A case for medical, environmental, and safety screening

Agriculture is one of the most hazardous occupations in the United States, yet there has been no improvement noted over the past 30 years. While occupational health and safety improvements have been noted in other industrial sections, agriculture continues to pose many unusual health threats to the farmer. Screening programs are fraught with many problems in view of the widely dispersed nature of agriculture. Pulmonary function studies, dust levels, serological testing, hearing testing and noise level production, and cholinesterase levels are but a few of the tools that are available, and are helpful in looking for problems in this most vital industry in the United States.