A new study by Penn State researchers, who looked at emergency room admissions across the U.S. over a recent five-year period in a novel way, suggests that the agriculture industry is even more dangerous than previously believed.
A new study by Penn State researchers, who looked at emergency room admissions across the U.S. over a recent five-year period in a novel way, suggests that the agriculture industry is even more dangerous than previously believed.
The research revealed that from Jan. 1, 2015, to Dec. 31, 2019, more than 60,000 people were treated in emergency departments for nonfatal, agricultural-related injuries. Significantly, nearly a third of those injured were youths, according to study author Judd Michael, Nationwide Insurance Professor of Agricultural Safety and Health and professor of agricultural and biological engineering, College of Agricultural Sciences.
“This study revealed the true magnitude of the agricultural-related injury problem,” he said. “We were slightly surprised at the sheer number of farm-related injuries and concerned by the high number of youths who were injured.”
Before this research, knowledge of nonfatal agricultural injuries was somewhat limited by the available sources of information, Michael noted. Existing data are based mostly on regional or national periodic surveys, he added. The Bureau of Labor Statistics captures only nonfatal occupational injuries through its Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, often called the SOII.
Read more at: Penn State
The research revealed that nearly a third of ag-related injuries involve youths. Small farms are family-oriented businesses, and often they have all their family members helping out. And the children who are helping out or visiting the farm are exposed to hazards that they may not understand or know how to react to. (Photo Credit: Linda Fetzer, Penn State)
