The United States federal government has a special place in being able to provide advice and assistance at both the federal and local levels with a specific focus on the agricultural industry. This applies both to advice and guidance in a theoretical sense on all business activities, and in a specific sense to dedicated areas of the agricultural and livestock industry.
The agricultural health and safety centers are under the tutelage of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Health and safety on farms is an important issue, and this government agency focuses on research and policy related to the prevention of all workplace injuries nationally, including in agriculture.
The agricultural health and safety centers take this work one step further, providing assistance at a more local level, although still in a very wide geographical area. Some of the centers based in Washington, California, Colorado, Texas, Kentucky, New York and Ohio.
There are also some other centers and their work can even be outsourced later on if needed. The intention is to be able to provide more localized information and help on a geographical basis, and each center can decide on specific ways to do this.
Their main role is to provide safety education programs that take into account the wide locality in which they are located and therefore can focus on specific issues that have local influence.
They are an excellent resource because they can combine federal and local expertise and policies, geared much more specifically to the locality of an area.
The Children’s National Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety is a dedicated center that, as the name implies, focuses on providing agricultural safety as it relates to children.
Unlike many other industries, the use of children and youth in farm work is still seen as a really good thing, providing valuable experience for young people in a safe environment, providing vacation jobs and often a lifestyle. community life and experience.
Many young people who work on farms also live there, either as part of the family that owns the farm, or as part of a family that works there.
In any case, it is recognized that there needs to be a special focus on how best to protect children and young people in terms of workplace safety, in ways that do not necessarily apply to other businesses.
This agency monitors that and tries to develop a framework that allows children and young people to grow up and engage in the nature of work in a safe and appropriate way.
The United States Consumer Production Safety Commission is a regulatory agency whose focus is to set standards for consumers to have confidence in, in terms of the safety of all products within the industry.
This agency tries to work closely with farmers and producers of agricultural products to achieve this. It is in everyone’s interest that consumers feel safe in the products they buy, and this can be a constant challenge for agriculture and the agricultural industry.
The other main government agency worth mentioning is the Environmental Protection Agency. This agency has a broad mandate to protect all areas of the environment, especially the air, water, and natural resources of the United States.
This agency is responsible for monitoring and implementing the laws and regulations that apply to pesticides and air and water pollution.
There can be heavy financial penalties if these regulations are not followed, and it can be a major challenge for many farms and agricultural businesses to ensure that all of their business practices are in line with current legislation.
The EPA should not be thought of as merely a policeman enforcing government laws.
It can also be a very effective resource for providing help and advice on what laws and regulations apply to a particular setting or area, and advising farmers on how best to fulfill their responsibilities.
Dealing with all types of pollution, whether from air or water, is a responsibility that everyone who works in the industry has, and in an ideal world would want to fulfill.
Business pressures can often lead people to cut corners in the hope of getting their way. Unfortunately this happens, though hopefully infrequently. It is important that all of these government agencies work collectively and collaboratively to support and regulate all farms and agricultural practices across the country.