The tragedy of an agricultural death or injury can cause the personal loss of a friend or family member. It also causes an economic and social burden when a productive member of a community is incapacitated or dies.
“Safety Counts—Your Community Depends on It” is the theme for this year’s National Farm Safety and Health Week, Sept. 18-24.
The nine-state Upper Midwest experiences almost 200 agricultural deaths per year and about 20,000 disabling injuries, based on figures from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
A review of data collected by the Great Plains Center for Agricultural Health (GPCAH), a NIOSH-funded agricultural center, shows that the causes of injury and death have remained similar over the years. The majority of fatalities are from:
- tractors that overturn without rollover protection
- being struck by, or entangled in, machinery in operation or during maintenance
- falls
- suffocating in a flowing grain bin
- farm equipment colliding with other vehicles on rural roadways
Read the full article on Agweb.com
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