Skip to main content
Canadian Family Physician logoLink to Canadian Family Physician
. 1992 Sep;38:2044–2052.

Hazards of Farming

Injury statistics suggest methods of prevention

John Guilfoyle
PMCID: PMC2145506  PMID: 21221275

Abstract

Farming is the most dangerous occupation in the industrialized world. Children, in particular, are at high risk for injury and disability. There is ample scope to improve this situation. Parents are the most important group to be educated. Emergency response services in rural areas are sometimes unable to provide optimum care for victims. Better surveillance methods need to be in place, both to gather information and to evaluate strategies aimed at prevention. Farm safety needs to be higher on the agenda for farmers, farm organizations, government, and health care professionals.

Full text

PDF
2044

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Cogbill T. H., Busch H. M., Jr, Stiers G. R. Farm accidents in children. Pediatrics. 1985 Oct;76(4):562–566. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. DURHAM W. F., WOLFE H. R. Measurement of the exposure of workers to pesticides. Bull World Health Organ. 1962;26:75–91. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Davis J. B., Jr, Howell C. G., Parrish R. A. Childhood farm injury: the role of the physician in prevention. Am Surg. 1988 Apr;54(4):192–194. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Donham K. J., Zavala D. C., Merchant J. Acute effects of the work environment on pulmonary functions of swine confinement workers. Am J Ind Med. 1984;5(5):367–375. doi: 10.1002/ajim.4700050505. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Donham K. J. Zoonotic disease of occupational significance in agriculture: a review. Int J Zoonoses. 1985 Sep;12(3):163–191. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Doyle Y., Moore A. Farm accidents in an Irish county. J R Soc Health. 1989 Aug;109(4):128–130. doi: 10.1177/146642408910900406. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Gilmore K. M., Clemmer T. P., Orme J. F., Jr Commitment to trauma in a low population density area. J Trauma. 1981 Oct;21(10):883–888. doi: 10.1097/00005373-198110000-00009. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Gunderson P., Gerberich S., Gibson R., Adlis S., Carr P., Erdman A., Elkington J., French R., Melton J., True J. Injury surveillance in agriculture. Am J Ind Med. 1990;18(2):169–178. doi: 10.1002/ajim.4700180209. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Haller J. A., Jr, Shorter N., Miller D., Colombani P., Hall J., Buck J. Organization and function of a regional pediatric trauma center: does a system of management improve outcome? J Trauma. 1983 Aug;23(8):691–696. doi: 10.1097/00005373-198308000-00002. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Hallett A. L. Survey of health and safety behaviour of potato farmers in Carleton County, New Brunswick. Can J Public Health. 1987 Sep-Oct;78(5):345–349. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Hogan D. J., Lane P. Dermatologic disorders in agriculture. Occup Med. 1986 Apr-Jun;1(2):285–300. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Howell J. M., Smith E. S. An agricultural accident survey in Alberta, 1970. Can J Public Health. 1973 Jan-Feb;64(1):36–43. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Jansson B., Eriksson C. G. Accident involvement and attitudes towards hazards and countermeasures in a Swedish rural population. Scand J Soc Med. 1990 Jun;18(2):139–142. doi: 10.1177/140349489001800208. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Prowse C. V., Dow R. C., Fink G. A hypothalamic-pituitary system that stimulates the release of plasminogen activator in the rat. Brain Res. 1984 May 7;299(1):133–138. doi: 10.1016/0006-8993(84)90795-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Purschwitz M. A., Field W. E. Scope and magnitude of injuries in the agricultural workplace. Am J Ind Med. 1990;18(2):179–192. doi: 10.1002/ajim.4700180210. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Rivara F. P. Fatal and nonfatal farm injuries to children and adolescents in the United States. Pediatrics. 1985 Oct;76(4):567–573. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Salmi L. R., Weiss H. B., Peterson P. L., Spengler R. F., Sattin R. W., Anderson H. A. Fatal farm injuries among young children. Pediatrics. 1989 Feb;83(2):267–271. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Scott A. R. Occupational high-pressure injection injuries: pathogenesis and prevention. J Soc Occup Med. 1983 Apr;33(2):56–59. doi: 10.1093/occmed/33.2.56. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Shilling S., Brackbill R. M. Occupational health and safety risks and potential health consequences perceived by U.S. workers, 1985. Public Health Rep. 1987 Jan-Feb;102(1):36–46. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Sterling T. D., Arundel A. V. Health effects of phenoxy herbicides. A review. Scand J Work Environ Health. 1986 Jun;12(3):161–173. doi: 10.5271/sjweh.2160. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Stueland D., Zoch T., Stamas P., Jr, Krieg G., Boulet W. The spectrum of emergency care of agricultural trauma in central Wisconsin. Am J Emerg Med. 1990 Nov;8(6):528–530. doi: 10.1016/0735-6757(90)90156-t. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Upholt W. M., Kearney P. C. Pesticides. N Engl J Med. 1966 Dec 22;275(25):1419–1426. doi: 10.1056/NEJM196612222752506. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. West J. G., Trunkey D. D., Lim R. C. Systems of trauma care. A study of two counties. Arch Surg. 1979 Apr;114(4):455–460. doi: 10.1001/archsurg.1979.01370280109016. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Canadian Family Physician are provided here courtesy of College of Family Physicians of Canada

RESOURCES