What are the Most Common Injuries to Agricultural Workers?

Farming may seem like an idyllic occupation, but the ability to work with agriculture and animals belies the dangers of the job. Agricultural work ranks among the most dangerous, with a very high risk for both fatal and nonfatal injury despite a number of comprehensive safety regulations having been put in place to reduce them.

Hundreds of farmers and farmworkers die each year from a work-related injury, and every day roughly 100 agricultural workers suffer an injury that results in needing time away from work.

The most common injuries are a result of vehicle accidents and particularly tractor rollovers, but injuries also result from the use of equipment, heat exposure, falls, strains and sprains, exposure to pesticides and more.

The most common injuries to agricultural workers include:

• Vehicles – Roughly half of the nation’s annual agricultural fatalities are caused by rollovers and other vehicular accidents, and there are also numerous injuries incurred as a result of vehicle rollovers and collisions.
• Heat illness – Workers are frequently exposed to hot and humid conditions, and when this is combined with heavy work tasks or wearing heavy protective clothing, the results can be deadly.
• Ladders and falls – Agricultural workers have a higher rate of nonfatal fall-related injuries than do workers in the transportation, mining or manufacturing industry, and roughly 40 agricultural workers die each year from these falls.
• Sprains and strains – Whether working with crops or animals, many agricultural workers are vulnerable to repetitive stress injuries, sprains and strains from heavy lifting, pushing and pulling, and injuries from prolonged awkward postures.
• Equipment and machinery – The equipment essential to agricultural work can be extremely dangerous. Tools such as knives and hoes and machinery such as threshers and power tools are all dangerous when not properly maintained or used according to instructions.
• Grain bins and silos – Workers can easily become trapped in grain bins and silos that are being filled, and this leaves them vulnerable to both suffocation and grain dust exposures that can cause significant respiratory problems.
• Unsanitary conditions – There is a notable lack of clean drinking water, handwashing facilities and sanitation in farm environments. This leaves workers at risk for disease from germs and parasites, as well as urinary tract infections due to urine retention and poisoning from agricultural products.

Agricultural workers are entitled to workers’ compensation for injuries suffered on the job. For information about filing a claim, contact our office to set up an appointment.