The North Dakota Safety Council (NDSC) announced today that it has teamed up with Farmers Union Insurance to improve the safety of those employed in North Dakota’s agricultural industry by providing safety training and services focused on the most prevalent causes of injuries.

Services include consultations in emergency operations planning, DOT compliance, and handling of hazardous chemicals. More than 24 safety courses are being offered through the partnership with more to come.

Chuck Clairmont, NDSC executive director, said nearly a quarter of the state’s population is employed in the agriculture sector. In 2016, 417 American farmers or farm workers died from work-related incidents and nearly 100 suffered a lost-work-time injury each day.

“These workers are the bloodline of North Dakota, and they deserve to have a safe work environment just the same as a coal miner, construction foreman, or assembly line worker,” said Clairmont. “Partnering with Farmers Union Insurance is a key step to reaching these workers with effective, memorable training that will help get them home safe, every night.”

Dawn Chisholm, who lost her husband Bill in a grain bin entrapment accident in 2002 while he was employed at Chaffee-Lynchburg Farmers Elevator in Durbin, N.D., said safety isn’t always at the forefront of our daily thoughts. “We get complacent and feel we are immune to accidents.Statements like ‘We have made it this far’ or ‘It won’t happen to me’ create in us a false security which leads to careless decisions,” she said. “I passionately believe our workforce, our farmers, our family, and our friends need to be trained in safety, making it a priority.”

With 114 agents, Farmers Union Insurance serves policyholders in communities of all sizes across North Dakota. Through the partnership, Farmers Union Insurance policyholders will receive safety services from NDSC at a discounted rate. Learn more atwww.ndsc.org/farmersunion.