Occupational and Nonoccupational Fatalities on U.S. Farms

  • Fritsch, Conrad F.
More Like This

Conrad F. Fritsch
NIOSH Education and Information Division

AUTHOR ABSTRACT

In 1973, a total of 1,769 accidental deaths occurred on U.S. farms, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Excluded from this total are vehicular deaths on public roads and deaths occurring in the farm home. Based on occupational fatality rates developed for 1969-1971, from 60 to 70 percent of the 1973 farm fatalities were directly related to the farmwork environment.

Accidents involving machinery were the major cause of the 1969-1971 fatalities, but regional variations were large. Machinery and related factors were involved in almost half of the accidental deaths in the Northern Plains during the period, compared with less than 30 percent in the Southern Plains.

Drownings and firearm deaths accounted for about one-fourth of the accidental deaths on farms. Drownings occurred with greatest frequency in the Southeastern States, and firearm fatalities occurred most often in the Southern Plains.

Accidental fatalities occur with greatest relative frequency to older persons. Accidental fatalities to persons 65 years old and older occurred at almost twice this age group's proportional representation in the farm population and labor force. The incidence of accidental fatalities to persons under 55 was less than their population and work force representation. Drownings occurred with greatest frequency to persons under 25, and machinery-related fatalities were responsible for over half o the accidental deaths of persons 45 and older. Persons 45 to 59 years old--an age group within the actively working age range--experienced more fatalities related to blows than did persons 60 and older. Falls were the second most important cause of accidental death of persons 60 and older, ranking behind machinery- related fatalities.

SOURCE AND NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE ID#

SOURCE: Washington, D.C.: Economic Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture; 1976. 19.

NLOM ID#: No ID#.


Disclaimer and Reproduction Information: Information in NASD does not represent NIOSH policy. Information included in NASD appears by permission of the author and/or copyright holder. More

Reviewed for NASD: 04/2002

This document was extracted from the CDC-NIOSH Epidemiology of Farm Related Injuries: Bibliography With Abstracts, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

We are unable to supply copies of the full report cited in this entry. Readers are advised to use the following sources:

  • Author or publisher: articles are frequently available from the author or publisher.
  • Medical or other research libraries: these facilities often have the material on hand or know where it can be obtained. If available, each journal entry includes the appropriate National Library of Medicine unique identification number to aid in interlibrary loan requests.
  • Government: some U.S. Government-sponsored research reports, including ones out-of print, are available from the National Technical Information Service, U.S. Department of Commerce.


Disclaimer and Reproduction Information: Information in NASD does not represent NIOSH policy. Information included in NASD appears by permission of the author and/or copyright holder. More

BACK TO TOP