Population at Risk

Farms

In 2015, there were approximately 2.07 million farms in the United States.¹

Children

• About 893,000 youth lived on farms in 2014 and more than half (51%) worked on their farm.²
• More than 265,600 non-resident youth were hired in agriculture in 2014.²
• Approximately 23,883,000 youth visited farms in 2014.²

Toll of Childhood Agricultural Injuries

Deaths

• Every three days, a child dies in an agriculture-related incident.^*
• Of the leading sources of fatalities among all youth, 25% involved machinery, 17% involved motor vehicles (includes ATVs), and 16% were drownings.³
• For working youth, tractors were the leading source of fatalities followed by ATVs.⁴

Nonfatal Injuries

• Every day, about 33 children are injured in agriculture-related incidents.^**
• In 2014, an estimated 7,469 household† youth were injured on a farmand 60% of them were not working when the injury occurred.²
• An estimated 738 hired youth were injured on farms in 2014.²
• Approximately 3,735 visiting youth were injured on farms in 2014.²
• Vehicles were the leading source of injury for household working youth.²
• Animals were the leading source of injury for both household non-working youth and visitors.²

There is no central database on childhood agricultural injuries. This fact sheet draws from the best available data.

Injury Trends

• While overall numbers of farm injuries are declining, injuries to household youth have held steady.²
• Among household youth on farms, injury rates increased in 2014 for youth 10-19 years.²
• From 2003 to 2010, among workers younger than 16 years, the number of worker fatalities inagriculture was consistently higher than in all non-agricultural industries combined.⁵

Nonfatal Injuries – All Youth

Household Youth Injury Rates by Age

Note: Data from the Childhood Agricultural Injury Survey (CAIS) does not include injuries to contract laborers. For more detailed child agricultural injury data, go to http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/childag/.

Occupational fatalities in the U.S. among workers younger than 16 years old

Reprinted with permission from Wright et al (2013).⁵

Economic Data

Nonfatal Injuries

Youth agricultural injuries cost society an estimated $1 billion per year (in 2005 dollars).⁶

Fatalities

Youth agricultural deaths cost society an estimated $420 million per year (in 2005 dollars).⁶

Injury Prevention Strategies and Resources

Keep Kids Away from Tractors

http://www.childagsafety.org/products/

Keep Young Children out of Worksite

http://www.marshfieldresearch.org/nccrahs/safe-play

Assign Age Appropriate Work

http://www.nagcat.org/nagcat/

Provide Training and Supervision

http://www.marshfieldresearch.org/nccrahs/safety -guidelines-for-hired-adolescent-farm-workers-saghaf

Provide a Safe Environment and Equipment

http://www.childagsafety.org/products/

http://www.marshfieldresearch.org/nccrahs/agritourism

References

1. USDA, NASS publications: Farms and Land in Farms, 2015 Summary, February 2016. Available at: http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/ current/FarmLandIn/FarmLandIn-02-18-2016.pdf
2. NIOSH (2016). Analyses of the 2014 Childhood Agricultural Injury Survey (CAIS). Morgantown WV: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Division of Safety Research. Unpublished.
3. Goldcamp M, Hendricks KJ, Meyers JR. (2004). Farm Fatalities to youth 1995-2000: A comparison by age groups. Journal of Safety Research. Vol. 35(2): 151-157.
4. Hendricks KJ, Hard DJ. (2014). Working youth on farms. Unpublished presentation at the National Youth Farm and RanchSymposium, Louisville, KY, October 27-28.
5. Wright S, Marlenga B, Lee BC (2013). Childhood agricultural injuries: An update for clinicians. Curr Probl Pediatr Adolesc Health Care. Vol. 43(2): 20-44.
6. Zaloshnja E, Miller TR, Lawerence B (2012). Incidence and Cost of Injury Among Youths in Agricultural Settings, United States, 2001-2006 Pediatrics. Vol. 129(4): 728-734.

For more information contact:
National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety
Phone: 800-662-6900
Email: nccrahs@mcrf.mfldclin.edu
Website: http://marshfieldclinic.org/nccrahs/

The National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety (Marshfield, Wisconsin), is funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH Award No. U54 OH009568)