STEELE, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – One of North Dakota’s biggest occupations is also one of its most dangerous.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, farming and ranching are the eighth most dangerous occupation in the country.

To highlight farm & ranch safety awareness, National Farm Safety and Health Week will run through September 26th.

Kidder County Extension Agent Penny Nester says starting that conversation is the first step to raising safety awareness.

Nester added that there is a variety of different dangers farmers and ranchers can see year round, including some that aren’t necessarily visible.

The biggest takeaway from the week is that a dangerous incident can happen at a moments notice.

NDSU Extension’s farm and ranch safety team’s fall feature is harvest equipment safety. NDSU Extension agents are working with local agricultural equipment dealers, county highway departments, and local farmers and ranchers on how to communicate with employees using hand signals on the job.

NDSU Extension has developed stickers that include the 11 hand signals created by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers. These stickers are to be placed in tractor cabs, combine cabs and even self-propelled sprayers or trucks.

“The stickers are designed to help equipment operators communicate in a ‘language’ that both parties will understand to ultimately reduce the risk of a farm accident,” says Angie Johnson, NDSU Extension’s agriculture and natural resources agent in Steele County and a member of the farm and ranch safety team.

Contact your local NDSU Extension agent to receive safety materials for your farm or ranch. Visit ag.dnsu.edu/extension for more information.