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Farm-related injuries
- 1. Farming-related injury – aspecial challenge By Phil Byass, 4th Year, HYMS
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- 4. Epidemiology of farm-relatedaccidents • Non-fatal injury – grossly under-reported, especially in self-employed (c. 5% report rate?) • Major injury – 242/100,000 employees sustained major injury = 2x any other industry • Fatalities - Less than 1.5% employed in agriculture, yet accounts for 15-20% of work-related fatality • 436 fatalities in last 10 years (32% employees, 56% self-employed, 12% members of public) • Among self-employed fatalites, a quarter were over 65 • i.e. 43 fatalities each year – nearly 1 per week! Source: Health & Safety Executive
- 5. Causes of majorinjury and death • Transport (being run over or vehicle overturns, includes tractors, forklifts, quad-bikes etc.) – 26% • Falls (through fragile roofs, ladders, trees etc.) – 16% • Struck by moving or falling objects (bales, trees, etc.) - 16% • Asphyxiation/drowning - 10% (e.g. falls into grain-bin) • Livestock-related fatalities - 10% • Direct contact with machinery - 8% (e.g. amputations from threshers, augers, PTO shafts etc.) • Trapped by something collapsing or overturning - 6% • Burns e.g. combine fires – 5% • Contact with electricity - 3% PTO shaft: particularly problematic
- 8. Types of farm-relatedinjury • Minor - cuts and bruises • Severe - deep wounds and fractures • Permanent – amputations and spinal cord injury • Fatal injury
- 9. Causes of farm-relatedill-health • Occupational related e.g. ‘Farmer’s lung’ • Pesticide poisoning • Zoonotic infections e.g. TB • Musculoskeletal problems from repetitive movements or uncomfortable driving position
- 10. Farm injury –a special challenge • High proportion of self-employed and family- based farms • Self-employed numbers increased as workforce declined due to mechanisation and reduced need for employees e.g. our farm: 8 workers/foremen in 1960 to just Dad in 2009 • Increasing age of self-employed, especially with less pressure on young to ‘take over’ (12% of fatalities in over 65s)
- 11. STRUCTURAL: ageing workforce, self-employment,migrant workers & language barriers, increased public access to farmland ENVIORNMENTAL: time (often no daylight) and adverse weather conditions e.g. wet harvest ECONOMIC: low productivity, marginal returns, low investment; especially in health/safety measures TECHNICAL: naturally hazardous environments; heavy machinery, poor maintenance. BEHAVIOURAL/CULTURAL: culture of resourcefulness, unwise risk taking and unsafe practices, resistance to officialdom; see regulation and red tape as a burden INADEQUEATE TRAINING: particularly in the middle-aged and elderly sections of the farming community HISTORIC LACK OF INTEREST in the industry on health and safety FARM INJURY Farm injury – a special challenge SEASONAL: greater workload and pressures in narrower timeframe i.e. harvest WORKING ALONE in hazardous conditions
- 12. Prevention • No simplefix – needs shift in culture • New generation of farmers brought up in ‘age’ of health and safety • Cochrane review of RCTs and case-control: No evidence for educational interventions (included leaflets, safety training days, presentations by injured farmers) Evidence for financial incentives offered to farmers to bring about change Source: Rautiainen et. Al (2009)
- 13. Prevention • As of1st October 2012, HSE now charge £124/hour for any accident investigations or ‘interventions’ in farm safety (FFI) • Shifts costs of implementing safer environments from public purse direct to individual farmer • Farmers urged to avoid these costs Source: Health & Safety Executive
- 14. References • Painting: NoraOthic, Ashby Hodge Gallery of American Art. • Health and Safety Executive: http://www.hse.gov.uk/agriculture/hsagriculture.htm • Guidance on FFI: http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/hse47.pdf • Rautiainen R. et al (2009). Interventions for preventing injuries in the agricultural industry. The Cochrane Library. Issue 3.