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A surgeon who reattaches hands was the main speaker at a Farm Bureau workers' compensation meeting sponsored by Delaware and Franklin counties.

Dr. Paul Cook of Riverside Hospital in Columbus did a presentation on safety Feb. 22 at Grady Memorial Hospital in Delaware. He told the 32 people in attendance that accidents often happen because people aren't careful enough. The doctor helped get the point across by showing graphic pictures of injuries.

"He made several good points about safety and was very personable," said Tim Street, organization director for the two counties. "One guy had his hand taken off in a press because he thought he knew what he was doing but didn't."

Safety chair Mary Fleming, an agricultural health nurse in Ohio, put the program together at the suggestion of a Farm Bureau member who had lost part of a hand, Street said.

The session, which ran from 7 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., also featured a presentation on skin cancer and about how farmers are more likely to get skin cancer than other people. The hospital provided prevention screenings such as cholesterol and blood pressure for Farm Bureau members.

"We had many comments from people who said this was the best workers' comp meeting they had attended," Street said. "It was very interesting because it wasn't just about employee-boss relations. It made the morning go pretty fast."

Caption: Dr. Paul Cook (left) talks with Franklin County Farm Bureau member Gary Dever.