The agriculture industry ranks among the most hazardous occupations. Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural workers are at very high risk of getting injured on the job. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) estimated that in 2020, 2.1 million full-time employees worked in agriculture.
During that same year, 368 farm workers perished from work-related injuries. Transportation incidents were the leading cause of these fatalities.
Causes of injuries
Farm accidents leading to injury often occur because of the job’s physicality and failure to handle hazards on the job safely. Additionally, the rural setting of farms prevents injured farmers from receiving emergency services aid promptly. Sometimes, the livestock the farm workers handle can trample them or cause vehicle accidents if the animals escape from their enclosures. Heat stress, overturning tractors and entanglements in heavy machinery also cause significant injuries or fatalities.
In other instances, agricultural accidents might result from the negligence of a person or entity. For example, if new employees fail to receive adequate training, they might injure themselves while farming.
Common injuries
Although many injuries are unfortunately possible within the agricultural industry, several stand out as being the most common. In addition to muscle injuries, back strain and breathing problems, the following are also common injuries:
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Loss of limbs
- Toxic chemical burns or inhalation
- Suffocation
- Broken bones
- Heatstroke
If anyone sustains an injury at work, agricultural or otherwise, they should seek immediate medical attention and, when healthy, collect as much relevant evidence as possible.
