New York Suffers Nineteen Farm Fatalities in 2008

by Jim Carrabba (published 5/1/2009 in Country Folks Safety Savvy)

During the past year, there were 19 farm-related fatalities that occurred in New York. This is a slight decrease from previous years, with 25 fatalities identified in 2006 and 22 fatalities identified in 2007. NYCAMH gathers these statistics through a news clipping service and fatality reports from the New York Sate Department of Health. The New York Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation program (FACE) reports that from 1992 to 2004 there were 287 New York agricultural workers that died while working which is approximately 24 workers killed each year.

Machinery-related incidents were the most common cause of farm related fatalities in 2008 accounting for 42% of deaths. Being struck by objects was the second highest cause of death at 32% and tractor-related fatalities was the third most common cause of death at 16% of the reported fatalities.

As in past years there was a wide age range of the victims. The youngest victim was a 3 year-old girl who was run over by a tractor, while the oldest victim was a 79 year-old man who was entangled in a PTO shaft. The average age for all victims was 50 years old.

The machinery related incidents included five machinery entanglements. Farm machinery entanglement deaths are usually always preventable. Always make it a rule to shut the power off to PTO shafts, augers, beaters, or any other type of rotating machinery before you clean or service any farm machinery. This simple practice can be a life saver. The small amount of time you save by letting the machine continue to run while you work on it, is not worth losing your life or a limb.

Victims being struck by objects accounted for six of the fatalities. Four of these incidents involved trees being cut and falling on the victim. The other two incidents involved a victim being struck on the head by a hoof trimming table and the other victim was struck by material when a barn collapsed. Tree cutting is always a hazardous activity. Always clear an escape path before felling a tree. Make sure there are no tripping hazards or obstructions that could hold you up if you need to get away from the tree quickly. When you are cutting, always keep two hands on the saw. Always cut with the saw at waist level or below. Keep the tree between you and the chainsaw when trimming downed trees. Wear a chainsaw helmet and protective chaps when using a chainsaw.

As always, tractor-related incidents accounted for a large percentage of the farm deaths, but were not quite as big a percentage of the total deaths as in past years. There were two victims killed in tractor rollovers, and one person was runover. To prevent tractor-related incidents always use ROPS (Roll Over Protective Structure) equipped tractors and seatbelts, never allow extra riders and keep all bystanders well away from tractors and machinery. Our NY State ROPS retrofit rebate program has placed ROPS on 600 tractors over the last three years. If you have a tractor without ROPS, call the toll-free number 1-800-ROPSR4U, to see if your tractor can be equipped with a ROPS and seatbelt. New York tractor owners are eligible for this program and you can retrofit one tractor per year. The program will rebate 70% or the cost of the ROPS up to a maximum of $765.

Farm fatalities and injuries can be prevented. NYCAMH is always here to help farms with their safety promotion efforts. We offer our on-farm safety program, on-farm safety surveys or farm safety training sessions. Our on-farm safety program provides continuous farm safety activities coordinated by farm personnel. Our on-farm safety surveys identify potential farm hazards around the farmstead, tractor and machinery, and regarding use of personal protective equipment, like hearing and eye protection. Our training programs are farm specific and can be provided in Spanish by Anna Meyerhoff, Bilingual Farm Safety Educator. These services are available at no cost through a grant from the New York State Department of Labor Hazard Abatement Board. Contact me at 800-343-7527 ext 239 or jcarrabba@nycamh.com or Anna Meyerhoff ext 291 or ameyerhoff@nycamh.com to schedule these programs or for more information about our services. NYCAMH, a program of Bassett Healthcare is enhancing agricultural and rural health by preventing and treating occupational injury and illness.