2002 Wisconsin Farm-Related Fatalities Mark A. Purschwitz, Cheryl A. Skjolaas and Yuyen Chang UW Center for Agricultural Safety and Health Department of Biological Systems Engineering University of Wisconsin-Extension/Madison

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Definition | Types of Fatalities | Tractor-Related | Machine-Related | County | Month | Age and Gender | Data Source

Twenty-four fatalities related to farm work or work site hazards occurred in Wisconsin in 2002, compared to 29 fatalities in 2001 and 32 in 2000. Wisconsin has averaged 28 such fatalities per year over the past five years.
The 2002 Wisconsin farm fatality rate (number of fatalities per 100,000 workers) was 29, based on an estimated average of 82,000 workers in production agriculture in Wisconsin in 2002 (including farm operators, unpaid family labor, and hired workers, but excluding service workers hired through agricultural labor contractors). This compares to rates of 33.4 and 35.2 for 2001 and 2000, respectively. (Note: Number of workers in 2002 based on linear regression of 1996-2001 totals reported by National Agricultural Statistics Service, which no longer collects such data.)

According to the National Safety Council, agriculture is consistently one of the three most hazardous industries in the U.S. (along with mining and construction), with an estimated 700 work deaths in 2001 and a fatality rate of 21.3 deaths per 100,000 workers. This compares with 5300 fatalities for all U.S. industries combined, with a death rate of 3.9 per 100,000.

Farm-Related Fatality Definition

Farm-related fatalities are defined as unintentional deaths resulting from injury or environmental factors involving farm work or hazards of the farm work site. Fatalities resulting from heart attacks, recreational activities, home-related activities, or most motor vehicle injuries, are not included in this definition.

Types of Farm-Related Fatalities

Farm tractors were involved in seven (29.2%) of the 24 fatalities. Other farm machines were also involved in seven fatalities. Confined spaces were involved in two fatalities; animals were also involved in two fatalities. The remaining six fatalities involved a tree felling incident, a silo collapse during demolition, a wall falling and pinning the victim, a falling object in the barnyard pinning a child, and two deaths from a fire in a hay shed.

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Farm Tractor-Related Fatalities

Farm tractors were involved in seven farm fatalities in 2002, compared with 11 in 2001 and 11 in 2000. Tractor rollovers (overturns) accounted for five (71.4%) of the tractor fatalities. There were no runovers/falls (being run over by the tractor, and/or falling from it). Two fatalities involved being pinned; one involved being pinned beneath the 3-pt. hitch while hitching, and the other involved a round bale rolling down the tractor loader arms onto the victim.

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Machine-Related Fatalities

Farm machines other than tractors were involved in seven fatalities in 2002, compared with five in 2001 and 12 in 2000. Two fatalities involved entanglements. Two involved being run over. Two involved being pinned while working with skid-steer loaders; one victim was pinned beneath the arms while changing the bucket, the other exited the skid-steer and was pinned beneath a large bale that fell from the loader. The other fatality involved a skid-steer loader overturn.

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County of Occurrence

In 2002, farm-related fatalities were reported in 17 counties. One county had four fatalities, one county had three, two counties had two each, and 13 counties had one fatality.

Month of Occurrence

Most fatalities occurred in the second half of the year; the distribution by month of occurrence is given below. (Month of occurrence is when the injury occurred; the victim may have died later.)

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Age and Gender of Victims

All of the victims were male.
Persons age 45-64 accounted for seven (29.2%) of the victims. Persons age 65 and older accounted for six (25.0%). Two (8.3%) of the victims were age four or younger. The following table gives the age distribution using standard National Safety Council age categories, with expanded categories below age 25. (Percentages may not add up due to round-off.)

Data Sources

Clippings from Wisconsin daily and weekly newspapers; Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services, Bureau of Health Information death certificate registry; county coroners' and sheriffs' reports; National Agricultural Statistics Service Farm Labor Reports.