Farm Life Poses Many Hazards

On the surface, life on the farm may seem rustic and peaceful, a relatively safe place that is free of the problems of urban and industrial environments. However, experts point out that agriculture ranks among the most hazardous industries. Farm work is filled with many dangers.

The misconception about farm life may exist mostly in the minds of the general public. But the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) indicates that many agriculture workers are unaware of many hazards. Another troubling aspect about farming is that it is one of the few industries where family members are at risk.

Consider this particularly tragic incident. In 1989, five farm workers died in a 10-feet-deep manure pit on their farm. The victims were a 65-year-old dairy farmer, his two sons aged 37 and 28, a 15-year-old grandson, and a 63-year-old nephew. The younger son first entered the pit. When trying to climb out, he was overcome by fumes and fell to the bottom. The grandson then entered the pit to help him. He too was overcome. The nephew, the older son, and the dairy farmer then entered the pit and tried to rescue the others. Each was overcome. A local farm businessman arrived on the scene with two
workers and, using a rope, pulled the five victims from the pit. But all five family members died despite on-the-scene and emergency-room efforts.

Young People at Risk
As the above story indicates, the injuries and deaths related to farm work aren't restricted to adults. Each year, approximately 100,000 children under 20 years of age are injured or killed. Youths are exposed to dangers on farms as residents, family workers, hired workers, children of migrant workers, or visitors. Like adults, they are exposed to a range of hazards including machinery, electric current, storage facilities, and livestock.

Suffocation and Entrapment
The manure pit incident also underscores how farm workers are unaware of the particular dangers involving suffocation and entrapment. Farm workers can easily suffocate in a manure pit. Manure pits are used primarily on livestock farms for easy cleaning of animal confinement buildings and efficient storage of raw manure. Inside the pits, raw manure ferments, generating dangerous gases such as carbon dioxide and ammonia.  Accumulation of these gases within the confined space creates a deadly environment.

Also, farm workers risk being trapped and buried alive when working with structures like storage bins and hoppers, where loose materials such as grain or gravel are stored. The materials can be unpredictable, and a farm worker can be buried in a matter of seconds.

Know the Hazards
NIOSH recommends that all workers be properly trained and educated about dangers before working with equipment, structures, and materials. One of the major problems for farm workers is being unaware of the hazards. Other accidents that affect unsuspecting farm workers include:

Equipment roll-overs. Each year, farm workers are crushed to death when heavy equipment, such as tractors, roll over on top of them.

Scalping. Farm workers' hair and scalp can be torn from their bodies if their hair becomes entangled around inadequately guarded rotating drivelines or shafts of farm machinery.

Electrocutions. Each year, farm workers are killed by electricity when attempting to move structures such as metal grain augers. Accidents have occurred when these structures are improperly moved and touch power lines.