Agriculture is consistently among the most hazardous occupations in the United States. In an average year, 516 workers die while doing farm work and each day about 243 workers suffer lost-time injuries. Agriculture, due to its decentralized nature and diverse structure, lags behind other industries in reducing the toll on its workers with a fatality rate that is eight times that of the all-industry average.
The Agricultural Safety and Health Council of America (ASHCA) is working to close that safety gap. The new Council, driven by farmer/rancher and agribusiness leaders, is the first of its kind in the U.S. to pursue a national strategy to reduce disease, injuries and fatalities in American agriculture.