[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 182 (Thursday, September 19, 2002)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 58957-58958]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-23998]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 67, No. 182 / Thursday, September 19, 2002 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 58957]]


                Proclamation 7592 of September 13, 2002

                
National Farm Safety and Health Week, 2002

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                American farm and ranch families embody our Nation's 
                values of hard work, love of the land, and love of 
                country. Farming not only feeds our country but 
                increasingly provides more of our Nation's energy 
                needs. The success of America's farmers and ranchers is 
                essential to our economy, and helping to ensure their 
                safety is an important goal for our country.

                Because their homes also serve as their workplace, our 
                country's farm families are often exposed to unique 
                hazards. These include powerful machinery, dangerous 
                chemicals, unruly livestock, and buildings containing 
                high dust and gas levels. To ensure safety, young 
                family members helping with farm work must be trained 
                to recognize these dangers; and we must also safeguard 
                older farm workers whose health risks may increase due 
                to aging and previous injuries.

                Professionals in the engineering safety and rural 
                health fields have made significant progress in 
                preventing accidents in agricultural settings. To 
                protect machinery operators, industry has made great 
                strides to incorporate safeguards to prevent rollovers, 
                entanglements, and other accidents. Personal protective 
                gear, new and safer packaging, and advances in 
                respiratory protection and hearing conservation help 
                protect agricultural workers from contact with 
                hazardous products, excessive dust, gas, and unduly 
                loud noise in the work environment.

                To ensure our farmers' continued health, we must 
                increase public awareness of available safety 
                precautions. Simple, economical tools and procedures 
                can help prevent accidents on farms. With proper 
                installation and care, lighting and marking devices 
                reduce the risk of highway collisions between farm 
                equipment and vehicles. By clearly labeling farm 
                chemicals and storing them in locked containers, we can 
                help avoid poisonings and injuries.

                America's farmers make invaluable contributions to our 
                country, and my Administration is committed to 
                preserving the farm way of life for future generations. 
                In May, I was pleased to sign the Farm Security and 
                Rural Investment Act of 2002. This generous new law 
                will strengthen American agriculture and support our 
                farmers through difficult times, without encouraging 
                overproduction and depressing prices. I also intend to 
                aggressively use my trade promotion authority to open 
                markets to American farmers. By promoting farm safety, 
                we strengthen our farm economy and help our Nation's 
                farmers continue to be the best, most productive 
                farmers in the world.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the 
                United States of America, by virtue of the authority 
                vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United 
                States, do hereby proclaim the week of September 15 
                through September 21, 2002, as National Farm Safety and 
                Health Week. I call upon the agencies, organizations, 
                and businesses that serve America's agricultural 
                workers to strengthen their commitment to promoting 
                farm safety and health programs. I also encourage 
                American citizens to recognize the

[[Page 58958]]

                importance of our agricultural heritage and the 
                valuable contributions America's farmers, ranchers, and 
                farm workers make to our Nation's economy and vitality.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                thirteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord 
                two thousand two, and of the Independence of the United 
                States of America the two hundred and twenty-seventh.

                    (Presidential Sig.)B

[FR Doc. 02-23998
Filed 9-18-02; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3195-01-P