Cargill Makes Safety a Priority, Offers Free Safety Vests to Farmers

According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), approximately 100 injuries happen to agricultural workers each day resulting in lost work time, piles of paperwork and unfortunately, sometimes even death.

To help reduce the number of injuries occurring on the farm, Cargill is helping dairy farmers prevent accidents and save lives by giving away free safety vests through their new Be Safe. Be Seen. campaign. From March 1 through April 15 dairies can claim up to 3 safety vests, in various sizes including kids.

"Every year we hear about tragic accidents on dairies that might have been preventable if the person had been more visible. Unfortunately, we heard about one of those accidents at the very start of 2020," says Julie Abrahamson, Cargill North America Commercial Director, Dairy. "At Cargill, getting everyone home safely to their loved ones at the end of the day is our number one priority. We want to help instill that same commitment to safety across our industry by encouraging people to be safe by being seen."

In 2017, 416 farmers and farm workers died from a work-related injury. Those farms and families will never be the same. As dairies across the country begin to prepare for the busy spring season, being highly visible will be critical to safety.

"The National Dairy FARM Program is proud to support Cargill's Be Safe. Be Seen. initiative. FARM's safety focus through the Workforce Development program area aims to provide tangible and meaningful value to dairy farm safety and this partnership is the first of many critical steps to do just that." says Emily Yeiser Stepp, Senior Director, The National Dairy FARM Program.