Fact Sheet
1996 W Number 1 Agricultural Injury
Population at Risk
The 1992 Census of Agriculture reported a total of 1,925,300
farms in the US, reflecting a 7.8% drop from the 1987 census.1
In 1992, an annual average of 3.2 million people 16 years
of age and older were employed in agricultural production
in the United States.2
About 7.7 million people 14 years of age and older were employed
on US farms at some time during 1987. Almost 2.5 million persons
were hired farmworkers, 2.8 million persons operated farms,
and about 3.6 million persons were unpaid farmworkers. Over
1 million workers engaged in more than one of these three
agricultural occupations during the year.3
Fatal Injuries
Agriculture has consistently ranked as one of the most hazardous
industries in the US. In 1994, agriculture and mining had
higher fatality rates than other industries. The fatality
rate for agriculture was 26 per 100,000 workers, compared
with a rate of 4 per 100,000 for all industries combined.4
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics 1993 Census of
Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI), the agriculture, forestry
and fishing industry division, with a total of 855 work related
deaths, shared the highest rate of fatal injury (26 deaths
per 100,000 workers) with the mining industry. Within the
industry division, agricultural service workers experienced
a fatality rate of 94 per 100,000 workers. Workers in farming-related
occupations represent 3% of the workforce, yet account for
10 % of all fatal work injuries. 5 Note: CFOI includes
data on work-related injury and illness fatalities occurring
in operations with employees and in operations involving self-employed
farmers and family members. Transportation-related fatalities
are included.
Analysis of work-related fatalities in agriculture from 1980-89
for workers 16 years and older shows that the five leading
causes of death in the agricultural production sector are
(in descending order) machinery, motor vehicles, electrocution,
environmental hazards and falling objects. In the agricultural
services sector the five leading cause are falling objects,
electrocution, motor vehicles, machinery and falls.6 Note:
Agricultural production, us used here, includes general farming
and ranching work. Agricultural services include custom crop
and animal cure, horticultural and landscaping work.
In 1994, tractor overturns accounted for more of the on-the-farm
tractor-related fatalities in the US than any other single
factor.7
Non-Fatal Injuries
Note: There is no single, continuous source of national
non-fatal agricultural injury data. In 1993, there were
an estimated 200,000 work-related injuries on US farms. Of
these injuries approximately 65% involved operators, partners
and family members; the remaining 35% involved hired farmworkers,
Injuries occurred at a rate of 6 injuries for every 200,000
hours worked.8
A 1993 National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
agricultural injury survey found that livestock caused 19%
of injuries; machinery other than tractors caused 15%; hand
tools 11%; working surfaces (slips, falls) 11% and tractors
6%.8
In a population-based study in central Wisconsin, one per
31 farm residents was treated annually for farm work-related
injury. Eight percent of these cases were hospitalized. Adult,
male farm residents in the study had 556.9 injuries per 10,000
person years and 21.3 injuries per million hours of farm work.9
Special Issues/Populations
In 1987, approximately 20.3% of hired farm laborers and 25%
of farm operators were women.3
Roughly 150,000 to 200,000 children ages 0 to 21 are injured
on US farms and ranches each year. Most of the children injured
on farms and ranches reside elsewhere.10
Data from the Traumatic Injury Surveillance of Farmers Survey
conducted by the National Institute for Occupational Safety
and Health revealed that of the 12,873 occupational injuries
among farm workers ages 10-19 years, 89.2% were male. Analysis
by race revealed 92.2% were White, 6.3% were Hispanic, and
1.5% were American Indian. Further analysis showed that 3.2%
of the injuries resulted in permanent disability, 39.4% were
associated with a tractor or machinery, and 74.8% occurred
in June, July , and August.11
Of the 2.5 million farmworkers in the US, about 1.6 million
are seasonal agricultural service workers and approximately
42% (670,000) of these workers are migrant farmworkers.12
Note: There are no national estimates of injuries to migrant
farmworkers.
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