August 2021 - 4

EDITOR'S LETTER
Farm safety vital concern
Specialty crop farm operators face more challenges than can ever be
appreciated fully by the vast majority of the American public. One widely
overlooked concern is that of farm safety.
A 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
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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. "
Michael said previous knowledge of nonfatal agricultural injuries was
somewhat limited by the available sources of information. Existing data are
based mostly on regional or national periodic surveys, he said. The Bureau of
Labor Statistics captures only nonfatal occupational injuries through its Survey
of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, often called the SOII.
That survey collects data on work-related nonfatal injuries and illnesses
among employees in all industries in the U.S. But its data exclude self-employed
farmers and family members as well as workers on farms with fewer than 11
employees.
" It has been estimated that the SOII was undercounting occupational injuries
and illnesses in agriculture by about 78%, " Michael said.
To reach their conclusion, researchers conducted a cross-sectional study using
data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's National Electronic
Injury Surveillance System - or NEISS - for patients treated in emergency
departments over the five-year period.
Over the period, an estimated 62,079 people were treated in an emergency
department for agricultural-related injuries. The mean age estimate in this
population was 39 years old, with ages ranging from 1 to 95. Almost two-thirds
of patients were male, and almost 80% were white. Approximately 30% and
22% of those injured were youth and elderly patients, respectively. These age
groups are usually not present in the typical workforce but are involved in
agriculture.
Most injuries occurred from April through September. The most common
injury was fracture, followed by open wound or amputation. The primary
source of injury was in the " vehicles " category, with tractors being the
dominant vehicle type.
Historically, researchers have known that youth are at greater risk than adults
for injury around a farm or ag environment, but it is not necessarily because
they are working, Michael said. Rather, in family farm environments where the
children are present, they are exposed to dangers.
" Small farms are family-oriented businesses, and often they have all their
family members helping out, " he said. " And the kids who are helping out
or visiting the farm are exposed to hazards that they may not understand
or know how to react to. They're not mature enough to foresee hazardous
situations. And that leads to injuries or worse, in some cases, fatalities. "
Getting a better handle on the number of agriculture-related injuries and
how they occur is important, Michael emphasized, because that knowledge
may lead to a reduction in accidents.
The National Farm Medicine Center and National Children's Center for
Rural Health and Safety have designed the Cultivate Safety website to
provide easy access to agricultural safety information and resources for
agricultural operators. Check out some of the suggestions offered at
www.cultivatesafety.org to help get a handle on farm safety challenges
your operation faces on a daily basis.
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As
the culmination of a year-long celebration
of its 100th anniversary, Wilbur-Ellis is
launching the " Wilbur-Ellis Innovation Award, "
a program that engages young people in
finding innovative ways to feed a growing
world population and offers a $25,000 award
for the best idea.
Cucumber research could help growers extend
seasons, diversify
The University of Kentucky Controlled
Environment Horticulture Research Unit, the
Owen Lab, is in the midst of a two-year study
to evaluate cucumber varieties for greenhouse
production.
South Georgia migrant farm workers get physical
therapy
For nearly two decades, Georgia State physical
therapy students have come to Moultrie,
Georgia, to treat farmworkers and their
families. These workers make a living doing
hard manual work in the hot sun with little to
no health benefits.
New York vegetable research harvests miniature
crops
The Northern New York Agricultural
Development Program has awarded a grant
for trials of early spring high tunnel miniature
cabbages and sprouting broccoli crops. These
cold-tolerant brassica crops have the potential
to fill the sales gap that occurs between when
winter storage crops are sold out and before
spring field crop harvest begins.
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August 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of August 2021
