HALIFAX, Canada — The largest annual gathering of professionals dedicated to farm safety took place in late June when the International Society for Agricultural Safety and Health (ISASH) met in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Nearly 150 people attended from five countries, including 26 U.S. states and eight Canadian provinces. The five-day conference (June 24-28) took advantage of its location along the Atlantic Ocean to feature commercial fishing as well as agriculture. Syngenta, Corteva Agriscience and Esso Mobil topped a broad-based list of corporate sponsors, which also included Farm Credit Canada, John Deere, CHS and 16 others. The conference was hosted by Farm Safety Nova Scotia and the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association.
ISASH, incorporated in 1962 as the National Institute for Farm Safety, is dedicated to the professional development of individuals who can deliver prevention information to people working on farms and ranches. ISASH membership includes farm safety professionals, engineers, educators, insurers, physicians, nurses, veterinarians, statisticians, communicators, anthropologists and business leaders.
Newly elected to the Board of Directors was Carolyn Sheridan, R.N., Ag Health & Safety Alliance. Re-elected were Michael Pate, Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University; and Sandy Miller, Workplace Safety and Prevention Services (Ontario). Peter Lundqvist, Ph.D., Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, became the first ISASH president from outside North America. Scott Heiberger, National Farm Medicine Center, is the president-elect. Continuing their terms on the board are Marcel Hacault, Canadian Agricultural Safety Association; Amy Rademaker, Carle Foundation Hospital; Dee Jepsen, Ph.D., Ohio State University; and Aaron Yoder, Ph.D., University of Nebraska Medical Center.
ISASH also announced its 2018 award winners: Glen Blahey, Canadian Agricultural Safety Association, Maynard Coe Professional Achievement Award; and David Robertson, Quadbar Industries, Australia, Practitioner Achievement Award.
The 2019 ISASH conference will be held in Des Moines, Iowa, June 23-26, and hosted by Iowa State University. Learn more about the International Society for Agricultural Safety and Health by visiting www.isash.org.
–International Society for Agricultural Safety and Health
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