NEC has
the following objectives:
- Focus efforts of research, education, and prevention on issues epidemiologically identified as high risk in the northeast
region, including the following:
- mechanical hazards, particularly tractors, powered implements, and
PTO/drivelines
- another mechanical hazard, noise, which has generated an epidemic of hearing loss in the farm
population
- the health problems of noise-induced hearing loss, musculoskeletal and soft-tissue disorders, respiratory disorders—especially
asthma—emotional distress, and skin
cancer
- Address populations known or suspected to be facing increased
risk, including:
- the older farmer (65 years and older), who is clearly emerging as an individual at high risk of serious injury and
death
- migrants, who are suspected of having heightened risk for a variety of injuries, particularly repetitive strain and soft tissue
problems
- children, whose risks have recently been extensively
explored
- women, for whom there is limited injury/illness
data
- Continue to serve the entire northeast region's farm community by reaching out to regional resources
in agricultural health and safety, occupational health, engineering, education, public health, communications, public policy, medicine, and other areas.
- Collaborate actively with NIOSH and other occupational resources, both regionally and nationally. This
collaboration includes continued close relationships with the other
Agricultural Centers, regional Community Partners Surveillance and Intervention (formerly OHNAC) and FACE projects, Educational Resource Centers, and regional institutions with agricultural and occupational expertise.
- Use Center funding to enhance networking and sharing of regional
resources, which includes sharing locally successful programs and common research protocols over several states in the region. It
also involves the use of Center funds to support regional travel that would otherwise be limited to in-state by land-grant universities. It involves further expansion of the well-received "Northeast Compendium of Ag Health and Safety
Resources."
- Collaborate on the training of health professionals, teachers, engineers, and others. This
collaboration includes formal arrangements with Cornell, Penn State, U Mass Lowell, and others. It also involves active outreach programs to the health community, agricultural colleges, and others.
- Evaluate all activities with a systematic, logical method
that is compatible with that used by other Centers. The goals of education and prevention activities should include enhanced understanding and evidence of appropriate behavior change. The overall goals remain reduced rates of agricultural injury and disease.
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