Farm injuries and fatalities in British Columbia, 1990-2000

BACKGROUND: Farming is considered to be one of the most dangerous occupations in Canada and internationally, as it often involves work in a high-risk environment due to exposure to such hazards as machinery, large animals and noxious chemicals. The objective of this study was to describe the incidence and nature of farm-related deaths and injuries on British Columbian farms from 1990-2000, with reference to Canadian averages. METHODS: British Columbian farm fatalities and farm injury hospitalizations data from Canadian Agricultural Injury Surveillance Program for 1990-2000 were analyzed in conjunction with the 1996 and 2001 Canada Census of Agriculture. The incidence and nature of farm injuries were quantified and described for age, gender, cause of injury, primary diagnosis and agent of injury. RESULTS: There were 82 fatal injuries from 1990-2000 and 1,407 hospitalizations from 1991/92 to 1999/2000. No significant overall incidence trends were found during the study period. The rate of machinery-related injuries requiring hospitalization is lower in BC than in Canada as a whole. The net effect of higher than expected hospitalization rates in younger BC adults (age 20-49) and lower than expected hospitalization rates in older BC adults (age 70+) was a much slower increase in hospitalization rates as farmers get older. CONCLUSION: The current data suggest that higher than expected non-machinery-related injuries result in higher hospitalization rates of young adult BC farmers. The potential impact of farm fatalities and injury in youth on loss of productivity and quality of life years emphasizes the need for education and prevention.     

Fatal and non-fatal machine-related injuries suffered by children in Alberta, Canada, 1990-1997

BACKGROUND: Children raised on farms are exposed to many hazardous types of machinery. The objective of this study was to describe the magnitude of non-fatal and fatal farm machinery injuries in Alberta children and adolescents (0-17 years) for the years 1990-1997. To date, there have been no published studies of pediatric farm injuries in Western Canada. METHODS: Data were collected through the Canadian Agricultural Injury Surveillance Program (CAISP). Death certificates and hospital charts were audited to provide enhanced information about the circumstances of injuries related to farm machinery for farm persons aged 17 years and younger. RESULTS: A total of 302 farm machinery injuries were recorded for the years 1990-1997. Of these, 14 resulted in death. All-terrain vehicles (ATVs) were the most common cause of injury (n = 76), followed by tractors (n = 72), and power take-offs (n = 15). The predominant injury mechanism was entanglement (n = 69), followed by falls from machines (n = 57), and being pinned/struck by a machine (n = 49). The median length of hospital stay for injuries was 2.0 days. Males (median = 2.0 days) had significantly longer hospital stays than females (median = 1.0 days). There were significantly more injuries reported during the summer and autumn than during the winter and spring. Those injured in the autumn were significantly older (median = 13.0 years) than children injured in the spring (median = 9.0 years). Injury rates dropped significantly during the study period from 119.9/100,000 per year in 1990 to 50.7/100,000 in 1997. CONCLUSIONS: While injury rates have dropped, the number of injuries occurring to children on Alberta farms is of concern. The large number of ATV related injuries suggests that preventative strategies need to be focused in this area. Am. J. Ind. Med. 45:177-185, 2004.     

Farm injury hospitalisations in New South Wales (2010 to 2014)

Objective: To examine gender differences in the characteristics, treatment costs and health outcomes of farm injuries resulting in hospitalisation of New South Wales (NSW) residents. Method: A population‐based study of individuals injured on a farm and admitted to hospital using linked hospital admission and mortality records from 1 January 2010 to 30 June 2014 in NSW. Health outcomes, including injury severity, hospital length of stay (LOS), 28‐day readmission and 30‐day mortality were examined by gender. Results: A total of 6,270 hospitalisations were identified, with males having a higher proportion of work‐related injuries and injuries involving motorbikes compared to females. Females had a higher proportion of equestrian‐related injuries. There were no differences in injury severity, with around 20% serious injuries, in mean LOS or 28‐day hospital re‐admission. Treatment costs totalled $42.7 million, with males accounting for just under 80% of the total. Conclusions: There are some gender differences in the characteristics of farm injury‐related hospitalisations. Farm injury imposes modest, but nonetheless relatively considerable, financial costs on hospital services in NSW. Implications for public health: Continued efforts to ameliorate these injuries in a farm environment, which are mainly preventable, will have personal and societal benefits.     

Economic Burden of Agricultural Machinery Injuries in Ontario, 1985 to 1996

CONTEXT: Agricultural injuries are an important and understudied category of occupational injuries. PURPOSE: This study estimated the economic burden of agricultural machinery injuries that occurred in Ontario, Canada's largest province, between 1985 and 1996. METHODS: Conventional methodology for estimating economic burden, as embodied in a computer program previously developed for this purpose, was applied to hospitalized, nonhospitalized, and fatal agricultural machinery injuries. FINDINGS: The total economic burden of these injuries over the 12-year study period was estimated to be 228.1 million dollars, or 19.0 million dollars annually (1995 Canadian dollars, 3.0% discount rate). By extrapolation, the economic burden of all farm injuries in Canada is estimated to be between 200 and 300 million dollars annually. CONCLUSIONS: Costing information about agricultural injuries provides support for the prioritization and development of injury-control initiatives.     

Fatal agricultural injuries in North Carolina by race and occupation, 1977–1991

Medical examiner reports and death certificates were reviewed for all fatal agricultural injuries (n = 228) that occurred on-the-job in North Carolina between 1977 and 1991. Data were collected on the decedents' age, gender, race, date and time of injury, means of injury, and occupation. Annual workforce estimates were derived from the 1980 and 1990 US Census of the Population. Overall, 54% of the fatal injuries were due to tractors. Farmers who suffered fatal injuries tended to be older (median age = 56 years) and Caucasian (87%), while farm workers who died on the job were younger (median age = 35 years) and more often African-American (60%). The crude mortality rate for farmers was 38 per 100,000 worker-years; the crude rate for farm laborers was 16 per 100,000 worker-years. Age-adjusted fatal injury rates were 2.5 times higher among African-American farmers than among Caucasian farmers; furthermore, between 1977 and 1991 the rate of fatal injury among African-American farmers increased an estimated 14.7% per year. African-American farmers in North Carolina have experienced rising rates of fatal injuries at a time when employment in the industry is declining due to consolidation of farm ownership and foreclosures of African-American owned farms. In order to address the growing racial disparity in farm fatalities, efforts need to be made to improve the conditions under which African-American farmers are working. Am. J. Ind. Med. 31:452–458, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Occupational and Nonoccupational Farm Fatalities Among Youth for 2000 Through 2012 in Pennsylvania

ABSTRACT

Agriculture is one of the most hazardous industries in the United States. It is crucial to analyze the previously collected farm fatality data in Pennsylvania involving youth to identify fatality sources and to delineate prevention strategies to mitigate future occurrences. The Penn State Farm and Agricultural Injury Database was updated to include the Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (OIICS) for source and event or exposure. Occupational and nonoccupational incidents were compared based on age groups, religious sect, source of injury, and the injury event or exposure. A total of 82 fatalities to youth under 20 years were identified. Youth under 5 years old had the highest fatality rate of 87.1 fatalities per 100,000 farm household youth per year. The percentages of occupational and nonoccupational fatalities were 30.5% and 62.2%, respectively. Three primary sources accounted for 76% of the 82 farm fatalities: vehicles, machinery, and structures and surfaces. The majority of fatally injured youth (78%) were Anabaptist. The Anabaptist youth were 7 times more likely to be involved in occupational incidents than the non-Anabaptist youth. Youth <10 years of age who were not alone at the time of the fatal incident accounted for about half of the deaths, indicating the peril of adults attempting to supervise youth in the workplace. This fatal injury analysis to youth has identified common fatality injury patterns and risk factors to youth. The data can be used to identify intervention strategies for youth and underserved populations (Anabaptists) and can be used to help motivate adults and parents to adopt safety practices to prevent future injury occurrences. This paper also helps to illustrate the value of state-based monitoring of farm injury to youth using methods available to many states and territories.     

Agriculture-related Residual Injuries: Prevalence, Type, and Associated Factors Among Alabama Farm Operators—1990

Abstract: A population-based, cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the lifetime agricultural injuries causing traumatic disabilities (referred to as residual injuries) in a simple random sample of 1,000 farm operators in Alabama in 1990. Data were collected by mail questionnaire followed by telephone interviews. The goal of this study was to assess the prevalence, characteristics, and potential related factors of the defined injuries. The overall response rate was 86.2 percent. The prevalence of the residual injuries was 9.3 percent (95%, CI=7.2–11.4) in 1990. Agricultural injuries frequently resulted in traumatic disabilities, including amputation (23.9%), fracture (19.4%), and sprain/strain (11.9%). Fingers were the body part most frequently disabled due to injuries (28.4%) followed by the back (9.0%), and legs (7.5%). The leading external causes were machinery (44.8%), animals (19.4%), and falls (10.5%). Twenty-eight percent of the injured attributed "carelessness" as the main cause of their injuries. Other main causes included hurry (9.0%), long work hours (9.0%), disturbed animals (6.0%), and equipment design problems (6.0%), according to the injured. The most frequent consequences were amputation (19.4%) followed by functional impairment of limbs and persistent pain. Residual injuries happened most often in animal facilities. Farm operators engaged in forestry, poultry, and dairy had higher prevalence rates. Other factors associated with higher prevalence of residual injuries included larger farm size, higher farm annual production, and more time spent on farming. Those with residual injuries were at much higher risk of being injured again (POR=3.4, P<0.01). The results provide some indications for developing injury control and health planning programs in rural areas and for future research.     

Farm-related fatalities involving children in Australia, 1989-92

OBJECTIVE: To describe the types of and circumstances surrounding unintentional farm-related fatal injuries involving children aged less than 15 years in Australia. METHODS: Information concerning 115 deaths were obtained from inspection of coronial files for the period 1989-92. RESULTS: Children less than 15 years made up 20% of all unintentional farm-related fatalities in Australia, with children less than 5 years representing 63% of all child fatalities. The majority of children were fatally injured while bystanders to farm work and equipment used on the farm (including dams), with drowning the most common mechanism of the fatal incident for children aged both 5 years or less and 5-9 years. Vehicle accidents were common for children aged 10-14 years. CONCLUSIONS: Children are exposed to various hazards in the farming environment and as such are at risk of being injured. IMPLICATIONS: This study has highlighted a number of particular hazards for children on farms, with drowning, transport and tractor-related injuries of particular concern. A national strategy for child safety on farms has been developed by Farmsafe Australia aimed at providing a nationally co-ordinated plan for improving child safety on farms.     

Pesticide use and fatal injury among farmers in the Agricultural Health Study

Purpose

To assess whether pesticide use practices were associated with injury mortality among 51,035 male farmers from NC and IA enrolled in the Agricultural Health Study.

Methods

We used Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for age and state to estimate fatal injury risk associated with self-reported use of 49 specific pesticides, personal protective equipment, specific types of farm machinery, and other farm factors collected 1–15 years preceding death. Cause-specific mortality was obtained through linkage to mortality registries.

Results

We observed 338 injury fatalities over 727,543 person-years of follow-up (1993–2008). Fatal injuries increased with days/year of pesticide application, with the highest risk among those with 60+ days of pesticide application annually [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.87; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.10, 3.18]. Chemical-resistant glove use was associated with decreased risk (HR = 0.73; 95% CI = 0.58, 0.93), but adjusting for glove use did not substantially change estimates for individual pesticides or pesticide use overall. Herbicides were associated with fatal injury, even after adjusting for operating farm equipment, which was independently associated with fatal injury. Ever use of five of 18 herbicides (2,4,5-T, paraquat, alachlor, metribuzin, and butylate) were associated with elevated risk. In addition, 2,4-D and cyanazine were associated with fatal injury in exposure–response analyses. There was no evidence of confounding of these results by other herbicides.

Conclusion

The association between application of pesticides, particularly certain herbicides, and fatal injuries among farmers should be interpreted cautiously but deserves further evaluation, with particular focus on understanding timing of pesticide use and fatal injury.     

Injuries due to falls from horses

Abstract: This study describes the epidemiology of injuries due to falls from horses in New Zealand. There were 54 fatalities from 1977 to 1986 (0.17 per 100 000 persons per year). There were 773 hospitalisations in 1987 (23.7 per 100 000 persons per year). Head injuries were predominant among both fatal and nonfatal injuries. The incidence of nonfatal head injury in the 10 to 19 age group was significantly higher than the incidence in all older groups (P = 0.003). Young people, particularly females, were the segment of the population most affected by the problem of falls from horses. Reference to data on horse-riding participation rates, however, did not indicate that young people were overrepresented in the series studied. Reference to the same data showed that the rate of hospitalisation due to falls from horses is comparable to the rate for injuries from playing rugby. The magnitude and severity of the problem indicates that there is a need need for helmet use, safe-riding practices, and further research.     

Gender differences in role of alcohol in fatal injury events

BACKGROUND: The aim was to investigate the differences in alcohol involvement in fatal injury events between females and males. METHODS: Information was obtained from the Forensic Medicine Database and the Forensic Toxicology Database of the National Board of Forensic Medicine, and from the inpatient register of the National Board of Health and Welfare. Alcohol was regarded to be involved in the injury event: if there was any indication that the deceased was a 'known alcoholic'; if the underlying or contributing causes of death were alcohol-related; if the deceased had alcohol-related inpatient diagnosis during a 3-year period prior to death; or if the deceased tested positive for blood alcohol at autopsy. All injured cases who underwent medico-legal autopsies (1992-1996) in Sweden were analysed (4471 females and 11 156 males). RESULTS: Compared to males, females died more often (P < 0.05) in intentional injury events (48.0% females, 44.2% males), were less often (P < 0.001) blood alcohol-positive (29% females, 43% males), had lower (P < 0.05) blood alcohol concentrations (0.17% in females, 0.18% in males), and were less likely (P < 0.001) to have an alcohol-related history (18.4% females, 24.4% males). For females, intentional deaths (31.4%) were significantly (P < 0.001) more often alcohol-related than unintentional deaths (22.9%). A significantly (P < 0.001) higher proportion of deaths in males (48.4%) were alcohol-related compared to females (32.9%). CONCLUSIONS: Almost every third injury event in females and in almost every other event in males is alcohol-related, showing that alcohol plays an important part in fatal injuries in females even though it is mostly a male problem.     

Towards a harmonised approach to reducing quad‐related fatal injuries in Australia and New Zealand: a cross‐sectional comparative analysis

Objective: This study compares the patterns of quad‐related fatal injuries between Australia and New Zealand (NZ). Method: Fatal injuries from July 2007 to June 2012 involving a quad (quad bike or all‐terrain vehicle) were identified from coronial files. Data described the socio‐demographic, injury, vehicle and environment factors associated with incidents. Injury patterns were compared between countries. Results: A total of 101 quad‐related fatalities were identified: 69 in Australia and 32 in NZ (7.3 and 8.0 annual fatalities per 100,000 vehicles). Of these, 95 closed cases were examined in detail and factors in common included fatalities occurring mainly in males, on farms, involving a rollover and resulting in crush injuries to the head and thorax. Helmet use and alcohol/drug involvement were infrequent. Differences were observed with regard to age, season of fatal incident and the presence of a slope. Conclusions: Fatality patterns are broadly similar. The few differences could be attributed to differing agricultural commodity mix, demographics and topography. Implications: This study's findings support harmonised cross‐country injury prevention efforts primarily focused on safe design and engineering principles to reduce this injury burden.     

Fatal occupational injury rates in southern and non-southern States, by race and Hispanic ethnicity

OBJECTIVES: We investigated fatal occupational injury rates in the United States by race and Hispanic ethnicity during the period 1990-1996. METHODS: Fatalities were identified by means of the national traumatic occupational fatalities surveillance system. Fatal occupational injury rates were calculated by race/ethnicity and region using US-census-based workforce estimates. RESULTS: Non-Hispanic Black men in the South had the highest fatal occupational injury rate (8.5 per 100000 worker-years), followed by Hispanic men in the South (7.9 per 100000 worker-years). Fatal injury rates for Hispanic men increased over the study period, exceeding rates for non-Hispanic Black men in the latter years of observation. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest a change in the demographics of fatal occupational injuries in the United States. Hispanic men in the South appear to be emerging as the group with the nation's highest unintentional fatal occupational injury rate.     

某钢铁企业1958～2001年工伤死亡事故原因分析

[目的]了解钢铁企业工伤死亡事故发生的规律,探讨事故发生原因,为企业安全管理提供依据。[方法]本文对某钢铁企业1958~2001年发生的352起工伤死亡事故进行分析,主要涉及工亡事故类型、死者人口学特征、事故发生时间分布特点及原因。[结果]车辆伤害、高处坠落、机械伤害和起重伤害是主要的事故类型,分别占24.72%、11.65%、11.08%和10.23%;最常见的多人死亡事故是爆炸与火灾、坍塌。1958~1961年度工亡事故发生起数最多,占31.53%;5月、7月、8月和12月是事故高发月;事故易于在白班期间发生,且有向11:48集中的趋势(P<0.05)。违反劳动纪律、操作违规/失误是导致事故的首要因素,占63.64%。[结论]工亡事故是由多种因素综合导致,应该针对事故危险因素采取安全防护措施。     

Farm-related injury presenting to an Australian base hospital

Objective: Data concerning farm‐related injuries were collected from the Emergency Department at Tamworth Base Hospital over a 12‐month period from 1 September 1997. Aim of study: The aim of the study was to collect information at a local level to establish baselines with a view to developing prevention strategies. All people who presented with a farm injury or illness to the emergency department participated in the study. Results: During this period there were 384 injuries, of which nearly three‐quarters were males (72.2%). Four injuries were fatal. The average rate of injury per 100 farms per annum in the service area of the Hospital was 30 per 100 farms (range 9–80 per 100 farms, per annum). Half (54.1%) of the people injured were employed at the time of the injury. Horses (21.1%) and motorcycles (15.8%) were the two most common injury agents. Conclusion: The information gained can be used to direct injury prevention at a local level and may be also used at the national level as a guide when grouped with other similar studies of different commodity groups.     

Costs of occupational injuries in agriculture

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to estimate the costs of job-related injuries in agriculture in the United States for 1992. METHODS: The authors reviewed data from national surveys to assess the incidence of fatal and non-fatal farm injuries. Numerical adjustments were made for weaknesses in the most reliable data sets. For example, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Annual Survey estimate of non-fatal injuries is adjusted upward by a factor of 4.7 to reflect the BLS undercount of farm injuries. To assess costs, the authors used the human capital method that allocates costs to direct categories such as medical expenses, as well as indirect categories such as lost earnings, lost home production, and lost fringe benefits. Cost data were drawn from the Health Care Financing Administration and the National Council on Compensation Insurance. RESULTS: Eight hundred forty-one (841) deaths and 512,539 non-fatal injuries are estimated for 1992. The non-fatal injuries include 281,896 that led to at least one full day of work loss. Agricultural occupational injuries cost an estimated $4.57 billion (range $3.14 billion to $13.99 billion) in 1992. On a per person basis, farming contributes roughly 30% more than the national average to occupational injury costs. Direct costs are estimated to be $1.66 billion and indirect costs, $2.93 billion. CONCLUSIONS: The costs of farm injuries are on a par with the costs of hepatitis C. This high cost is in sharp contrast to the limited public attention and economic resources devoted to prevention and amelioration of farm injuries. Agricultural occupational injuries are an underappreciated contributor to the overall national burden of health and medical costs.     

Scope and magnitude of injuries in the agricultural workplace

Agricultural work injury data are less available than data for other industries, so an overview of existing data is provided. Agriculture has the highest annual work death rate of all industries, 52 per 100,000 workers, which is five times the combined rate for all industries. Tractor-related injuries are the leading types of fatal injuries; injuries involving agricultural machinery, animals, and trucks are the leading types of non-fatal injuries. Victims of fatal accidents range in age from less than 1 year to over 90. Research needs are discussed, including the need for comprehensive surveillance.