May 8, 2025 • 18 mins
The safety nets protecting America's agricultural workforce are unraveling. Dr. Jeff Bender, Director of the Upper Midwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center (UMASH), reveals the far-reaching consequences of recent budget cuts to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) - cuts that have already eliminated 85% of the agency's workforce.
For fourteen years, UMASH has served as a vital resource for farmers, agricultural workers, and rural communities across the Upper Midwest, and beyond. Under the recent cuts to NIOSH, the center's funding is set to expire in September.
Using a "One Health" approach and recognizing the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health, the center has pioneered innovative solutions to complex problems. From training rural volunteer firefighters to handle farm emergencies to researching better respiratory protection in swine and dairy facilities, UMASH projects, past and present, address real-world challenges that commercial interests typically overlook.
For more information on UMASH, visit: https://umash.umn.edu/about-the-center/
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Sarah Muirhead (00:07):
For more than 50 years, the National Institute
of Occupational Safety andHealth has been a vital partner,
safeguarding the well-being ofmillions of workers across the
country.
Recent cutbacks in the agency'spersonnel and budget, however,
have sparked concern Foragriculture.
Those cuts are extending to theUpper Midwest Agriculture
Safety and Health Center.
(00:28):
Welcome to Feedstuffs in Focus,our podcast taking a look at
the big issues affecting thelivestock, poultry, grain and
animal feed industries.
I'm your host, sarah Muirhead.
This episode of Feedstuffs inFocus is sponsored by United
Animal Health, a leader inanimal health and nutrition.
You can learn more about UnitedAnimal Health and how they're
(00:48):
working to advance animalscience worldwide by visiting
their website at unitedanhcom.
Joining us today to talk aboutthe recent cutbacks and what
they will likely mean to theUniversity of Minnesota's Upper
Midwest Agriculture Safety andHealth Center and its mission to
improve the health and safetyof agricultural producers,
(01:09):
workers and their families is DrJeff Bender, UMASH Director.
Let's start with a bit ofhistory on UMASH.
How did the center come to beand what role does it play for
the agricultural community?
Dr. Jeff Bender (01:23):
UMASH stands for the Upper Midwest
Agricultural Safety and HealthCenter, and that is funded from
the federal government, from theNational Institute for
Occupation Safety and Health, orNIOSH, which people often
confuse with OSHA, and we're notthe regulatory arm.
It's basically an arm thatfocuses on worker safety and,
(01:44):
specifically, there are 12centers across the country to
really represent how do we workwith agricultural communities,
agricultural workers, producersand farm families to try to keep
them healthy and safe and, asyou know, labor is a big issue,
so the last thing we want to dois lose people.
So, yeah, so we're really inthe business of trying to keep
(02:06):
people safe that are working inagricultural safety and health,
and that started back in 2011.
So we've been around for about14 some years.
Sarah Muirhead (02:14):
So it sounds like there's 12 centers.
So they're set up by geographythen, because there's going to
maybe be some different issuesfor different areas.
Is that correct?
Dr. Jeff Bender (02:24):
That's correct.
And so, as you can imagine,people maybe in New England,
maybe it's focused on fishing,and how do we protect people
that are in the fishing industry?
Or, if it's in Florida, itmight be growers for
strawberries or for othercommodities, or if it's in
California it might be verydifferent.
Or here in the Midwest it mightbe, you know, soybean, corn
production, swine, turkeys,dairy production, so yeah, so we
(02:53):
wanted to make sure at leastNIOSH wanted to make sure they
wanted to give the money to theregions, to actually then be
kind of, in a sense, listeningsessions to what are the
community needs and then how doyou deal with practical, applied
issues to tackle some of theseregional challenges, especially
for these rural communities?
Sarah Muirhead (03:09):
Of course, some of the challenges also go across
across the nation, right, so isthere?
Is there sharing that takesplace when those topics are
relevant to producers everywhere?
Dr. Jeff Bender (03:20):
Yeah, and actually that's one of the
values of this you know 12center network is that you know
we can share resources andsupport one another.
So, for example, there's onecenter in Wisconsin that focus
on rural children and justchildren issues on farms and how
do we keep kids safe on farms?
(03:40):
I mean, you know there's a lotof value in having you know kids
do the work on farms, but howdo we do that safely?
So there's an example of acenter that does that.
One of the big how do weactually work safely with
machinery is really important.
As you know, here in Minnesotawe've actually lost a number of
(04:11):
folks to ATV injuries,especially on rural highways,
and so that's an example of howwe can transcend a cross center.
Sarah Muirhead (04:19):
ATVs, pto shafts , all those things I remember
growing up.
Of course, I had a three-wheelATV back then.
Dr. Jeff Bender (04:28):
Even more of a safety issue.
Sarah Muirhead (04:31):
So now UMASH focuses research, education and
prevention projects, as youmentioned.
What are kind of the topprojects that UMASH is involved
in and that UMASH is probablymost proud of?
Dr. Jeff Bender (04:49):
Yeah, you know, as you mentioned, there's a
number of kind of researchprojects.
So these are nice researchprojects, the ones that we can
start and actually engage over aperiod of time.
Some of those deal with verypractical issues and some of
them are actually more focusedon research.
So, for example, understandingviruses and movement of viruses
in swine environments or thepoultry barn or the dairy parlor
(05:10):
I mean understanding and how dowe kind of prevent some of that
work?
Other issues that have reallyemerged as important has been
the mental health issues,especially in our rural
communities, and so how do weactually provide better services
, come alongside, understandwhat some of the barriers are
and then really be able to workin those rural communities?
(05:30):
A good example, I think, of asmall project that actually just
blossomed.
One of the things that we didearly on when we formed UMass is
we asked well, who are thetrusted people in rural
communities and you know how can?
These are going to be your,your people that are going to be
your spokespersons and trustedindividuals that you would go to
(05:51):
.
And one of the ones thatactually surprised me was and I
didn't really think about is therole of the rural firefighter,
the volunteer firefighter withinrural communities.
One, they are often members ofthe community and then also they
have the training.
But one of the things that theydon't have is they don't have
really training in how to dealwith farm issues, about injuries
(06:12):
you know that can happen andunderstanding that farm, and
then also how they can actuallyengage with producers to think
about prevention.
How do I deal with chemicalissues, or you know, electrical
issues, or you know what ifthere is a tractor roll, or how
do I get the person out of theresafely, or if I have a grain
bin injury, how do we do that?
So one of the things thatstarted as a small seed project
(06:33):
was how do we train or how do weengage rural firefighters?
Well, that actually has nowspread and it spread down in
Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Now it's spread across thenation and now into Canada that
we're doing this.
So you know that's an exampleof basically a small
community-based project,listening to the community,
equipping the community to thenbe able to support, you know,
(06:58):
farmers and rural communitieswith that.
So that's a good example of,probably, you know, one of the
projects that we have and we'vegot others that are like that
that really have been, you know,kind of community-based
listening to what some of theneeds are and then being able to
develop programs to actuallysupport that.
Sarah Muirhead (07:16):
Now, one of the guiding principles of UMASH is
that of the one health approach.
Walk us through the importanceof being able to address issues
from that perspective of humanhealth, animal and plant health,
as well as the health of theenvironment.
How do you pull all thattogether when you approach
projects?
Dr. Jeff Bender (07:37):
That is one of our founding principles and one
of our kind of our mission andit really involves the way that
we try to tackle some of theseissues.
When we look at UMass, we'recollectively, you know, really
represent a number of differentdisciplines and it's important,
especially when you deal withcomplex issues, to really bring
together bright minds from otherplaces to deal with that.
(07:59):
So in our executive group we'vegot individuals from the
Minnesota Department of Health,from the National Farm Medicine
Center in Marshall, wisconsin,from Michael Clinicians Network
especially we deal with laborissues as well as a number of
schools and colleges within theuniversity pulling them together
to really deal with it.
So veterinary medicine, ouragricultural folks, our
(08:22):
extension folks, our medicinefolks, the School of Public
Health, pulling those alltogether.
And I think you know I justlast week we were just working
with the National Pork Board andthis One Health concept really
just kind of continues toblossom and emerge when we think
about how do we deal with someof the issues that farmers may
have or are dealing with andthinking about the different
(08:45):
disciplines that need to addressthat.
So one of the areas was animalhandling how do you work around
300-pound sows and not get hurt,and so bringing in animal
health specialists who canreally think about animal
welfare.
What's the best way to treatthat animal.
The worker to make sure thatthat worker, you know, doesn't
(09:06):
lose a knee in the process.
And then also the industrialengineering people to think
about what's the best design forhow do we move pigs and move
pigs safely, what's the bestdesign for how do we move pigs
and move pigs safely.
And then also thinking aboutthe safety of those animals,
with the ultimate goal is thathopefully we're going to have a
(09:27):
healthy, good quality foodproduct that consumer can enjoy.
So that's a good example ofwhere all those components of
the animal-human-environmentinterface is really important.
Sarah Muirhead (09:35):
As I mentioned in the opening, there's some
funding issues that have come upsuddenly and unexpectedly in
terms of cuts.
Any initial thoughts on whatthe implications of those might
be for UMASH as well as for theagricultural community in
general?
Dr. Jeff Bender (09:52):
I'm all fine for trying to create
efficiencies and look at thesethings, and I think oftentimes
when people think of NIOSH theydo think of OSHA.
Oh, you guys got to be theregulators and we're not.
We don't regulate at all.
We're basically trying to workalongside industry and other
folks to kind of deal withissues that they may have as a
result, kind of you know, issuesthat they may have.
(10:14):
As a result, niosh has beendramatically cut.
I mean, 85% of their workforceis gone as a result of that.
The people that actually kind ofoversee what we do.
You know we have to send ourannual reports and saying this
is the progress we're making,this is how we're who we're
engaging, this is what we saidwe would do, and those people
are gone.
So we really don't have anybodythat's holding us accountable
(10:35):
to say are you doing?
Are you doing a good job?
Nor are the people there thatsay, ok, we did this and now
next year we're going to do this, are there to sign off on the
check, to say, ok, go ahead, youcan do the next year.
So, yeah, our funding actuallyis going to end in September.
Is is what we anticipate andwith that, you know, we have
(10:57):
research projects that have beengoing on for a couple of years,
that are just starting to getin their stride, that are not
going to be able to continue.
So that's a very sad thingbecause I think many of these
research projects are, in myopinion and I'm biased are
really amazing and just aredoing some great work, and I
think that they really willsupport the industry and support
producers and workers in thatregard.
The other thing is we won'thave money to do the
(11:18):
community-based project.
So a lot of times we try tocome alongside local communities
and say, hey, how do we supportaging farmers in your community
?
Or how do we actually supportmental health resources for, you
know, women, you know inagriculture?
So those are examples of someof the funded projects that
we've done that unfortunately wewon't be able to to do.
(11:39):
We also try to provide kind ofsome seed funding for
researchers that are trying tocome up with new innovative
ideas.
Or how do we make betterfilters?
How do we make better masks?
One of the big issues, one ofthe things that we were tasked
to do was to look at with allthe discussion about H5N1
influenza, is how do we protectthose workers who are being
(12:00):
exposed and the initialregulations are really
cumbersome.
Can you imagine wearing a bigN95 in a milking parlor?
And it's hot and sweaty, and sois that the best way we can
protect the worker.
So part of the question that wewere going to ask is what's the
best way to protect that workerso they can do the work and not
pass out type of thing.
So those are some of the thingsthat we're going to lose in
(12:24):
this process.
So, again, we anticipate thatthe funding cycle, from all
indications, will end inSeptember for us.
Sarah Muirhead (12:31):
Well, a lot of times those aren't.
The research that you're doingis not something that a
commercial interest is going togo and dive into and do that
work.
This is more a general, overallkind of research that is needed
, but it's not, like I said,something that's going to be
taken for commercial development, so that probably it needs to
(12:53):
be done.
Who's going to do it?
Dr. Jeff Bender (12:55):
You know, sarah , you really bring up a good
point, because one of the thingsthat, especially with smaller
producers you know they don'thave a lot of money to have an
HR department or to actuallythink about, you know, having a
safety manager, I mean like bigcompanies do.
And so, you know, in a sense,with our smaller producers,
we're trying to provide toolsfor them so that they can think
(13:18):
about some of these things.
Okay, hey, this is the springchecklist.
Before I start the tractor up,these are some things I need to
do, or this is a reminder, youknow, during harvest season.
This is, you know, some things.
Oftentimes these health andsafety things are in the back of
the.
You know the mind they're kindof we don't worry about it until
it happens, unfortunately.
(13:38):
So we want to prevent that.
We want to prevent those thingsfrom happening, but for a very
busy person, sometimes we don'tthink about that and then we go
oh my gosh, I forgot.
You know I didn't put the, Ididn't do a lockout tag out on
that.
Boy oh boy.
You know I we never trainedthat worker on how to use that
equipment and you know, sureenough, they got their hand
(14:01):
trapped, and so those are thingsthat often get forgotten and
especially for the smallerproducer, they don't think about
those things.
Nor that kind of research,those kind of outreach
activities is not going to befunded, oftentimes by industry.
Sarah Muirhead (14:16):
So what I know, it's probably too early to say,
but what's next for UMASH?
Is there a future?
You mentioned funding might begoing away in September.
Is there a scaled downASH?
Is there a future?
You mentioned funding might begoing away in September.
Is there a scaled down future?
Is there any future?
Do you have any sense of thatat this point?
Are you still doing thatevaluation?
Dr. Jeff Bender (14:32):
Largely our funding is through NIOSH and so
the real dramatic impact isgoing to be in our research
project.
So you know we fund a number ofresearchers who are doing work,
air quality and mental health,on rural firefighters, on
protecting swine workers inbarns.
Those projects are going tohave to end, unfortunately, and
(14:55):
the funding that we have tosupport any community-based
project or small grants, thoseare going to disappear.
You know the outreachactivities that we do,
unfortunately, you know thoseare going to disappear.
You know the outreachactivities that we do,
unfortunately, you know thoseindividuals that really support
that are going to be probablylet go and so really ideally, I
think you know here in Minnesotawe know that we want to keep
(15:15):
that rural workforce healthy andsafe and so will others be able
to pick that up.
Or, you know, will we look alittle bit differently or it's
going to be really scaled back,to be honest with you.
Sarah Muirhead (15:31):
So then, what's the future of NIOSH?
Dr. Jeff Bender (15:35):
You know that's a good question, sarah.
From the looks of it, at thispoint, all the training centers
have been eliminated, all thelabs have been eliminated.
So, really, niosh reallydoesn't exist anymore.
All the training centers havebeen eliminated, all the labs
have been eliminated.
So, really, niosh reallydoesn't exist anymore.
I know that there's discussionabout it being incorporated as a
new version, but we don'treally have any details At this
point.
It's been virtually eliminated.
Sarah Muirhead (15:57):
So if someone, any of our listeners here, might
have a concern and they want toexpress that somehow, what
would you say is the best way togo about that?
Dr. Jeff Bender (16:07):
One is to talk with their industry folks.
So you know, maybe they'returkey producers or poultry
producers, or maybe they're thedairy producers, or you know
corn and soybean producers, youknow.
One is to talk about well, howis our organization going to
deal with health and safetyissues?
How are we going to do that?
How can we support this kind ofwork and effort?
(16:28):
So I think that that's part ofit.
The other part is actuallyengaging legislators.
One of the things that we do isthat we do try to meet with our
legislators and usually aslistening sessions try to kind
of what are your constituentstelling you?
What are the issues?
Now we've heard from ourlegislative folks many years ago
that, hey, we need to do moremental health work and outreach.
(16:51):
What, jeff, what are you doingin those communities?
And so you know, as a result ofthat, we did engage and try to
do some of that outreach andengagement, engagement.
So I think, again, part of itis to engage those legislators
and say who's going to be doingkind of health and safety,
education, outreach and training?
If we don't have this kind ofmechanism in place?
(17:12):
How can we support that?
Umash has been great becausethey've been helping engage and
actually being responsive to theneeds of our communities.
To the needs of our communities.
Sarah Muirhead (17:23):
Our thanks to Dr Jeff Bender, director of the
Upper Midwest AgriculturalSafety and Health Center.
This episode of Feedstuffs inFocus has been sponsored by
United Animal Health, a leaderin animal health and nutrition.
You can learn more about UnitedAnimal Health and how they're
working to advance animalscience worldwide by visiting
their website at unitedanhcom.
(17:45):
I'm Sarah Muirhead and you'vebeen listening to Feedstuffs In
Focus.
If you would like to hear moreconversations about some of the
big issues affecting thelivestock, poultry, grain and
animal feed industries,subscribe to this podcast on
your favorite podcast channel.
Until next time, have a greatday and thank you for listening.
For more than 50 years, the National Institute
of Occupational Safety andHealth has been a vital partner,
safeguarding the well-being ofmillions of workers across the
country.
Recent cutbacks in the agency'spersonnel and budget, however,
have sparked concern Foragriculture.
Those cuts are extending to theUpper Midwest Agriculture
Safety and Health Center.
(00:28):
Welcome to Feedstuffs in Focus,our podcast taking a look at
the big issues affecting thelivestock, poultry, grain and
animal feed industries.
I'm your host, sarah Muirhead.
This episode of Feedstuffs inFocus is sponsored by United
Animal Health, a leader inanimal health and nutrition.
You can learn more about UnitedAnimal Health and how they're
(00:48):
working to advance animalscience worldwide by visiting
their website at unitedanhcom.
Joining us today to talk aboutthe recent cutbacks and what
they will likely mean to theUniversity of Minnesota's Upper
Midwest Agriculture Safety andHealth Center and its mission to
improve the health and safetyof agricultural producers,
(01:09):
workers and their families is DrJeff Bender, UMASH Director.
Let's start with a bit ofhistory on UMASH.
How did the center come to beand what role does it play for
the agricultural community?
Dr. Jeff Bender (01:23):
UMASH stands for the Upper Midwest
Agricultural Safety and HealthCenter, and that is funded from
the federal government, from theNational Institute for
Occupation Safety and Health, orNIOSH, which people often
confuse with OSHA, and we're notthe regulatory arm.
It's basically an arm thatfocuses on worker safety and,
(01:44):
specifically, there are 12centers across the country to
really represent how do we workwith agricultural communities,
agricultural workers, producersand farm families to try to keep
them healthy and safe and, asyou know, labor is a big issue,
so the last thing we want to dois lose people.
So, yeah, so we're really inthe business of trying to keep
(02:06):
people safe that are working inagricultural safety and health,
and that started back in 2011.
So we've been around for about14 some years.
Sarah Muirhead (02:14):
So it sounds like there's 12 centers.
So they're set up by geographythen, because there's going to
maybe be some different issuesfor different areas.
Is that correct?
Dr. Jeff Bender (02:24):
That's correct.
And so, as you can imagine,people maybe in New England,
maybe it's focused on fishing,and how do we protect people
that are in the fishing industry?
Or, if it's in Florida, itmight be growers for
strawberries or for othercommodities, or if it's in
California it might be verydifferent.
Or here in the Midwest it mightbe, you know, soybean, corn
production, swine, turkeys,dairy production, so yeah, so we
(02:53):
wanted to make sure at leastNIOSH wanted to make sure they
wanted to give the money to theregions, to actually then be
kind of, in a sense, listeningsessions to what are the
community needs and then how doyou deal with practical, applied
issues to tackle some of theseregional challenges, especially
for these rural communities?
Sarah Muirhead (03:09):
Of course, some of the challenges also go across
across the nation, right, so isthere?
Is there sharing that takesplace when those topics are
relevant to producers everywhere?
Dr. Jeff Bender (03:20):
Yeah, and actually that's one of the
values of this you know 12center network is that you know
we can share resources andsupport one another.
So, for example, there's onecenter in Wisconsin that focus
on rural children and justchildren issues on farms and how
do we keep kids safe on farms?
(03:40):
I mean, you know there's a lotof value in having you know kids
do the work on farms, but howdo we do that safely?
So there's an example of acenter that does that.
One of the big how do weactually work safely with
machinery is really important.
As you know, here in Minnesotawe've actually lost a number of
(04:11):
folks to ATV injuries,especially on rural highways,
and so that's an example of howwe can transcend a cross center.
Sarah Muirhead (04:19):
ATVs, pto shafts , all those things I remember
growing up.
Of course, I had a three-wheelATV back then.
Dr. Jeff Bender (04:28):
Even more of a safety issue.
Sarah Muirhead (04:31):
So now UMASH focuses research, education and
prevention projects, as youmentioned.
What are kind of the topprojects that UMASH is involved
in and that UMASH is probablymost proud of?
Dr. Jeff Bender (04:49):
Yeah, you know, as you mentioned, there's a
number of kind of researchprojects.
So these are nice researchprojects, the ones that we can
start and actually engage over aperiod of time.
Some of those deal with verypractical issues and some of
them are actually more focusedon research.
So, for example, understandingviruses and movement of viruses
in swine environments or thepoultry barn or the dairy parlor
(05:10):
I mean understanding and how dowe kind of prevent some of that
work?
Other issues that have reallyemerged as important has been
the mental health issues,especially in our rural
communities, and so how do weactually provide better services
, come alongside, understandwhat some of the barriers are
and then really be able to workin those rural communities?
(05:30):
A good example, I think, of asmall project that actually just
blossomed.
One of the things that we didearly on when we formed UMass is
we asked well, who are thetrusted people in rural
communities and you know how can?
These are going to be your,your people that are going to be
your spokespersons and trustedindividuals that you would go to
(05:51):
.
And one of the ones thatactually surprised me was and I
didn't really think about is therole of the rural firefighter,
the volunteer firefighter withinrural communities.
One, they are often members ofthe community and then also they
have the training.
But one of the things that theydon't have is they don't have
really training in how to dealwith farm issues, about injuries
(06:12):
you know that can happen andunderstanding that farm, and
then also how they can actuallyengage with producers to think
about prevention.
How do I deal with chemicalissues, or you know, electrical
issues, or you know what ifthere is a tractor roll, or how
do I get the person out of theresafely, or if I have a grain
bin injury, how do we do that?
So one of the things thatstarted as a small seed project
(06:33):
was how do we train or how do weengage rural firefighters?
Well, that actually has nowspread and it spread down in
Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Now it's spread across thenation and now into Canada that
we're doing this.
So you know that's an exampleof basically a small
community-based project,listening to the community,
equipping the community to thenbe able to support, you know,
(06:58):
farmers and rural communitieswith that.
So that's a good example of,probably, you know, one of the
projects that we have and we'vegot others that are like that
that really have been, you know,kind of community-based
listening to what some of theneeds are and then being able to
develop programs to actuallysupport that.
Sarah Muirhead (07:16):
Now, one of the guiding principles of UMASH is
that of the one health approach.
Walk us through the importanceof being able to address issues
from that perspective of humanhealth, animal and plant health,
as well as the health of theenvironment.
How do you pull all thattogether when you approach
projects?
Dr. Jeff Bender (07:37):
That is one of our founding principles and one
of our kind of our mission andit really involves the way that
we try to tackle some of theseissues.
When we look at UMass, we'recollectively, you know, really
represent a number of differentdisciplines and it's important,
especially when you deal withcomplex issues, to really bring
together bright minds from otherplaces to deal with that.
(07:59):
So in our executive group we'vegot individuals from the
Minnesota Department of Health,from the National Farm Medicine
Center in Marshall, wisconsin,from Michael Clinicians Network
especially we deal with laborissues as well as a number of
schools and colleges within theuniversity pulling them together
to really deal with it.
So veterinary medicine, ouragricultural folks, our
(08:22):
extension folks, our medicinefolks, the School of Public
Health, pulling those alltogether.
And I think you know I justlast week we were just working
with the National Pork Board andthis One Health concept really
just kind of continues toblossom and emerge when we think
about how do we deal with someof the issues that farmers may
have or are dealing with andthinking about the different
(08:45):
disciplines that need to addressthat.
So one of the areas was animalhandling how do you work around
300-pound sows and not get hurt,and so bringing in animal
health specialists who canreally think about animal
welfare.
What's the best way to treatthat animal.
The worker to make sure thatthat worker, you know, doesn't
(09:06):
lose a knee in the process.
And then also the industrialengineering people to think
about what's the best design forhow do we move pigs and move
pigs safely, what's the bestdesign for how do we move pigs
and move pigs safely.
And then also thinking aboutthe safety of those animals,
with the ultimate goal is thathopefully we're going to have a
(09:27):
healthy, good quality foodproduct that consumer can enjoy.
So that's a good example ofwhere all those components of
the animal-human-environmentinterface is really important.
Sarah Muirhead (09:35):
As I mentioned in the opening, there's some
funding issues that have come upsuddenly and unexpectedly in
terms of cuts.
Any initial thoughts on whatthe implications of those might
be for UMASH as well as for theagricultural community in
general?
Dr. Jeff Bender (09:52):
I'm all fine for trying to create
efficiencies and look at thesethings, and I think oftentimes
when people think of NIOSH theydo think of OSHA.
Oh, you guys got to be theregulators and we're not.
We don't regulate at all.
We're basically trying to workalongside industry and other
folks to kind of deal withissues that they may have as a
result, kind of you know, issuesthat they may have.
(10:14):
As a result, niosh has beendramatically cut.
I mean, 85% of their workforceis gone as a result of that.
The people that actually kind ofoversee what we do.
You know we have to send ourannual reports and saying this
is the progress we're making,this is how we're who we're
engaging, this is what we saidwe would do, and those people
are gone.
So we really don't have anybodythat's holding us accountable
(10:35):
to say are you doing?
Are you doing a good job?
Nor are the people there thatsay, ok, we did this and now
next year we're going to do this, are there to sign off on the
check, to say, ok, go ahead, youcan do the next year.
So, yeah, our funding actuallyis going to end in September.
Is is what we anticipate andwith that, you know, we have
(10:57):
research projects that have beengoing on for a couple of years,
that are just starting to getin their stride, that are not
going to be able to continue.
So that's a very sad thingbecause I think many of these
research projects are, in myopinion and I'm biased are
really amazing and just aredoing some great work, and I
think that they really willsupport the industry and support
producers and workers in thatregard.
The other thing is we won'thave money to do the
(11:18):
community-based project.
So a lot of times we try tocome alongside local communities
and say, hey, how do we supportaging farmers in your community
?
Or how do we actually supportmental health resources for, you
know, women, you know inagriculture?
So those are examples of someof the funded projects that
we've done that unfortunately wewon't be able to to do.
(11:39):
We also try to provide kind ofsome seed funding for
researchers that are trying tocome up with new innovative
ideas.
Or how do we make betterfilters?
How do we make better masks?
One of the big issues, one ofthe things that we were tasked
to do was to look at with allthe discussion about H5N1
influenza, is how do we protectthose workers who are being
(12:00):
exposed and the initialregulations are really
cumbersome.
Can you imagine wearing a bigN95 in a milking parlor?
And it's hot and sweaty, and sois that the best way we can
protect the worker.
So part of the question that wewere going to ask is what's the
best way to protect that workerso they can do the work and not
pass out type of thing.
So those are some of the thingsthat we're going to lose in
(12:24):
this process.
So, again, we anticipate thatthe funding cycle, from all
indications, will end inSeptember for us.
Sarah Muirhead (12:31):
Well, a lot of times those aren't.
The research that you're doingis not something that a
commercial interest is going togo and dive into and do that
work.
This is more a general, overallkind of research that is needed
, but it's not, like I said,something that's going to be
taken for commercial development, so that probably it needs to
(12:53):
be done.
Who's going to do it?
Dr. Jeff Bender (12:55):
You know, sarah , you really bring up a good
point, because one of the thingsthat, especially with smaller
producers you know they don'thave a lot of money to have an
HR department or to actuallythink about, you know, having a
safety manager, I mean like bigcompanies do.
And so, you know, in a sense,with our smaller producers,
we're trying to provide toolsfor them so that they can think
(13:18):
about some of these things.
Okay, hey, this is the springchecklist.
Before I start the tractor up,these are some things I need to
do, or this is a reminder, youknow, during harvest season.
This is, you know, some things.
Oftentimes these health andsafety things are in the back of
the.
You know the mind they're kindof we don't worry about it until
it happens, unfortunately.
(13:38):
So we want to prevent that.
We want to prevent those thingsfrom happening, but for a very
busy person, sometimes we don'tthink about that and then we go
oh my gosh, I forgot.
You know I didn't put the, Ididn't do a lockout tag out on
that.
Boy oh boy.
You know I we never trainedthat worker on how to use that
equipment and you know, sureenough, they got their hand
(14:01):
trapped, and so those are thingsthat often get forgotten and
especially for the smallerproducer, they don't think about
those things.
Nor that kind of research,those kind of outreach
activities is not going to befunded, oftentimes by industry.
Sarah Muirhead (14:16):
So what I know, it's probably too early to say,
but what's next for UMASH?
Is there a future?
You mentioned funding might begoing away in September.
Is there a scaled downASH?
Is there a future?
You mentioned funding might begoing away in September.
Is there a scaled down future?
Is there any future?
Do you have any sense of thatat this point?
Are you still doing thatevaluation?
Dr. Jeff Bender (14:32):
Largely our funding is through NIOSH and so
the real dramatic impact isgoing to be in our research
project.
So you know we fund a number ofresearchers who are doing work,
air quality and mental health,on rural firefighters, on
protecting swine workers inbarns.
Those projects are going tohave to end, unfortunately, and
(14:55):
the funding that we have tosupport any community-based
project or small grants, thoseare going to disappear.
You know the outreachactivities that we do,
unfortunately, you know thoseare going to disappear.
You know the outreachactivities that we do,
unfortunately, you know thoseindividuals that really support
that are going to be probablylet go and so really ideally, I
think you know here in Minnesotawe know that we want to keep
(15:15):
that rural workforce healthy andsafe and so will others be able
to pick that up.
Or, you know, will we look alittle bit differently or it's
going to be really scaled back,to be honest with you.
Sarah Muirhead (15:31):
So then, what's the future of NIOSH?
Dr. Jeff Bender (15:35):
You know that's a good question, sarah.
From the looks of it, at thispoint, all the training centers
have been eliminated, all thelabs have been eliminated.
So, really, niosh reallydoesn't exist anymore.
All the training centers havebeen eliminated, all the labs
have been eliminated.
So, really, niosh reallydoesn't exist anymore.
I know that there's discussionabout it being incorporated as a
new version, but we don'treally have any details At this
point.
It's been virtually eliminated.
Sarah Muirhead (15:57):
So if someone, any of our listeners here, might
have a concern and they want toexpress that somehow, what
would you say is the best way togo about that?
Dr. Jeff Bender (16:07):
One is to talk with their industry folks.
So you know, maybe they'returkey producers or poultry
producers, or maybe they're thedairy producers, or you know
corn and soybean producers, youknow.
One is to talk about well, howis our organization going to
deal with health and safetyissues?
How are we going to do that?
How can we support this kind ofwork and effort?
(16:28):
So I think that that's part ofit.
The other part is actuallyengaging legislators.
One of the things that we do isthat we do try to meet with our
legislators and usually aslistening sessions try to kind
of what are your constituentstelling you?
What are the issues?
Now we've heard from ourlegislative folks many years ago
that, hey, we need to do moremental health work and outreach.
(16:51):
What, jeff, what are you doingin those communities?
And so you know, as a result ofthat, we did engage and try to
do some of that outreach andengagement, engagement.
So I think, again, part of itis to engage those legislators
and say who's going to be doingkind of health and safety,
education, outreach and training?
If we don't have this kind ofmechanism in place?
(17:12):
How can we support that?
Umash has been great becausethey've been helping engage and
actually being responsive to theneeds of our communities.
To the needs of our communities.
Sarah Muirhead (17:23):
Our thanks to Dr Jeff Bender, director of the
Upper Midwest AgriculturalSafety and Health Center.
This episode of Feedstuffs inFocus has been sponsored by
United Animal Health, a leaderin animal health and nutrition.
You can learn more about UnitedAnimal Health and how they're
working to advance animalscience worldwide by visiting
their website at unitedanhcom.
(17:45):
I'm Sarah Muirhead and you'vebeen listening to Feedstuffs In
Focus.
If you would like to hear moreconversations about some of the
big issues affecting thelivestock, poultry, grain and
animal feed industries,subscribe to this podcast on
your favorite podcast channel.
Until next time, have a greatday and thank you for listening.
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