Indiana Ag Safety & Health History

For a more comprehensive summary of Indiana agricultural safety and health history
and the Purdue Safety & Health Program visit the link below.

40’s – 70’s

Early Agricultural Heath and Safety Efforts

For the first three decades, the PUASHP thrived under the leadership of Professor F.R. (Dick) Willsey who was recognized as a premier example of the traditional Extension education specialist. He traveled extensively, including by train, promoting farm safety wherever he could gain an audience. He was innovative in the use of safety plays and skits, audiovisual materials, demonstrations, and dynamic exhibits.

80’s

Early Agricultural Heath and Safety Efforts

Starting in 1977, William E. (Bill) Field replaced Professor Willsey, who had retired the previous year. Building on the work started by Professor Willsey, with his continued support, Professor Field became heavily involved in coordinating and promoting local agricultural safety activities throughout the state. He sought to involve as many groups as possible in program efforts, including Farm Bureau, 4-H, FFA, Extension Homemakers, insurance companies, implement dealers, and community organizations.

90’s

Accomplishments and Initiatives During the 1990s

The agricultural safety and health information dissemination in the 90s included several short films, family-oriented coloring & activity books, and a series of safety-related websites. In addition to dissemination efforts, for more than 25 years, the Indiana Department of Health and Purdue worked together to identify reports of farm-related deaths and suicides involving Indiana “farm residents,” addressing the quality of agricultural injury data available for analysis.

 

 

00’s

Early Agricultural Heath and Safety Efforts

In 2002, a new series of presentations on emergency preparedness for agricultural production sites were developed and field tested with farm operators. In 2003 the material was offered as a pilot three credit graduate-level course in Agricultural and Biological Engineering (ASM 510 Agrosecurity). This class is designed to assist future agricultural managers in preventing, preparing for, responding to, and recovering from both natural and man-made disasters. The class involves a service learning project that requires students to develop an emergency response plan for an agricultural production site.
In 2006 with support from the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, PUASHP staff participated in developing two graduate-level classes dealing with the foundations and applications of homeland security. These two courses have been team taught each year since 2007, with faculty from several departments exposing hundreds of Purdue students to career opportunities in the field of emergency preparedness and response.