The Bassett Farm Safety and Health Project

The Bassett Farm Safety and Health Project was started in 1980 when Drs. May and Pratt made clinical observations on respiratory illnesses in farmers. The initial work involved the investigation of clinical syndromes associated with dust exposures and, from there, environmental dust studies. The current scope of work of The Farm Safety and Health Project includes three major components: research, education, and patient care. The research activities currently include studies into the analysis of injuries on farms, hearing loss in a randomly selected population, and estimating the annual incidence of Silo Filler's Disease in New York State. Educational activities currently include a statewide hearing conservation project, and the provision of numerous education materials for farmers and farm workers. The clinical activities include the establishment of an occupational medicine clinic in the fall of 1988, designed specifically for evaluation and treatment of agricultural workers with occupation-related illness and injuries.