five majorgoals. These activities are:
� The Safe Farm radio program produced anddistributed 52 weeks of one-minute messages to68 radio stations.
� ISU Extension organized articles on farm safetyissues by involved partners (AgriWellness Inc.,Farm Safety 4 Just Kids, University of Iowa, IowaDepartment of Public Health, Iowa Farm SafetyCouncil, ISU, and Sharing Help Awareness UnitedNetwork) and distributed them to Iowa�snewspapers during National Farm Safety and HealthWeek, September 19-25, 2004.
� ISU Extension staff in four counties offered tractorsafety training courses to 46 youth (14 and 15 year-olds) during 2005.
� Safety day camps conducted by extension staffwere held throughout the state. A total of 16 countiesparticipated, reaching 2,307 youth.
� Agricultural safety meetings that reached 720participants were conducted in 16 counties byextension staff.
� A monthly electronic farm safety newsletter wasproduced and distributed to 101 educators.
www.abe.iastate.edu/safety
Iowa Concern HotlineIowa Concern is a part of Iowa State UniversityExtension and offers information and referral, stresscounseling, and legal education. The Iowa ConcernHotline received 11,777 calls from July 2004 throughJune 2005; approximately 25% of the calls were fromfarm and rural families.
Although farm prices were more encouraging this year,some families were struggling with debt; the callsdemonstrated that families were concerned with their
financial condition. Some of the rural and farm familieshad lost a second or third job that helped supporttheir farm operation and/or paid for insurance benefits.Some had credit card and school loan debt. Thesefamilies were struggling to make decisions aboutwhether to stay on the farm or to leave. Many weredealing with family conflicts on an intergenerationalfarm, and issues of who would leave the farm operationand who would make farm decisions. Other situationsencountered on the hotline included legal problemswith divorce, child custody issues, the Iowa fence law,contracts, and landlord/ lease cases.
Again this year, Iowa Concern was fortunate to haveaccess to the Sowing the Seeds of Hope Grant. Thisgrant is part of a seven state project that is availablefor farm families. Vouchers are issued through the IowaConcern Hotline for families to take to providers forup to five free counseling sessions. This grant is fundedthrough the US Department of Health and HumanServices Office of Rural Health Policy and the Bureauof Primary Health Care. Funds will be availablethrough 2006.
Iowa Concern continues to receive 7,000-8,000 visitseach month on their web site. The site has many ofthe frequently asked questions that people might askon the phone, features success stories, and a LivePersonlink.
www.extension.iastate.edu/iowaconcern
Private Pesticide Applicator StatewideTraining ProgramFederal and state laws require that people whopurchase and apply restricted use pesticides becertified according to established standards. Iowa
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State University Extension delivers training programseach year for private pesticide applicators (primarilyfarmers).
The topics for training include:
� laws, including review of the Worker ProtectionStandard, and recordkeeping rules;
� water quality issues and endangered species;
� Agricultural Health Study update;
� label review of seed treatment chemicals; and
� crop pest topics including Asian soybean rust.
Statewide, 330 meetings were conducted with 18,865participants.
To determine if there was an impact on the participantsafter training, evaluations assessed behavioral changestoward safer pesticide-use practices. After receivingtraining, the participants were asked if they wouldupdate required information on their restricted-usepesticide application records. Forty-nine percent saidthey had adopted this practice prior to training, 40%said they would adopt because of the training and11% said they chose not to adopt this practice or itdid not apply to them.
In addition, the evaluation examined if participants hadsuccessfully implemented new pesticide safetyactivities as a result of the previous year�s training.When asked if they kept a clean set of personalprotective equipment in the cab of their tractor, 65%of the respondents indicated that they had adoptedthis practice, whereas 26% said they did not, and 9%said that this practice did not apply to them.
www.extension.iastate.edu/PME
The University of IowaProjects led by I-CASH core faculty and staff
Agricultural Occupational HealthTraining ProgramI-CASH�s annual training program for health careprofessionals who treat and help prevent occupationalillnesses and injuries on the farm was held May 18-20 and June 8-10. Forty health care professionalsfrom Iowa, Kentucky, Nebraska, Canada, Irelandand Korea were trained in a variety of agriculturalsafety and health topics. The instructors deliveredpractical, timely information, and their expertise washighly praised by the participants. In addition to theon-campus course, Session 1 was offered throughthe web-based technology, Elluminate. The course isoffered annually, and can be taken for three graduatecredit hours from the University of Iowa College ofPublic Health. Continuing education credits forphysicians and nurses are available.
Training and certification through the AgriculturalOccupational Health Training Program is required fora health care professional or clinic to become amember of the AgriSafe Network.
www.public-health.uiowa.edu/icash
Certified Safe FarmThe Certified Safe Farm (CSF)program, an agricultural healthand safety research studyconsisting of occupational health
screenings, on-farm safety evaluations, andpersonalized education, is currently beingimplemented in over 25 Iowa counties, with anexpected expansion to another three counties. CSFis being tested in a variety of formats:
� The Dairy Study is in its final year ofimplementation on 24 dairy farms in NortheastIowa.
� In September 2005, the second year of the CSFsenior farmer study began. One-hundred thirty-three
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farmers age 60 and older are currently enrolled.The focus is on improving working conditions forolder farmers so as to reduce their risk of farm-related illnesses and injuries.
� Another 259 Iowa farmers have enrolled in aCSF health insurance evaluation study, which willcompare farm-related illness and injury claimsbetween a control group of farmers and the 259participants. In addition to analyzing claimsinformation, other self-reported measures to quantifyoccupational health risks and to identify long-termmeasures of program success will be used.
www.public-health.uiowa.edu/icash/CSF
Comprehensive Assessment of RuralHealth in IowaThe Comprehensive Assessment of Rural Health inIowa (CARHI) project is a collaborative relationshipbetween the Iowa Department of Public Health, theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta,and the University of Iowa. The goal of CARHI is todevelop and test a surveillance system that links healthdata and environmental contaminant source locationand concentration data within a geographicinformation system (GIS). The system will be used toevaluate potential relationships between environmentalexposures and health, and estimate public health risks.
Carroll County, Iowa was chosen as the pilot studysite because the county is mainly rural, contains avariety of potential environmental exposures, andnearly 90% of residents� primary health care isreceived at health care facilities within the county.
Hall of Fame AwardI-CASH named Charles Schwab, PhD, of Ames,Iowa the 2004 recipient of its Hall of Fame Award.Schwab is associate professor of agricultural andbiosystems engineering and an extension safetyspecialist at Iowa State University (ISU).
Schwab has been a driving force behind farm safetyand health education throughout Iowa for many years.
At ISU he teaches agricultural safety classes to futureagricultural leaders, and has mentored many studentsthrough engineering projects geared at teaching farmsafety. Schwab designed a �Tug of War� graindemonstration and educational package that allowschildren and adults to see the strength necessary topull someone out when they�re buried in grain. Healso produces weekly radio spots that are sent to allradio stations in Iowa, and frequently appears on localand regional television talking about issues pertinentto farm safety in Iowa.
Schwab is a nationally recognized authority on childand youth safety issues in agriculture. His �MysteryClub� initiative is an innovative method of reachingyouth with extension safety programming. This effort,along with his book, �What Would You Do: HelpingChildren Understand Farm Hazards,� have put ISUExtension at the leading edge of providing childhoodfarm safety programming. For more than a decade,Schwab has provided leadership in farm safety effortsacross Iowa and the nation.
www.public-health.uiowa.edu/icash/programs/HallOfFame
Injury Prevention in AgriculturalYouth GrantEach year I-CASH designates funds for communitygrants targeted at the prevention of farm-related injuryin young people (less than 19 years of age). This yeargrant funds were awarded to the following projects:
Charles V. Schwab received the 2004I-CASH Hall of Fame Award.
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� Farm Safety Scavenger Hunt - Adair CountyWing Walkers 4-H Club. The club will present farmsafety demonstrations in the classroom, followedby a farm safety scavenger hunt on a local farm.
� Tractor and Farm Machinery Course -Washington County Extension Service. Followingthe certification course, an interactive display willbe created and used at local events.
� Tractor and Farm Equipment Safety andCertification - Sioux County Extension/DordtCollege/Sioux Center Community Hospital andHealth Center AgriSafe Department. Participantswill receive hands-on instruction with tractors andfarm equipment, as well as basic farm safety.
� ATV Safety Awareness Program -Orange CityHealth System. An ATV Safety Institute certifiedinstructor will present information at three areamiddle schools, reaching over 1000 students. Theproject will also include display boards andprotective equipment to be shown at local events.
� Mid-Iowa Day Camp for Agricultural YouthSafety - Wright County Agricultural ExtensionDistrict. A collaborative effort between four ISUCounty Extension offices, this agricultural safety daycamp will reach youth in a four county area.
� ATV Safety - AgriSafe Rural Neighbors, Butler,Franklin and Grundy Counties. A photo contest for4-H and FFA members will provide the images todevelop a 12-month ATV safety calendar.
� Clarke County Agricultural Safety Training - Clarke County Extension. This collaborativeproject between Clarke County Extension and theOsceola Vocational Agriculture program will providesafety education, and tractor and farm safetycertification for youth.
� Tractor Talk - Keosauqua FFA. This projectinvolves the construction of a display box to providehands-on tractor safety education. The display willbe used at area farm safety day programs and localevents.
www.public-health.uiowa.edu/Icash/programs/youthgrant
Agricultural health projects at other Universityof Iowa research centers:
Agricultural Health Study in IowaThe Agricultural Health Study is aprospective cohort study ofagricultural exposures and chronicdisease (especially cancer) in Iowaand North Carolina. This is the 13th
year of the study, which involves private pesticideapplicators, their spouses, and commercial pesticideapplicators. The first five years (Phase I) were devotedto enrolling eligible subjects; 89,658 subjects wereenrolled in the two states, including 58,564 in Iowa.
Phase II began in 1998, and the primary activity hasbeen recontacting each cohort member to updateexposure information (completed with 40,912 Iowacohort members), obtain dietary health questionnairedata (completed with 26,132), and obtain buccal cells(completed with 25,602). Phase III, in which pesticideexposure histories and self-reported diseaseinformation will be updated, is scheduled to launchNovember 2005.
The study has resulted in over 50 peer-reviewedpublications evaluating farm-related work injuries,mortality and cancer incidence, eye disorders, wheeze,fertility, pesticide exposure (including high pesticideexposure events), and cancer incidence related topesticide exposure. Abstracts and pdf versions ofthese publications can be found at the website.
www.aghealth.org
Center for Health Effects ofEnvironmental ContaminationThe Center for Health Effects of EnvironmentalContamination (CHEEC) was established at theUniversity of Iowa in 1987 as part of the IowaGroundwater Protection Act. The mission of theCenter is to determine the levels of environmentalcontamination that can be specifically associated withhuman health effects. CHEEC is an interdisciplinaryresearch, education and service organization whosemajor activities include:
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� developing and maintaining environmentaldatabases to be used in conducting environmentalhealth research;
� conducting research on drinking watercontaminants of concern to Iowans;
� managing a seed grant program to supportinnovative environmental research; and
� providing a variety of education and serviceprograms to the citizens of the state and region.
In 2005, CHEEC collaborated in the MuscularDystrophy Surveillance, Tracking and ResearchNetwork (MDSTARnet), the Agricultural HealthStudy, the Comprehensive Assessment of Rural Healthin Iowa (CARHI) project and ongoing drinking watercontaminant studies. In April, CHEEC hosted theconference �Atrazine and the Health of Humans andWildlife: State of the Science and Future ResearchNeeds.�
www.cheec.uiowa.edu
The Center for International Ruraland Environmental HealthThrough education, training and research, The Cen-ter for International Rural and Environmental Health(CIREH) promotes greater understanding and aware-ness into the causes, consequences and prevention ofcommunicable, chronic, environmental, and occupa-tional diseases in all regions of the globe, focusing onnations with substantial agrarian economies.
� Graduate students from South Africa, Egypt, Peru,Hungary, Romania, Russia and The Gambia wereawarded CIREH funding to take part in internationalsummer internships or research projects.
� CIREH was awarded a five-year NIH FogartyInternational Center training grant that will focus ontrauma and injury prevention research.
� CIREH received a second Fogarty InternationalCenter grant (Minority Health International Researchand Training) that will benefit minority students inthe undergraduate, graduate and professional health
professions by offering them international researchexperiences.
www.public-health.uiowa.edu/cireh
Environmental Health SciencesResearch Center
The Environmental HealthSciences Research Center(EHSRC) is one of 22 NIEHS-funded Core Centers of
Excellence. Established in 1990, the EHSRC is theonly center in the rural Midwest and the only centerto focus on rural environmental exposures and relatedpulmonary diseases. The EHSRC, comprised of 48faculty and 25 staff, is at the forefront of research inenvironmental lung disease, inflammation and innateimmunity, and oxidative stress. Health concerns suchas community and occupational exposures toairborne hazards from concentrated livestock feedingoperations, asthma among rural children, and adversehealth effects arising from exposures to agriculturalchemicals and bioaerosols are among the issues beingstudied by the Center�s Investigators.
The EHSRC also operates a pilot grant program, anenrichment program, and an outreach program. In2005, the Center�s Community Outreach andEducation Program hosted the 8th AnnualEnvironmental Health Sciences Institute for RuralYouth (EHSI) and co-hosted with the Institute ofMedicine, a national conference entitled, �Rebuildingthe Unity of Health and the Environment in RuralAmerica.�
www.ehsrc.org
Great Plains Center for AgriculturalHealth
The Great Plains Center for AgriculturalHealth (GPCAH) continued as an agricultural
safety and health resourcenationally and regionally. Theunique Keokuk County Rural
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Health Study finished Survey Round 2 and beganRound 3 in the Fall of 2005. Other activities included:
� Research evaluating organic dust aerosols, whichallows researchers to compare sampling devices andfacilities.
� Feasibility projects covering musculoskeletaldisorders among dairy farmers and neurologicaleffects from exposure to agrichemicals.
� Continuing efforts to address tractor overturndeaths in Iowa. A Keokuk County pilot studyreported on tractors involved in over 100 overturns,and Center staff participated in the NIOSH TractorSafety Initiative.
� Twenty-seven Elluminate webinars were hostedin the new virtual agricultural safety and healthclassroom; agricultural health and safety courses anda certificate program continued.
� A new initiative of Certified Safe Farm (CSF) forIowa�s older farmers; agricultural safety and healthin dairy farming via a modified CSF programcontinued to progress.
www.public-health.uiowa.edu/gpcah
Injury Prevention Research CenterSince 1990, the University ofIowa Injury Prevention ResearchCenter (UI IPRC) has been anational leader in identifying ways
to reduce the high number of preventable injuries thatoccur in rural communities. Faculty and staff fromsixteen departments within the Colleges of PublicHealth, Medicine, Engineering, and Liberal Artsparticipate on research in the Center.
In addition to supporting research, the UI IPRC alsoserves as a national resource for rural injury prevention.The Center provides information, educationalprograms, and multi-disciplinary training to injurycontrol advocates and programs across the Midwest.
Large research studies currently underway at the UIIPRC include:
1) evaluating emergency medical services withinIowa;
2) comparing the effectiveness of various types ofsmoke detectors in rural homes;
3) examining risk-taking behavior of children usinga bicycle simulator;
4) studying the driving abilities of persons with sleepapnea syndrome;
5) studying the effects of phenytoin, a drugcommonly prescribed for epilepsy, on cognitiveability and driving; and
6) measuring domestic violence longitudinally andidentifying the role of physical violence in relationshipdissolution.
www.public-health.uiowa.edu/iprc
Iowa Fatality Assessment and ControlEvaluation Program
The Iowa Fatality Assessmentand Control EvaluationProgram (FACE) is aprogram carried out by theDepartment of Occupationaland Environmental Health
under a subcontract with the Iowa Department ofPublic Health. The FACE program identifies alloccupational fatalities in the state and conducts in-depth investigations of specific incidents. The FACEProgram investigators develop recommendationsaimed at preventing similar occupational injuries.
Fatal injuries while on the job remain a serious publichealth concern in Iowa as well as the entire country.During calendar year 2004, eighty-nine Iowans werekilled while at work. Workers in agriculture jobscontinue to experience a high number of fatal injuriesin Iowa. Since 2000, nearly 40% of the victims wereemployed in the agricultural sector.
www.public-health.uiowa.edu/face
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I-CASH Affiliate ProgramsThe following are brief descriptions of Iowa farm safety and health programs and organizations that are associated withI-CASH and its mission of enhancing the health and safety of Iowa�s agricultural community.
AgriSafe Network, Inc.The eighteen member clinics of theAgriSafe Network strive to developsafe and healthy agriculturalcommunities through the variety ofprograms and services they deliver.
In 2005, clinics provided comprehensive agriculturaloccupational health screenings, and personalizededucation for the Certified Safe Farm program.AgriSafe staff assisted a coalition of health careproviders, known as Agricultural Health Partners, inthe implementation of a needs assessment to farmersin northwest Iowa. Barriers to accessing health carewere addressed in surveys and the results indicatedthe majority of farmers have insurance but areconsidered underinsured. The compiled results werepublished in a chart book now available at ourwebsite.
The Network�s Board of Directors and staff arededicated to increasing clinic membership in Iowa andadditional states to ensure farmers have access to thespecialized occupational health services available atan AgriSafe clinic.
www.agrisafe.org
AgriWellness, Inc.AgriWellness, Inc., a nonprofitorganization, builds behavioral healthsupports for the agricultural populationin seven states: Iowa, Wisconsin,Minnesota, North Dakota, South
Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas. Partneringorganizations in the seven states reached 2,030participants in community education, responded to4,278 requests for various kinds of information,responded to 6,621 calls on farm crisis hotlines anddispensed 3,061 vouchers for professional behavioralhealth services to farmers, ranchers, farm workersand their families. AgriWellness, Inc. activities for thisyear include:
� Coordinated �Iowa Recovers,� a CrisisCounseling Program funded by the FederalEmergency Management Agency through the IowaDepartment of Human Services to assist Iowans inrecovery from 110 flash floods and 69 tornadoesthat hit Iowa in May and June, 2004.
� With assistance from the Iowa Department ofHuman Services, the State Public Policy Group inDes Moines, and Iowa State University,AgriWellness, Inc. helped to provide training toapproximately 400 persons who assist in disastersand emergencies. Fifty-five individuals were alsotrained to serve as ready reserve outreach workersto provide Crisis Counseling Program assistancefollowing disasters.
www.agriwellness.org
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Easter Seals Rural SolutionsThe Easter Seals RuralSolutions Program wasdeveloped in 1986 to addressthe technological andpsychological needs of farmfamilies affected by a disability.
The Rural Solutions Program provides on-siterehabilitation services that promote the return tofarming and the community, and increasedindependence. Services offered include providingadaptive equipment, modifications to the farm andhome, secondary injury prevention education,equipment loan, and peer support.
Easter Seals collaborates with Iowa State UniversityExtension through the AgrAbility Project, and theDivision of Vocational Rehabilitation Services to assistfarm family members to remain in farming after adisability.
www.eastersealsia.org
Farm Safety 4 Just KidsFarm Safety 4 Just Kids (FS4JK)is a non-profit organizationworking to promote farm safetyfor kids. The organizationproduces and distributes farmsafety educational materials, and
includes a chapter network of volunteers throughoutthe United States and Canada. Collectively, they reachapproximately a million children, youth, and farmfamilies each year. Along with regional workshops inNebraska, California, Pennsylvania, and Arkansas thefollowing activities were provided by FS4JK:
� �Buckle Up or Eat Glass� continues throughfunding from the Iowa Governor�s Traffic SafetyBureau. Awareness prompted local students tocreate a new section on rural roadway safety forthe Iowa driver�s education manual.
� The Rural Health Kit was completed in 2005and distributed. It includes activities, fact sheets,demonstrations, and props. The kit is being
evaluated for ease of use through the chapternetwork.
� FS4JK and the National Children�s Center forAgricultural Safety and Health evaluated avenuesof distribution for the Safe Play Area document.Focus groups were held in two different locations.
� Funding from the Great Plains Center forAgricultural Health was used to follow up withattendees of the National FFA Convention session,�Quado-logy on ATV safety.�
� A manual titled, �Let�s Do A Farm Safety DayCamp,� was created as a result of the Day CampEvaluation project with the University of Kentuckyand FS4JK.
www.fs4jk.org
Iowa Farm Safety CouncilThe Iowa Farm Safety Council is a volunteerorganization that has worked to make rural Iowa asafer place to live, work, and raise a family for over60 years. The Council is a grassroots effort supportedby a network of professionals in agriculturalproduction, education, insurance, industry, andgovernment.
Thousands of children across Iowa participated in theCouncil�s Fire Prevention Education Program. Thiseducational program is provided for the children ofIowa with support from the State Fire Marshall, IowaFiremen�s Associations, and many industry andinsurance leaders.
This year, the Council�s ongoing efforts to promotegood safety and health practices resulted in a visiblepresence at both the Iowa State Fair and the IowaPower Farming and Machinery Show.
www.abe.iastate.edu/safety/ifsc.htm
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Proteus, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization that since1990 has operated the BPHC-funded Migrant HealthProject in the state of Iowa. From offices located inDes Moines, Fort Dodge, and Muscatine, Proteusprovides outreach, home visits, and clinics around thestate where migrant and seasonal farmworkers arefound.
Between 1,000 to 2,000 migrant farmworkers cometo Iowa each year to perform work which includesseed corn rouging, pollinating, detasseling, sorting andbagging. Other jobs include walking beans, andworking with crops such as flowers, grapes, apples,cucumbers, potatoes, and melons. Iowa is also hometo as many as 10,000 low income seasonal farmworkers. These individuals reside in Iowa throughoutthe year and perform seasonal agricultural work forother farmers, work in hog confinement operations,egg production, or are employed as generalfarmhands.
This past calendar year, the Proteus Migrant HealthProject served 1,451 farmworkers throughout thestate of Iowa, and this year the Project is well on itsway to serving over 1,500 farmworkers. In addition,the National Farmworker Jobs Program was able toprovide support for Workplace and Pesticide Safetytraining for 95 migrant farmworkers, utilizing the EPAcurriculum and issuing certification cards.
www.proteusinc.net
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The National Education Centerfor Agricultural Safety (NECAS)is located in Peosta, Iowa on theNortheast Iowa CommunityCollege campus. NECASdelivers hands-on safety trainingat its facility as well as outreachprograms throughout the UnitedStates.
• NECAS received a NIOSHgrant to perform a usability study
for AutoROPS-equipped zero-turn riding mowers.AutoROPS are a “deployable” type of ROPSdesigned to prevent crushing injuries to the operatorin the event of an equipment overturn. NECAS willconduct field studies at the facility on the newtechnology being developed by NIOSH engineeringstaff.
• NECAS will be participating in a new round ofthe Certified Safe Farm program funded by NIOSH,the University of Iowa, and the Iowa Farm Bureau.NECAS also just entered year 4 of a five year grant,funded through the University of Iowa, to studysafety and health on 25 Midwestern dairy farms.
• NECAS hosted the annual Ag Families weekendprogram funded by Pioneer Hi-Bred International,Inc. Ag Families invites farm families to NECASfor a weekend of safety and health training so theycan return to their home communities as safety andhealth advocates.
• The prototype of the 1/8th scale model JohnDeere tractor has been completed at Scale Models,Inc. Seventy-six agricultural science teachers arenow using the tractors and curriculum in theclassroom and providing feedback to NECAS staff.
• NECAS staff provided agricultural rescueeducation to Midwest fire departments and EMSproviders.
www.nsc.org/necas
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Financial ReportThe I-CASH budget consists of FY 2005 state funds, plus competitive grant and contract funds listed below.The following table and graphs depict the state appropriated expenditures divided into three areas: 1) person-nel expenditures for programming and administration; 2) program delivery contracts; and 3) general expendi-tures.
Grants and contracts that I-CASH faculty and staff have successfully competed for to conduct inter-vention and research activities in Iowa:
Annual Total Project TermAmounts
Certified Safe Farm: Evaluating Health Insurance Claims $ 250,680 9/01/2003 to 8/31/2007 (US Dept. of Health and Human Services, CDC, Pioneer, Monsanto, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation)Comprehensive Assessment of Rural Health in Iowa $ 202,039 10/1/2002 to 8/31/2006 (CDC, IDPH)ERC Ag (Heartland Center for Occupational Health and Safety) $ 65,176 7/01/2002 to 6/30/2008GPCAH CSF Dairy $ 45,581 9/30/2001 to 9/29/2006GPCAH CSF Elder Farmer Supplement $ 187,740 9/30/2001 to 9/29/2006GPCAH Education & Outreach $ 100,108 9/30/2001 to 9/29/2006GPCAH Evaluation of Organic Dust Aerosols $ 118,859 9/30/2001 to 9/29/2006
Total $970,183
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Appendix AI-CASH Presentations/ Educational Activities/ Newspaper Publications
July 2004�U.S. must reduce rate of death in tractor rollovers.�LaMar Grafft. The Cedar Rapids Gazette. July 11.
�Tractor certification training.� LaMar Grafft.Presentation at the National Education Center forAgricultural Safety. July 14-15; Peosta, IA.
August 2004�Alive & Well Newsletter.� I-CASH and GPCAHstaff. Vol 10 (4). August 2004.
�Farms must put focus on machine guarding.�LaMar Grafft. The Cedar Rapids Gazette. August 8.
Iowa Farm Safety Council display. LaMar Grafft.Exhibit at the Iowa State Fair. August 12-22; DesMoines, IA.
�Agricultural trauma.� LaMar Grafft. Presentationat the University of Iowa Carver College ofMedicine. August 23; Iowa City, IA.
I-CASH display. Meggan Fisher and LaMar Grafft.Exhibit at the Farm & Field Fest. August 26-28;Boone, IA.
I-CASH display. LaMar Grafft. Exhibit at the FarmProgress Show. August 30-September 2; Alleman, IA.
�Psychosocial behavior of children: Implications forchildhood agricultural injury prevention.� RistoRautiainen. Presentation and paper presented at theInternational Social Security Association, Colloquiumof the Agricultural Section. August 31-September 2;Helsinki, Finland.
September 2004�Grain suffocation: A tragic scenario.� CV Schwab.AgrAbility Newsletter, September 2004.
�Rescue training.� LaMar Grafft. Presentation to theOlin Fire Department. September 9; Olin, IA.
�Harvest time requires caution on highways.�LaMar Grafft. The Cedar Rapids Gazette.September 12.
�Agricultural trauma.� LaMar Grafft. North BentonAmbulance Training. September 13; Vinton, IA.
I-CASH display. Kelley Donham and MegganFisher. Exhibit at the Iowa Bankers AssociationConvention. September 19-21; Des Moines, IA.
�Farm equipment crashes.� Murray Madsen.Presentation at the Southern Region Symposium onAgricultural Safety and Health 2004. September 19-21; Nashville, TN.
�Tractor safety perspectives, farm and agriculturalinjury press clips.� Murray Madsen. Presentation atthe Southern Region Symposium on AgriculturalSafety and Health 2004. September 19-21;Nashville, TN.
�I-CASH.� LaMar Grafft. Presentation toAgriWellness, Inc. September 26; Toledo, IA.
October 2004�Rescue training.� LaMar Grafft. Presentation tothe West Bertram Fire Department. October 7;West Bertram, IA.
�Teach children top safety lessons.� LaMar Grafft.The Cedar Rapids Gazette. October 10.
�Agricultural trauma.� LaMar Grafft. Presentationat the Emergency and Trauma Symposium. October15; Council Bluffs, IA.
�Farmers alerted to take precautions whenvacuuming corn from bins.� Risto Rautiainen andMurray Madsen. University of Iowa Press Release.October 29; Iowa City, IA.
November 2004�Alive & Well Newsletter.� I-CASH and GPCAHstaff. Vol 11 (1). November 2004.
�Rhythm of the Seasons Video Companion.� CVSchwab, S Burgus, and Colleen Jolly. Iowa StateUniversity Extension publication Pm-1986. ISUUniversity Extension, Ames, IA.
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�Agricultural trauma.� LaMar Grafft. Presentationat the Nebraska Emergency Room PhysicianConference. November 4; Omaha, NE.
�Agricultural fatalities in the Iowa FACE Program.�Rebecca Heick, et. al. Poster presentation at theAmerican Public Health Association AnnualMeeting. November 6-10; Washington D.C.
�Tractor safety concerns and overturns in Iowa.�Wayne Sanderson. Presentation at the Governor�sSafety Conference. November 8; Des Moines, IA.
�Sharing the road with farm equipment.� MurrayMadsen. Presentation at the Iowa Behind-the-WheelInstructors� Training, Grandview College. November13; Des Moines, IA.
�Rounding out list of tips to teach kids.� LaMarGrafft. The Cedar Rapids Gazette. November 14.
�Agricultural trauma.� LaMar Grafft. Presentationat the University of Iowa Carver College ofMedicine. November 15; Iowa City, IA.
�Industrial hygiene prevention scheme: Respiratorselection criteria and fit testing.� Wayne Sanderson.Presentation at the Midwest Rural Agricultural Safetyand Health Forum. November 18; Iowa City, IA.
�Press clippings: Midwest farm and agriculturalinjuries, 2003.� Risto Rautiainen. Presentation at theMidwest Rural Agricultural Safety and HealthForum. November 18; Iowa City, IA.
�Tractor safety concerns in a rural Iowa county.�Wayne Sanderson. Presentation at the MidwestRural Agricultural Safety and Health Forum.November 18; Iowa City, IA.
�Using a geographic information system (GIS) toidentify agricultural injury and illness: A descriptionof the CAHRI project.� Kelley Donham.Presentation at the Midwest Rural Agricultural Safetyand Health Forum. November 18; Iowa City, IA.
�Farm machinery crashes with motor vehicles onpublic roads.� Murray Madsen. Presentation at theMidwest Rural Agricultural Safety and HealthForum. November 19; Iowa City, IA.
December 2004RASCAL EMS training. LaMar Grafft. December1; Cedar Rapids, IA.
�Are standards the answer?� Kelley Donham.Presentation at the Canadian Agricultural SafetyAssociation Annual Conference: Engineering Saferand Healthier Agriculture. December 2; QuebecCity, Quebec, Canada.
�Researchers explore ways to reduce risks.� LaMarGrafft. The Cedar Rapids Gazette. December 12.
January 2005�Listen up: Protect your hearing on the job.� LaMarGrafft. The Cedar Rapids Gazette, January 9.
�Technology and economy in large-scale farming.�Risto Rautiainen. Presentation and paper presentedat Technology Days. January 11; Vihti, MTT, Vakola,Finland.
February 2005�Alive & Well Newsletter.� I-CASH and GPCAHstaff. Vol 11 (2). February 2005.
�Learn critical facts before using tractor.� LaMarGrafft. The Cedar Rapids Gazette, February 13.
�Respiratory conditions among farmers.� KelleyDonham. Presentation to the University of IowaAmbulatory Medicine Program. February 28; IowaCity, IA.
March 2005�What is a webinar? New Great Plains project �e-lluminating.�� Murray Madsen. Western Center forAgricultural Health and Safety News, Spring 2005Vol 14 (2).
�Community health concerns in agriculture,respiratory illness, and toxicity conditions.� KelleyDonham. Presentation to Allen Hospital FamilyMedicine Program. March 9; Waterloo, IA.
�ATVs are useful, fun and dangerous.� LaMarGrafft. The Cedar Rapids Gazette. March 13.
I-CASH display. Eileen Fisher. Exhibit at the IowaPublic Health Association Conference. March 29-30; Ames, IA.
�Comprehensive assessment of rural environmentalhealth.� Kelley Donham. Presentation to theUniversity of Iowa Department of Occupational andEnvironmental Health. March 29; Iowa City, IA.
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�Learning from fatal occupational injuryinvestigations � The Iowa FACE Program.� JohnLundell. Presentation at the Heartland Center forOccupational Health and Safety Annual IowaOccupational Health Symposium. March 30-April 1;Iowa City, IA.
�Zoonotic infections of importance to emergencyroom physicians.� Kelley Donham. Presentation tothe University of Iowa Emergency MedicineProgram. March 31; Iowa City, IA.
I-CASH display. Meggan Fisher. Exhibit at theHeartland Center for Occupational Health andSafety Annual Iowa Occupational HealthSymposium. March 31; Iowa City, IA.
April 2005�Startled horses can often pose danger to rider.�LaMar Grafft. The Cedar Rapids Gazette. April 10.
�Skin diseases among agricultural workers.� KelleyDonham. Presentation at Iowa Lutheran Hospital.April 14; Des Moines, IA.
�Overview of illnesses and injuries in farm families.�Kelley Donham. Presentation to the University ofIowa Physicians Assistant Program. April 19; IowaCity, IA.
May 2005�Alive & Well Newsletter.� I-CASH and GPCAHstaff. Vol 11 (3). May 2005.
�Protect small children from livestock at fairs,shows.� LaMar Grafft. The Cedar Rapids Gazette.May 8.
�Agricultural trauma.� LaMar Grafft. Training toIowa County EMS. May 16; Marengo, IA.
�Agricultural respiratory issues,� �Agricultural skindiseases /Cancer in the farm environment,� �Ruralenvironmental health problems,� �Veterinarypharmaceuticals, biologicals and antibiotics,��Zoonotic diseases.� Kelley Donham. Presentationsat the Agricultural Occupational Health TrainingProgram � Session 1. May 18-20; Iowa City, IA.
�Agricultural trauma.� LaMar Grafft. Presentationat the Agricultural Occupational Health TrainingProgram � Session 1. May 18-20; Iowa City, IA.
�Airborne antibiotic exposures in animal feedingoperations.� M Murphy, W Sanderson, and J Vargo.Presentation at the American Industrial HygieneConference and Exposition. May 21-26; Anaheim, CA.
�Respiratory diseases among farmers.� KelleyDonham. Presentation to the University of IowaCarver College of Medicine Ambulatory MedicineModule. May 23; Iowa City, IA.
June 2005�Interventions to reduce safety and health hazards inagriculture.� Wayne Sanderson. NIOSH AgriculturalResearch Centers Update for Spring, 2005AgConnections Agricultural Safety and HealthNewsletter. Vol 3 (1). 2005.
�Agricultural case scenarios.� Kelley Donham andLaMar Grafft. Presentation at the AgriculturalOccupational Health Training Program � Session 2.June 8-10; Iowa City, IA.
�Farm tour: Identifying selected hazards.� LaMarGrafft and Risto Rautiainen. Presentation at theAgricultural Occupational Health Training Program� Session 2. June 8-10; Iowa City, IA.
�Food safety.� LaMar Grafft. The Cedar RapidsGazette. June 12.
I-CASH display. LaMar Grafft and Eileen Fisher.Exhibit at the Farm Progress Hay Expo 2005. June22-23; Fredricksburg, IA.
�Economic evaluation of the Certified Safe Farmprogram.� Kelley Donham. Presentation at the 2005National Institute for Farm Safety AnnualConference. June 26-30; Wintergreen, VA.
�Farm and Agricultural Injury Monitoring System(FAIMS) � Press clips.� Murray Madsen. Abstractand poster presentation at the 2005 National Institutefor Farm Safety Annual Conference. June 26-30;Wintergreen, VA.
�Perspectives from farm and agricultural injury pressclippings, 2003-4.� Murray Madsen. Abstractpresented at the 2005 National Institute for FarmSafety Annual Conference. June 26-30;Wintergreen, VA.
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Appendix BI-CASH Publications
Carreon T, MA Butler, AM Ruder, MA Waters, KEDavis-King, GM Calvert, PA Schulte, BConnally, EM Ward, WT Sanderson, EFHeineman, JS Mandel, RF Morton, DJ Reding,KD Rosenman, G Talaska. 2005. Gliomas andfarm pesticide exposure in women: The UpperMidwest Health Study. Environ HealthPerspectives 113(5):546-51.
Donham KJ, JR Wheat, W Simpson, P James. 2005.What�s in a name? Revisited: Terms used todescribe activities related to the health andsafety of agricultural-associated populations andconsumers. J Agromedicine 10(1):5-11.
Freeman SA, CV Schwab, JLP Judge. 2005. AnInvestigation of three physical parameters ofPTO entanglements. National Institute for FarmSafety International Summer MeetingWintergreen, Virginia. NIFS Paper No. 2005-05.NIFS Madison, WI.
Humann MJ, KJ Donham, ML Jones, C Achutan, BJSmith. 2005. Occupational noise exposureassessment in intensive swine farrowingsystems: Dosimetry, octave band, and specifictask analysis. J Agromedicine 10(1):23-37.
Merchant JA, AL Naleway, ER Svendsen, KMKelly, LF Burmeister, AM Stromquist, CDTaylor, PS Thorne, SJ Reynolds, WT Sanderson,EA Chrischilles. 2005. Asthma and farmexposures in a cohort of rural Iowa children.Environ Health Perspectives 113(3):350-356.
Myers KP, CW Olsen, SF Setterquist, AW Capuano,KJ Donham, EL Thacker, JA Merchant, GCGray. 2005. Are U.S. swine workers atincreased risk of infection with zoonoticinfluenza virus? J Infectious Diseases. (Inpress)
Rautiainen R, R Ohsfeldt, N Sprince, K Donham, LBurmeister, S Reynolds, P Saarimaki, CZwerling, T Siitonen. 2005. Cost of compensatedinjuries and occupational diseases in agriculturein Finland. J Agromedicine. (In press)
Reynolds SJ, DK Milton, D Heederik, PS Thorne,KJ Donham, EA Croteau, KM Kelly, J Douwes,D Lewis, M Whitmer, I Connaughton, S Koch, PMalmberg, BM Larsson, J Deddens, A Saraf, LLarsson. 2005. Interlaboratory evaluation ofendotoxin analyses in agricultural dusts �comparison of LAL assay and massspectrometry. J Env Monitoring. (In press)
Sanderson WT, MD Madsen, RH Rautiainen, KMKelly, C Zwerling, CD Taylor, SJ Reynolds, AMStromquist, LF Burmeister, JA Merchant.Tractor overturn concerns in Iowa: Perspectivesfrom the Keokuk County Rural Health Study. JAgric Saf Hlth. (Accepted)
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Notes
