Gone are the days when tractor rollovers were the major safety issue on the nation's farms and ranches. Today agriculturists and health professionals find themselves grappling with problems ranging from respiratory disease to pesticide exposure to ergonomics. Hoping to find solutions to these problems, approximately 100 agricultural health and safety experts from Arizona, Hawaii, Nevada, California and other western states will meet Sept. 13-15 at UC Davis' Buehler Alumni and Visitors Center. "Farming is the second most dangerous occupation in the United States and job-related hazards in agriculture are unlike any other," says Patrick O'Connor-Marer, associate director of the UC Davis-based UC Agricultural Health and Safety Center. "Occupational risks in agriculture affect not only field laborers, but also farm owners, managers and supervisors. Gone are the days when tractor rollovers were the major safety issue on the nation's farms and ranches. Today agriculturists and health professionals find themselves grappling with problems ranging from respiratory disease to pesticide exposure to ergonomics. Hoping to find solutions to these problems, approximately 100 agricultural health and safety experts from Arizona, Hawaii, Nevada, California and other western states will meet Sept. 13-15 at UC Davis' Buehler Alumni and Visitors Center. "Farming is one of the most dangerous occupations in the United States, and job-related hazards in agriculture are unlike any other," says Patrick O'Connor-Marer, associate director of the UC Davis-based UC Agricultural Health and Safety Center. "It's important to note that rates of injuries and fatalities have not declined by the same amount in agriculture as they have in mining, construction or other hazardous industries," says O'Connor-Mayer Furthermore, occupational risks in agriculture affect not only field laborers, but also farm owners, managers and supervisors. "This creates a ripple effect that reaches the general public in the form of higher food costs and increased use of public disability funds," notes O'Conner-Mayer. The conference will focus on topics including children in agriculture, agro-chemicals, farmworkers, health care, and agricultural injury and safety. It will open Sunday Sept. 13 with a reception at the Heidrick Agricultural History Museum in Woodland. A tour of Yolo County farmland will be offered on Monday, Sept. 14.