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1995-01-22
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INFORMATION DATE 19920805
DESCRIPTION USDOL Program Highlights on Farm Safety
TOPIC Farm Safety
SUBJECT Farm Safety
ABSTRACT OSHA is raising the level of awareness concerning the
need for improved farm safety. The U.S. Department of
Agriculture's Extension Service helps in funding state
efforts. The Department of Health and Human Services
through its National Institute for Occupational Safety
and Health (NIOSH) is conducting research to determine
how best to prevent farm accidents and illnesses.
U.S. Department of Labor
Program Highlight
_________________________________________________________________________
Fact Sheet No. OSHA 91-39
FARM SAFETY
There are approximately 3.1 million men and women who work on America's
2.3 million farms and ranches. According to Accident Facts published in
1990 by the National Safety Council, farm accidents and other
work-related health problems claim as many as 1300 lives and cause
120,000 injuries a year, most of which are preventable.
Farmers must handle a variety of agricultural chemicals and other toxic
and/or irritating substances. Many materials are hazardous and can be
fatal if not used and stored properly, especially with inquisitive
youngsters around. Farmers are also exposed to dust, sun, noise, and
other farming health hazards.
According to a report published by the National Safety Council in its
"Accident Facts" 1989 edition, machinery overturns have the highest
fatality rate. This fact was contained in a 1988 report for 10 states.
These ten states contained one third of the tractors located in the
United States.
General Statistics of Farm Accidents
According to "Accident Facts " these are the statistics for farms:
o Tractor accidents on farms cause the highest number of fatalities with
tractor overturns accounting for 44 percent of all tractor fatalities.
o Fruit farms have the highest work injury rate among various specified
agricultural operations (233 injuries per million hours of exposure). The
1989 rate for all farms is 20.0 compared with 4.2 for all industry.
o Males have a higher injury rate than females and hired workers have
higher injury rates than family members.
Contributing Factors in
Farming Accidents
Emergency Preparedness- Hospital and emergency medical care are not
usually available within a reasonable distance; the farmer and his family
do not have the ability or time to deal with an emergency until
professional help arrives.
Age of workers- Farm surveys indicate that the injury rate is highest
among children age 15 and under and adults more than 65 year of age.
Protective Equipment- It has been estimated that the use of protective
equipment, such as seat belts on tractors, could prevent up to 40% of all
farm work injuries.
Equipment and Machinery- The majority of farm accidents and fatalities
involve the use of machinery. Proper machine guarding and equipment
maintenance in accordance with the manufacturers recommendation(s) helps
in avoiding accidents.
Special Care for Children- Farm accidents claim as many as 300 children's
lives per year.
Recommendations for
Accident Prevention
The following steps are recommended:
o Make accident prevention a management as well as a personal goal.
Develop an awareness of hazards on the farm and make a conscious effort
to prepare for emergency situations including fires, vehicle accidents,
electrical shocks from equipment and wires, and adverse health effects
from chemical exposures.
o Reduce your risk of injury and illness with preventive measures.
Read and follow instructions in equipment operator's manuals. Follow
instructions on product labels for safe use, handling, and storage.
o Conduct routine inspections of your equipment to determine problems
and potential failures that may contribute to or cause an accident.
o Conduct meetings with employees and family members to assess safety
hazards, discuss potential accident situations, and outline emergency
procedures.
o Be especially alert to hazards that may affect children and the
elderly.
o Minimize hazards by careful selection of products you buy, by
providing good maintenance of tools, buildings, and equipment, and
establishing good housekeeping procedures.
o Provide rollover protective structures, protective enclosures, or
protective frames as appropriate for farm tractors.
o Use seat belts while the tractor is in operation.
o Make sure guards for farm equipment are put back on after maintenance
to protect workers from moving machinery parts.
o Review material safety data sheets (MSDSs) and labels that come with
chemical products.
Communicate information concerning hazards to all workers. Prevent
pesticide poisonings and dermatitis caused by chemicals by ensuring that
protective measures recommended in the MSDSs or labels are taken.
o Take the necessary precautions to prevent entrapment and suffocation
caused by unstable surfaces of grain storage bins, silos or hoppers.
o Be aware that methane gas, carbon dioxide, ammonia and hydrogen
sulfide can be present in unventilated grain silos and manure pits in
quantities sufficient to cause asphyxiation or explosion.
Benefits
The benefits of accident prevention include reduced work injury and
illness costs such as worker compensation insurance premiums, lost
production and medical costs. A safer more healthful workplace also
improves worker production and morale and prevents human suffering.
Summary
OSHA is raising the level of awareness concerning the need for improved
farm safety. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Extension Service helps
in funding state efforts. The Department of Health and Human Services
through its National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
is conducting research to determine how best to prevent farm accidents
and illnesses.
# # #
_________________________________________________________________________
This is one of a series of fact sheets highlighting U.S. Department of
Labor programs. It is intended as a general description only and does not
carry the force of legal opinion. This information will be made
available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone:
(202) 523-8151. TDD message referral phone: 1-800-326-2577.