| Not many people realize the high risks involved | | | | exposure. Some farms use heavy amounts of |
| with farming. They envision a peaceful process of | | | | chemicals to treat produce, care for livestock, |
| planting and harvesting, much like how it was | | | | enhance the soil, and so on. Exposure to these |
| done generations ago. Nowadays, however, the | | | | products have the potential to lead to short and |
| process is much more complex and involves lots | | | | long term negative effects. |
| of machinery, chemicals, and moving parts. | | | | Finally injury can occur from direct contact with |
| This article is here to describe some of the | | | | farm animals (trampling, sickness, etc). |
| statistics involved with farming accidents, why | | | | Tips on Accident Prevention |
| they happen, how they can be prevented, and | | | | According to the OSHA fact sheet, there are a |
| what legal recourse workers may have when | | | | few common factors that lead to accidents and |
| injured. Read on to find out where the liabilities | | | | fatalities - emergency preparedness, age of |
| may lie and how to find a lawyer that knows | | | | workers, protective equipment, and machinery. |
| what you're experiencing. | | | | In regards to emergency preparedness, it is |
| Farm Accident Statistics | | | | important for farm workers to understand and |
| According to reports in December of 2000, there | | | | account for possible situations that could arise. |
| are nearly 270 deaths nationwide involving farm | | | | That means taking an inventory of all hazardous |
| tractors alone. When broadened to encompass all | | | | material and equipment on the premises and |
| kinds of farming accidents, the national rate of | | | | supplying the proper measures to deal with injury. |
| death is 22.1 for every 100,000 workers. That is | | | | Injuries can be physical and require first aid, |
| an astonishingly high rate. | | | | chemical and require poison prevention, and so on. |
| In an older study (1990) it was reported that | | | | Farms are located almost exclusively in rural areas |
| there were 3.1 million men and women working on | | | | and it can be difficult to get to established medical |
| farms in the country, with 1300 lives lost and | | | | facilities in time to help serious injuries. |
| 120,000 injuries caused in that year alone. We can | | | | Studies show that people under the age of 15 and |
| estimate by natural growth and demand that | | | | over the age of 65 are most likely to be injured. |
| these numbers have since risen. | | | | Farm owners should accommodate those people |
| Common Farm Accidents | | | | most at risk and make sure they have the |
| Far and away the most common type of farming | | | | proper safety equipment and, if applicable, |
| accident is tractor-related. As stated earlier the | | | | supervision to avoid incident. |
| number of tractor related deaths floats between | | | | Protective equipment and, in conjunction, |
| 250-300 a year, many of those incidences | | | | machinery are the largest factors in farm injury. |
| occurring from tractor overturn. Even though the | | | | Most machines on a farm are very serious pieces |
| technology exists to protect workers from | | | | of equipment, capable of chopping, shredding, |
| overturn (rollover protective structures and high | | | | gathering, etc. Metal moving parts on big tractors |
| quality seat belts), many tractors do not come | | | | and other vehicles can spell disaster without |
| with that equipment. | | | | proper protective gear. The catch is that seat |
| It is believed that survival rate of overturn when | | | | belts and other protective measures are rarely |
| in a properly protected tractor improves from a | | | | required, and thus can be ignored quite easily. |
| scant 38% to 99%. It is therefore irresponsible | | | | Legal Recourse |
| not to provide these safety elements on all | | | | It's important to find a lawyer who has |
| tractor models. | | | | experience in farming matters, not just a general |
| Another frequent farm accident is entrapment in | | | | practice attorney who may have never stepped |
| a silo, barn, or other similar structure. With as | | | | foot on a farm. The problem is, finding a lawyer |
| much grain, fruit, hay, etc that gets moved | | | | like that, especially in your area (and especially if |
| around, sometimes incidents occur wherein a | | | | you live in a rural, lightly populated area) can be |
| worker becomes trapped. | | | | very tricky. It helps to have access to a network |
| Yet another kind of accident involves spills and | | | | that can find the right lawyer for you. |