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Farm Work Injuries Among A Cohort Of Children In Kentucky, Usa, Steven R. Browning, Susan C. Westneat, Deborah B. Reed

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Children residing on farms with livestock may be at an increased risk for work-related injuries, compared to children who work on other commodity farms. This study characterizes children's work tasks on Kentucky farms and assesses whether children who work on beef cattle farms are at an increased risk for farm work injuries. The results of a cohort study of children aged 5-18 years (N=999 at baseline) working on family farms in Kentucky, followed for two consecutive years after an initial enumeration five years previously, found that 70% of the children were involved in animal-related chores. Across all age groups, children …

A Case-Control Study Of Farming And Prostate Cancer In African-American And Caucasian Men, Tamra E. Meyer, Ann L. Coker, Maureen Sanderson, Elaine Symanski

CRVAW Faculty Journal Articles

Objective: To determine the risk of prostate cancer associated with farming by duration, recency and specific activities among African-Americans and Caucasians.

Methods: This population-based case–control study had information on farming-related activities for 405 incident prostate cancer cases and 392 controls matched for age, race and region in South Carolina, USA, from 1999 to 2001. Cases with histologically confirmed, primary invasive prostate cancer who were aged between 65 and 79 years were ascertained through the South Carolina Central Cancer Registry. Appropriately matched controls were identified from the Health Care Financing Administration Medicare Beneficiary File. Data were collected using computer-assisted telephone interviewing, …

Farmer Killed When Tractor Punctures Gas Line Causing An Explosion, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Fatality Case Reports--Tractors/Logging

A 62-year-old male was killed when the tractor he was operating punctured an aboveground gas line. He had recently moved to the area and was in the process of acquiring some land for farming. The land was overgrown with weeds and brush about 5 feet high. On a warm, clear afternoon he went out to clear the land with a tractor and rotary mower. Although the incident was unwitnessed, apparently he began mowing the field near a roadway and was likely on the third pass when the front of the tractor ran into an aboveground valve of a natural gas …

53-Year-Old Dies In Tricycle Tractor Overturn While Transporting Round Bale, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Fatality Case Reports--Tractors/Logging

A 53-year-old full-time farmer (the victim) was crushed to death when the tractor he was operating overturned. At 1:45 pm, the victim was moving a large round bale of hay with a hay spike mounted on the front of a tractor. The tractor was not equipped with a rollover protective structure (ROPS) or a seatbelt. The farmer, who was sharecropping, was moving rolled hay from a field to a wagon in preparation for transportation to his farm. Hydraulics were used to lift the approximately 1500-pound spiked bale, and the farmer began driving toward the wagon. He proceeded along a tobacco …

Farmer Run Over By Tractor, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Fatality Case Reports--Tractors/Logging

An 80-year-old male farmer (the victim) died when he was run over by the right rear wheel of his tractor. He had backed the tractor to the door of a shed in order to hook a tiller to it. After parking the tractor on a slight incline in front of the shed, he left it in neutral while he went inside for the tiller. The parking brake did not hold, however, and the tractor began to roll. He apparently noticed this and tried to remount the tractor, but was knocked down by the wheel and run over. To prevent similar …

Chain Saw Hazard Alert, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Kentucky Haz Alerts--Tractors/Logging

A review of 74 cases of chain saw injuries to Kentucky farmers revealed that most occurred while the farmers were clearing fence lines. Most of the injuries occurred in the spring, from March through April, and in the fall, from October through November. As for time of day, most happened in the morning, from 8:30 to 10, and in the early afternoon, from 12 to 3.

Described below are two representative incidents, followed by recommendations for prevention of similar injuries.

Farmer Crushed When Run Over By Tractor And Disc, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Fatality Case Reports--Tractors/Logging

A 75-year-old farmer was killed when he was run over by a tractor and disc attachment. The farmer attempted to start the engine on a tractor while he stood on the ground beside it, a practice which was not unusual for him. The transmission had been left in gear and when the ignition was started the tractor lurched forward knocking the victim to the ground. The tractor continued to move forward, running over the victim. His wife went to search for him when she realized he had been gone from the house for quite some time. She found him in …

Rear Tractor Rollover Kills Farmer, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Fatality Case Reports--Tractors/Logging

A 67-year-old male farmer (the victim) died when the tractor he was operating flipped over backward, pinning him between it and another tractor. He and his 13-year-old grandson had been working with a tractor and rotary mower, but got stuck in the mud of a creek bed; approximately one-third of the rear tractor tires were buried in mud. He had gotten a second tractor, attached a chain from the rear of it to the front of the first tractor, and had just begun to try and pull the tractor out when the incident occurred. From evidence at the scene it …

Farmer Killed When Tractor Slides Over Embankment While Mowing, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Fatality Case Reports--Tractors/Logging

A 56-year-old part-time farmer was killed when the tractor he was driving overturned while mowing. Using a rotary mower attached to the John Deere 1520 tractor, the farmer mowed an area near the roadway that had a gradual downward slope. The tractor was not equipped with a Rollover Protective Structure (ROPS) or seatbelt. After mowing two rows, he made a left turn to begin the third pass when the back tire began to slip in the moist soil underneath the grass. Due to the momentum and weight of the tractor and attachment, the farmer was unable to stop the vehicle. …

Farmer Killed When Tractor Overturns On Embankment, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Fatality Case Reports--Tractors/Logging

A 44-year-old cattle farmer was killed when the tricycle tractor he was operating overturned. As was his usual practice, the victim had backed the tractor out of the shed near his home, turned to the right and was driving forward, down the embankment to the road which led to the highway. His cattle barn and pasture were located a short distance from his house (1-2 miles), and he regularly drove the tractor there to tend the cattle. On this day, however, the tractor flipped as he came over the embankment, rolling onto the victim. He died at the scene. In …

Farmer Killed When Tractor Turns Over, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Fatality Case Reports--Tractors/Logging

A 56-year-old farmer was killed when the tricycle tractor he was operating on a hillside overturned. He had been going up and down the hill to bring loads of dirt in the tractor's front-end loader in order to bury a calf. The hillside was relatively steep, and the ground was wet from recent rains. As he attempted to turn with the loader filled and raised, the tractor rolled over several times, crushing the victim. He died at the scene. In order to prevent similar incidents, the FACE investigator recommends:

• Older tractors should be retrofitted with rollover protective structures (ROPS) and …

Farmer Killed On Tractor During Logging Operations, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Fatality Case Reports--Tractors/Logging

A 21-year-old male was killed when he and his 19-year-old brother were engaged in logging activities their grandparents' farmland. They both had grown up helping with the family farm and for the last two years their primary source of income was cutting trees on the land to sell for firewood. After cutting down the trees, the normal routine was for the younger brother to operate the tractor to pull the trees to a clearing where they would be cut into pieces. Although the victim had experience operating tractors, he had never performed that particular task. Because there was no drawbar …

Farmer Killed When Caught In Hay Baler, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Fatality Case Reports--Tractors/Logging

A 48-year-old part-time farmer was using a roll baler to bale hay on his farm around noon on a Saturday. Although there were no eyewitnesses to the event, it is believed that hay became clogged in the tines of the baler and he got off the tractor to try and force the hay in with his foot. His shoe or his pant leg became entangled in the tines of the baler and he was pulled into the machine.

In order to prevent similar incidents, FACE investigators recommend that

• machinery always be turned off before the operator dismounts or attempts to …

Farmer Killed When Crushed By Tractor, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Fatality Case Reports--Tractors/Logging

A 70-year-old farmer (the victim) was killed while mowing his pasture. He had completed mowing around the top of a ridge, and was beginning to mow the sloping sections, when the power take-off (PTO) shaft connecting the rotary mower (bushhog) to the tractor came off. When he attempted to re-attach the shaft, the tractor began to roll down the steep slope; he lost control as it descended into the hollow. Apparently he attempted to jump from the left side of the tractor and his right foot became wedged between the high/low shift lever; as a result his body went under …

Retired Farmer Thrown From And Run Over By Tractor, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Fatality Case Reports--Tractors/Logging

A 67-year-old retired farmer (the victim) was killed while mowing a field of the family farm. He had made several passes around the field using a rotary mower recently equipped with new blades by his son. At one end of the field was an approximate 20-foot hill of 15-degree slope. The top of this hill was a plateau across which the tractor could be driven in order to ascend at the end which was less steep. The victim had come close to rolling the tractor over in the past, and so it was never his practice to mow across the …

Farmer Killed In Tractor Rollover [96ky088], Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Fatality Case Reports--Tractors/Logging

On August 22, 1996, a 75-year-old farmer was killed when the tractor he was operating rolled over onto him. He was using a 1979 IH Farm all 140, towing a flatbed wagon along the perimeter of a tobacco patch. As he turned left to proceed around the field, the left tractor wheels went over an embankment, causing the tractor to roll over. The victim was crushed under the rear wheel of the overturned tractor and died of traumatic asphyxia due to chest injuries. He was discovered by his son two hours after the incident when he did not return to …

Farmer Killed When Thrown From Tractor, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Fatality Case Reports--Tractors/Logging

A 79-year-old farmer (the victim) was killed while driving his tractor. He had been a full-time farmer who lived alone and farmed on the 136-acre land nearly all of his life; the main commodity was beef cattle. As was his usual practice, he was working alone on the day of the incident. Every evening he had dinner with his two sisters who lived in a house on the same property about 50 yards from his home. When he did not show up for the evening meal, they went out to look for him. They found that he had taken the …

Farmer Strangled By Jacket Caught On Exposed Auger Shaft, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Fatality Case Reports--Tractors/Logging

A 44-year-old farmer was killed when his jacket became entangled on the protruding metal shaft of a feed bin auger. The victim was atop the feed bin, trying to unclog feed from the auger by beating on the tin cylinder through which the feed passed into the bin. (See Figure 1.) The feed had become clogged at this point several times in the past, and the victim had performed this task on those occasions without injury. There were no witnesses to this incident. It was a rainy day, and the victim was wearing leather-soled boots, so it is possible that …

Farmer Dies In Cornpicker, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Fatality Case Reports--Tractors/Logging

On 22 November 1995, a 52-year-old farmer died when he was caught in the corn picker he was operating. He was a full-time farmer and had been involved in the family farming business all of his life. On the day of the incident, the victim and his 20-year-old son had been working in the field together operating the corn picker. After obtaining a full load, the son transported the load back for storage while the farmer stayed in the field to finish a small section of corn. When he did not return home at the expected time, his wife and …

Farm Worker Killed When Caught In Power Take-Off (Pto), Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Fatality Case Reports--Tractors/Logging

A 32-year-old male was killed when he was caught in a rotating power take-off (PTO) shaft. He had been involved in farming for many years and often helped his friends who owned a dairy farm. The farm worker was helping one of the owners of the farm load corn from the silage wagon into the feeding trough. Both the farm worker and the owner were experienced in operating the equipment on the farm and had worked together on this type of task before. However, the owner had always operated the equipment controls. The PTO connecting the tractor to the silage …

Farm Worker Killed In Tractor Rollover On Public Roadway, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Fatality Case Reports--Tractors/Logging

A 21-year-old farm worker was killed in a tractor rollover incident. The victim was driving a tractor on a secondary public road, pulling an unloaded 18-foot flatbed trailer, when he lost control. After the tractor wheels went off the right side of the road, the victim overcorrected, which caused the vehicle to become unbalanced; he was thrown from the tractor as it overturned into a ditch. It was not equipped with an appropriate rollover protective structure (ROPS) or a seatbelt. The unit, which included a canopy, had been installed to provide shade on summer days and cover in occasional downpours, …

Farmer Crushed In Hay Baler, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Fatality Case Reports--Tractors/Logging

A 32-year-old farmer was killed when he was crushed in a hay baler. The victim was operating a tractor, towing a round baler in an open field with gradually sloping terrain. Although the victim had been doing farm work since he was young and had experience operating square balers, his experience with this particular round baler was limited. The victim was found caught in the baler headfirst up to his waist. There were no witnesses to the incident. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. In order to prevent similar incidents, the KY FACE investigators concluded that:

• PTO's should …

Farmer Is Run Over By Disc After Falling From Tractor, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Fatality Case Reports--Tractors/Logging

Because access to the scene and inspection of the equipment were not possible in this case, a partial inspection was done. Conclusions cannot be drawn from the evidence collected.

A 68-year-old farmer died when he fell from his tractor into the path of an attached disc. The victim had begun discing a tobacco field about 3:00 p.m., minutes after his wife and son left for second-shift work at a factory. After completing one field, he proceeded to a second field to complete the afternoon's work. The second field was across a small galley. As the victim drove the tractor through …

Farmer Killed In Tractor Rollover [95ky039], Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Fatality Case Reports--Tractors/Logging

A 66-year-old male farmer was killed in a tractor rollover incident. The victim was discing a small tobacco plot near his home when he lost control of his tractor. It went over an embankment, rolled one-half turn and landed on the victim before rolling further down the embankment. It was not equipped with a rollover protective structure (ROPS) or a seatbelt; its brakes were inoperable. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene by the county coroner. In order to prevent similar incidents, the KY FACE investigator concluded that:

• tractors should be retrofitted with Roll Over Protective Structures and seatbelts; …

Farmer Killed After Tractor Overturns Into Creek Bed, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Fatality Case Reports--Tractors/Logging

A 47-year-old farmer/chemical analyst was killed when his tractor overturned into a muddy creek bed. The victim was checking a fence line on his property, which in that area has a rough, uneven terrain and on that day was very wet from a thunderstorm the previous night. He was going up an incline when his tractor slid backwards in the mud; the back tire slipped over the edge of a steep embankment and the tractor rolled over into the creek bed, pinning him face down in the mud. The tractor was not equipped with a Roll Over Protective Structure (ROPS) …

Farmer Run Over After Falling From Tractor, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Fatality Case Reports--Tractors/Logging

A 54-year-old male farmer was killed in a tractor runover incident. The victim was on his way to his tobacco field when he lost control of his tractor. After it left the road, he fell and was run over by the right rear tire and possibly the edge of the attached plow. The three-year-old tractor was equipped with a seatbelt, but it was not fastened. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene by the county coroner. In order to prevent similar incidents, the KY FACE investigator concluded that:

• Tractor operators should always wear seatbelts;
• Tractor operators should pay close …

86 Year Old Farmer Is Killed After Being Hit By Tree Branch, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Fatality Case Reports--Tractors/Logging

An 86-year-old male farmer was killed after being struck by a tree limb. The victim was driving a tractor through a pasture checking on his cattle. As he approached a large tree, the extended front end loader, in full upright position, which was attached to the tractor struck a tree branch. The branch broke off and struck the victim causing massive head injury. He was thrown from the tractor and discovered a few hours later by his grandson. The tractor was equipped with a Roll Over Protective Structure (ROPS) and a non-function seat belt. The tractor did not have a …

Retiree/Part-Time Farmer Killed When Run Over By Bush Hog, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Fatality Case Reports--Tractors/Logging

A 64-year-old male retiree and part-time farmer was killed when he fell from his tractor and was run over by the edge of the bush-hog attachment. The victim had been repairing a tractor tire earlier in the day. He was apparently trying to drive the tractor into a garage when he lost control and fell or was knocked from the tractor seat to the ground, falling between the tractor and the bush hog. The KY FACE investigator concluded that, in order to prevent similar occurrences, tractor operators should:

• Retrofit tractors with operator restraint systems (seatbelts) and Roll Over Protective Structures …

Farmer Killed When Run Over By Tractor In Barn, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Fatality Case Reports--Tractors/Logging

A 62-year-old male farmer was killed inside his barn on a Saturday afternoon after starting his tractor from a standing position. The victim was demonstrating recent repairs to the tractor for his brother-in-law; a new battery and starter had been installed. Standing beside the tractor, the victim reached for the ignition switch to turn the tractor on. The tractor was in gear; when he turned the key the tractor lurched forward, running over the victim, who died moments later. The KY FACE investigators concluded that, to prevent similar occurrences, farmers and other tractor operators should:

• Never attempt to start a …

Part-Time Farmer Is Killed In Rops-Equipped Tractor Rollover, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Fatality Case Reports--Tractors/Logging

A 60-year-old male minister and part-time farmer began mowing a 15-acre field near his home at about 11:00 am. Operating a farm tractor with a side sickle bar mower attached to the right side, he proceeded around the perimeter of the field. One edge of the field dropped off steeply to a ravine. While making the second pass around the field the ground under the left wheels gave way causing the tractor to roll over. The tractor came to rest on the victim causing massive internal injuries. A Roll Over Protective Structure (ROPS) had been retro-fitted to the 1962 tractor …