Summary: Farm Injury Facts Mark A. Purschwitz, Ph.D. University of Wisconsin-Madison/Extension 1997

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1. Farm Injury Situation

1. Worker death rate: Agriculture is one of the two most dangerous industries in the US. The 1996 death rate was 21 per 100,000 workers, compared with 25 per 100,000 for mining and 4 per 100,000 for all industries combined.
2. Farm Fatalities: In 1996 -- 35 agricultural fatalities in Wisconsin and an estimated 710 in the US.
3. Permanent, non-fatal farm injuries: Estimated three permanent injuries for every fatality.
4. Non-fatal farm injuries: One injury for every five farms each year. These are injuries serious enough to require professional medical care or at lest one-half day of restricted activity.
5. Victims: Age range is wide, from infants less than one year old to persons in their 90's.
6. Time of year (for fatal and very serious injuries): Harvest months are most common, followed by planting months.
7. Agent of injury (fatal and very serious injuries): Tractors and other machines are by far the highest; other common agents include confined spaces, falls, falling trees, animals, electrocutions, etc.
8. Agent of injury (non-fatal injuries): In Wisconsin, the most common agent of non-fatal injury is animals, followed closely by machinery.

1. Farm Machines

1. Tractors are involved in one-third to one-half of all fatal farm accidents.
2. The tractor overturn is the single most common fatal farm accident.
3. Being run over by a tractor or implement is fairly common, involving falls from the moving machine or unseen bystanders.
4. Machine entanglements are a very common form of accident.
5. PTO shafts and augers are two machine components which are often involved in entanglements.

3. Farm Structures

1. Confined spaces pose life-threatening risks to workers and rescuers.
2. Manure gas is present throughout the year in enclosed manure storages. The components are hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, ammonia, and methane. Agitation releases high concentrations of gases.
3. Silo gas can be present in dangerous concentrations up to three weeks after filling. The primary component is nitrogen dioxide.
4. Oxygen-limiting silos do not have enough oxygen to support life.
5. Flowing grain in grain bins and wagons can entrap and kill.
6. Falls from haymows and ladders are fairly common.