Myers Gets NAMIC Safety Award

"The award was presented for his lifetime or career of service in improving agricultural safety," said Audrey Howell, spokesperson for NAMIC. "This is an area that is important to both agriculture and insurance and risk management."

The award was presented to Mr. Myers, a member of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers, at its annual international meeting on July 31 in Chicago.

ASAE, the society for engineering in agriculture, food and biological systems, gives the annual award to encourage and recognize outstanding contributions to the advancement of agricultural safety engineering in research, design, education or promotion, according to NAMIC.

NAMIC said it sponsors the award as part of a continuing effort to support safety improvement initiatives. To be eligible, a nominee must be an ASAE member and must have made significant contributions that have served to advance agricultural safety.

Mr. Myers, who is retired and lives in Avondale Estate, Ga., served as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Public Health Service for 30 years before transferring to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to serve as director of program planning and evaluation in 1979.

He transferred with NIOSH in Atlanta in 1981, where he served as international activities coordinator, executive secretary to the Mine Safety and Health Research Advisory Committee, a member of the OSHA Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health, and the first director of the NIOSH field office in Alaska.

He coordinated new research programs in agriculture and in construction safety and health, according to NIOSH.

Mr. Myers also was project officer in charge of the 1991 Surgeon General's Conference on Agricultural Safety and Health for which he received the Surgeon General's Exemplary Service Medal. He retired in 1998.

In 1999, Mr. Myers facilitated the development of a strategy for the mine safety and health research program at NIOSH, according to the organization.

Mr. Myers continues to work with a national coalition on the implementation of a strategic plan for farm tractor risk abatement, the organization said.