MRASH conference meets Nov. 14-15 in Pella

"Best Practices for New Horizons" is the theme for the Midwest Rural Agricultural Safety and Health (MRASH) conference scheduled for Nov. 14-15 in Pella, Iowa. Topics include creating a culture of safety, immigrant farmworker health issues, responding to farm emergencies, a student career luncheon, poster sessions, and more! Published September 19, 2017

Farmer recounts ATV rollover ordeal

In June 2106, Kenny Patterson, a farmer from Cherokee, Iowa, was spraying thistles in a lower pasture when his four-wheeler overturned and rolled onto him, breaking his right femur near the hip. "I was instantly (mad at myself). ... Stupid, stupid," he said about driving on a sloped grade with uneven terrain. "I thought, 'This four-wheeler is gonna catch on fire and burn up; I don't want to get toasted too.'" For the next five hours, he inched his way up the hill using his arms and elbows. (Iowa Farmer Today) Published September 14, 2017

DNR scoring system fails to protect Iowans’ air, water, health

The "Master Matrix" is the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) scoring system designed to bring county government into the process of locating large concentrated animal feeding operations. CPH Professors Emeriti David Osterberg and James Merchant recently wrote about why the entire process of approving animal confinement facilities needs to be changed. (Des Moines Register) Published September 8, 2017

Video: CPH students start academic year with service projects

At its core, public health is about working together to create a healthier world. Each fall semester, our students have the opportunity get out of the classroom and put that ethos to work by volunteering with community organizations for a day of service. Published September 5, 2017

UI-sponsored safe drinking water symposium set for Sept. 21-22

Assessing risks and developing strategies to ensure the safety of Iowa's drinking water will be the focus when leading state and national water quality experts gather at a University of Iowa-sponsored event in Des Moines Sept. 21-22. The symposium, "Challenges to Providing Safe Drinking Water in the Midwest," will be held at Drake University. Registration is available online. Published August 18, 2017

Peek-Asa discusses lack of data on gun violence

CPH Professor Corinne Peek-Asa recently spoke about a study she published that looks into who pays for gun violence. "[F]irearms injuries tracking is based on a code that allows different types of weapons to be identified. Most of them were coded as 'we don’t know' what type of firearm was used. So, it's problematic that we aren't collecting this information. It really limits what we are able to learn from the data set." (Iowa Public Radio) Published August 16, 2017

Janssen offers farm safety reminders

Brandi Janssen, director of Iowa's Center for Agricultural Safety and Health, recently talked about farm safety in light of a recent grain bin death in Waterloo. (Iowa Public Radio) Published August 16, 2017

Long hours on farm equipment can cause muscle fatigue

Time spent operating farm machinery can cause muscle fatigue and increase your risk of other injuries, even though it doesn’t seem like you’re exerting yourself. Operating nearly any farm vehicle causes the driver to experience Whole Body Vibration (WBV), which occurs when the shaking motion of the vehicle is transferred to the body of the operator. Back pain is one common ailment linked to WBV. (Iowa Farmer Today) Published August 11, 2017

In Memoriam: Professor Emeritus Craig Zwerling

Craig Zwerling, professor emeritus in occupational and environmental health, died August 9, 2017, after a long illness. Funeral services will be held Sunday, August 13, 2017, at 2:00 p.m. at Agudas Achim Congregation, 401 East Oakdale Blvd. in Coralville.  Published August 10, 2017

IPRC receives $1.6 million in CDC grant funding

The University of Iowa Injury Prevention Center (UI IPRC) has received a two-year award of more than $1.6 million in grant money from the CDC to bolster its work. The UI IPRC conducts interdisciplinary injury research, provides training to future injury professionals, and translates its work into practice with the help of local, state, and national partners.  Published August 8, 2017