NATIONWIDE: Enhancing Worker Safety in Agriculture, Food & Fuel Industries: Every STEP Counts

The following information is provided by Nationwide® insurance and financial services company , the #1 farm and ranch writer in the U.S.  

In high-risk industries like agriculture, food processing, and fuel distribution, one misstep
can change a life forever. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the agriculture
sector alone recorded 453 worker deaths in 2021—a fatality rate nearly five times higher
than the average across all industries.¹ While safety standards have improved, even one
preventable injury or death is too many.

Why Worker Safety Matters
A strong safety culture protects your most valuable asset—your people. It also reduces
costly incidents, improves productivity, and supports long-term business success. But how
do you build a culture where safety is second nature?  That’s where Every STEP Counts comes in.

Introducing the STEP Framework
Nationwide’s Every STEP Counts program is a structured, educational framework designed
to help businesses reduce risk and improve safety outcomes. It focuses on four key areas:

S – Selection and Orientation
Hire right, start strong.
This phase helps employers identify candidates with the right skills and experience for the
job. It also emphasizes the importance of a robust orientation process to set expectations,
reinforce safety protocols, and improve retention.

T – Training and Safety Programs
Keep safety top of mind.
Ongoing training is essential to maintaining a safe workplace. This component provides
access to regulatory, general, and industry-specific safety materials to help teams stay
informed and compliant.

E – Events and Losses
Respond with care and clarity.
Even with the best precautions, incidents can happen. This phase supports effective
reporting, offers innovative solutions during a loss, and promotes prompt, compassionate
care for injured workers.

P – Post-Event Understanding and Actions
Learn, recover, and improve.
After an incident, it’s critical to analyze what happened and take steps to prevent
recurrence. This includes formalizing return-to-work programs and conducting root cause
analyses to drive continuous improvement.

Why Every STEP Matters
Understanding when and where risks are most likely to occur is key. Research shows that
40% of worker injury claims happen within the first year on the job.² That’s why careful
selection and onboarding are so important.
Investing in safety also pays off. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, employers can save $4 to $6 for every $1 spent on effective safety programs.³ The STEP program supports this with sample safety plans and access to additional training resources.
In 2022, private industry employers reported 2.8 million nonfatal workplace injuries and
illnesses.⁴ Ensuring employees and supervisors know how to respond to an incident is
critical that’s why the program offers an incident reporting form, toolbox talk on how to
handle an incident, and technical bulletin on reporting near-miss incidents.
And when the unexpected happens, STEP offers resources to support recovery. These
include a return-to-work sample program and root cause analysis templates to help
businesses learn from incidents and improve safety practices.

Take the Next STEP Toward a Safer Workplace
The Every STEP Counts program is more than a checklist—it’s a comprehensive risk
management solution. From hiring and training to incident response and recovery, the
program helps ensure a holistic approach to creating and maintaining a safe workplace.
Members are encouraged to take steps toward a safer, more productive work environment – because every step counts.

Learn more at Nationwide.com/AgribusinessWorkerSafety

Special Member Savings

At Southern States ®, we are proud to be a farmer-owned cooperative. Southern States has partnered with Nationwide ® to offer Southern States Cooperative member-producers in North Carolina and Virginia special discounts on farm insurance. In addition to giving you exclusive insurance savings, we're also joining forces to support the cooperative that means so much to you.

Nationwide^® Agribusiness is the number 1 insurer of farms in the U.S. and a leading insurer of commercial agribusiness. Go to nationwide.com/southernstates to find a local agent.

Nationwide, the Nationwide N and Eagle, and Nationwide is on your side are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. © 2025 Nationwide

References

1. CDC: National Farm Safety and Health Week
2. WCIRB: Employee Tenure and Claim Frequency Study
3. U.S. Department of Energy: Investment in Safety
4. OSHA: Workplace Safety Statistics