David L. Hard

Statistics and Epidemiology of Tractor Fatalities—A Historical Perspective

Farm tractors have historically been identified as the leading source of work-related farming deaths in the U.S. While data from the National Safety Council show that tractor-related deaths and fatality rates have decreased since 1969, current surveillance data indicate that an average of 218 farmers and farmworkers die annually from tractor-related injuries. Of these deaths, approximately 120 are associated with tractor overturns. Most of these deaths occur to tractor operators 65 years of age and older. Roll-over Protective Structures (ROPS) have been identified as the single best method of preventing tractor overturn-related deaths, yet only 38% of all tractors used on farms in the U.S. were equipped with ROPS in 1993. A major issue associated with increasing the use of ROPS on farm tractors is the cost of retrofitting ROPS on older tractors. The average cost to retrofit tractors with ROPS in the U.S. was estimated at

Evaluation of an Occupational Injury Intervention Among Wisconsin Dairy Farmers

937, and a cost of at least

Identifying Work-related Fatalities in the Agricultural Production Sector Using Two National Occupational Fatality Surveillance Systems, 1990-1995

4 billion nationally in 1993.

Partnering Strategies for Childhood Agricultural Safety and Health

OBJECTIVES Dairy farming injury rates are high. Previous agricultural research has shown that better information flow can speed adoption of more profitable practices. We conducted and evaluated an intervention to increase voluntary adoption of three production practices that were safer and more profitable than typical practices: barn lights, bag silos, and a mixing site for calf feed. METHODS Print mass media, public events, university Extension, and dairy farmers already using the practices were all enlisted to disseminate information to 4,300 northeast district Wisconsin dairy farmers. Evaluation questionnaires were mailed to independent samples of farm managers before (n = 582) and after (n = 572) the 12 month long intervention. RESULTS After the intervention, more managers reported getting information about barn lights from public events (12% vs. 23%) and private consultants (8% vs. 17%) and about silo bags from print media (79% vs. 87%) and private consultants (9% vs. 14%). More managers were aware of barn lights (48% vs. 72%) and the calf feed mixing site (44% vs. 56%). There was a nonsignificant tendency for more managers to report adopting barn lights (12% vs. 23%). CONCLUSIONS Improving information flow to operation managers about safer, more profitable production practices may be a relatively easy way to supplement conventional injury control efforts in high-hazard industries.

Translation research in occupational safety and health: A proposed framework

Workers in the agriculture industry have consistently been identified as being at high risk for death and injury. Production agriculture, the segment of the agriculture industry that represents farming, has been shown to have higher rates of fatalities than the agriculture industry as a whole. The purpose of the manuscript was to provide a descriptive analysis of agricultural production fatalities for the years 1990 through 1995. Two national occupational fatality data sources were used to calculate agricultural production fatality rates: the National Traumatic Occupational Fatalities (NTOF) and the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI). Employment estimates for calculating fatality rates came from the Current Population Survey (CPS). The majority of agricultural production worker decedents were white male farmers. The leading sources of injury were farm tractors, followed by trucks and harvesting equipment. Older agricultural workers (65+ years of age) were at high risk for death, with the most likely fatal event being the overturning of a tractor in a non-highway environment. Black workers in the agricultural production industry, and the occupation of black farmers in particular, were identified as having high fatal injury rates by race. Young Hispanic workers also exhibited a high fatality rate. Farm tractors were a leading source of injury resulting in death for males and females; however, there were gender differences in other types of fatalities. Females, while accounting for a small percentage of the total fatalities in agriculture production, had a higher proportion of deaths due to animals than did males, and also had a higher proportion of deaths due to being caught in running equipment than males. The two national occupational fatality surveillance systems, while showing differences in overall numbers, generally identified similar patterns of death for agricultural production workers. Finally, no clear downward trend for agricultural production fatalities was found, which is contrary to trends seen in the general worker population over the same time period.

The Pennsylvania Central Region Farm Safety Pilot Project: Part I - Rationale and Baseline Results

ABSTRACT The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has been the lead federal agency of the national Childhood Agricultural Injury Prevention Initiative (CAIPI) since the programs inception in 1996 and in this role, collaborated with numerous partners in childhood agricultural injury prevention activities. This collaboration has likely helped achieve the current reduction in childhood agricultural injury. The paper looks at existing groups with past and current childhood agricultural injury prevention activities for partnering strategies that could contribute to reducing the morbidity and mortality of childhood agricultural injuries. Based upon the review, suggestions are made for future partnering strategies to continue progress in this area.

A Hazard Analysis of Three Silage Storage Methods for Dairy Cattle

Translation research in occupational safety and health is the application of scientific investigative approaches to study how the outputs of basic and applied research can be effectively translated into practice and have an impact. This includes the study of the ways in which useful knowledge and interventions are disseminated, adopted, implemented, and institutionalized. In this paper, a 4-stage framework (Development, Testing, Institutionalization, and Evaluation) is presented. Translation research can be used to enhance the use and impact of occupational safety and health knowledge and interventions to protect workers. This type of research has not received much attention in the occupational safety and health field. However, in contemporary society, it is critical to know how to make an impact with the findings and outputs of basic and applied research. This paper provides a novel framework for consideration of how to advance and prioritize translation research for occupational safety and health.

The Pennsylvania Central Region Farm Safety Pilot Project: Part II - Baseline Data Associations Between Approach-to-Safety and Hazard Conditions

The Pennsylvania Central Region Farm Safety Pilot Project (PACRFSPP) is an agricultural safety and health project designed to test three interventions to reduce hazards and risks of farm work. The interventions represent distinct operational approaches to farm safety and health education and farm risk reduction. This article (a) introduces details on the projects overall rationale and objectives; and (b) presents preliminary findings from baseline data collected prior to the start of interventions.

Work-related fatalities in the agricultural production and services sectors, 1980-1989

Objectives: The study objective was to characterize work methods, hazards and annual hazard exposure hours of three silage storage methods. Methods: A telephone questionnaire was designed and administered to 24 Wisconsin dairy managers. The exposure durations reported were scaled to a standard-sized dairy herd with equal dry matter tons of silage stored and fed each year. Results: Managers reported no silo gas hazards with either bunker or bag silos. Compared to tower silos, managers reported reduced fall hazards with bunker silos and no fall hazards with bag silos although both introduced front end loader operation injury hazards. Compared to bunkers, managers who used bag silos reported no exposure to tractor overturns. Conclusions: Although some hazards are clearly present using any ensling method, dairy farms that adopt silage bag technology can reduce many of the hazards traditionally associated with silage work.

Traumatic Injuries in Agriculture

This article analyzes baseline data associations between farmers? approach-to-safety and hazard conditions on their farms. Identifying which aspects of approach-to-safety are significantly associated with actual hazard conditions will help researchers design and implement more effective educational interventions. Baseline data on 216 different farms in the Pennsylvania Central Region Farm Safety Pilot Project (PCRFSPP) were collected through the use of a self-administered survey questionnaire of the farmers? approach-to-safety and a hazard audit (by a trained auditor) of participating farms. Factor analysis was used to determine construct validity of the questionnaire. To measure the reliability of the survey, Cronbachs alpha was calculated for each component in the questionnaire. After adjusting for significant demographics (farm size, income, and hired labor) in a linear regression, greater concern by farm operators for absence of safety features was significantly associated with less hazardous conditions. These results provide useful guidelines for designing and implementing agricultural safety interventions by identifying which factors are significantly related to hazard conditions.