Farm Machinery and Equipment Safety Part I: Recognizing and Understanding the Hazards

Farming is one of the most dangerous occupations in the United States. Mechanical, chemical, and environmental hazards put agricultural workers at risk for accidents. In 2016 alone, 417 farmers died in work-related accidents. Many of these deaths are due to tractor roll-over and mishaps with other machinery. Additionally, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, "Every day, about 100 agricultural workers suffer a lost-work-time injury."

Machinery such as tractors and power tools pose the greatest injury risk on the farm. Nationwide in 2014 there were over 50,000 disabling injuries in agricultural operations. It is important to be safety-conscious when dealing with any job that requires the use of machinery. Statistics show that the majority of machinery-related accidents occur as the result of human negligence. Errors include taking shortcuts to save time, failure to read the operator's manual, ignoring a warning, improper or lack of instruction, and failure to follow safety rules.

The most commonly utilized pieces of equipment around the farm are tractors, trucks, wagons, mowers, spreaders, grinders, blowers, augers, post hole diggers, shredders, balers, rakes, combines, and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs). No matter how different they are in structure, they all, if used improperly or carelessly, can cause fatalities. Safety statistics show that the majority of farm-related injuries occur between 10 a.m. and noon, with the period between 3 and 5 p.m. second highest. It has been established that these time periods are when fatigue is most likely to occur, and concentration is not as sharp. It is a good practice to take periodic breaks to lessen fatigue. Climbing down off the tractor and walking around for a couple of minutes will help relieve stress and boredom.

Children have the highest rate of machinery-related injuries and fatalities. The 2014 Childhood Agricultural Injury Survey reported 11,942 non-fatal injuries to children under the age of 20. Male children accounted for 58 percent of the victims, and 63 percent of those children lived on the farm. The highest rates of injury were seen between the ages of 10 and 15. The majority of the injuries were on livestock farms—7,048 of the injuries were on livestock farms and 4,935 were on crop farms. The majority of agriculture-related fatalities among children involve machinery (25%), motor vehicles (17%) and drowning (16%). The most common injuries in children involving equipment include: corn or grain augers, tractors, ATVs, power take-offs, belt or chain attachments, hay balers, and pitchforks. In 2001, 31 percent of all youth living and working on a farm had operated an ATV, and ATV related injuries accounted for 10 percent of the non-fatal injuries of children under 20. Because of the seriousness of machinery-related accidents, many injuries result in permanent disabilities such as the loss of an arm, leg, fingers, toes, or a decreased range of motion. More than three-quarters require surgery or antibiotic treatment for bacterial infection or both. Workers over the age of 65 do not have an excessive number of injuries, but the likelihood of an injury being fatal is the greatest.

Machinery and Equipment Storage Buildings

There are numerous precautions that should be observed when storing machinery on the farm. They include:

1. Buildings where machinery and power tools are stored should be located far enough away from structures that house livestock and hay in case of fire.
2. Fuel storage tanks should preferably be located below ground, and a minimum of 40 feet from the nearest structure. (More information on underground storage tanks is available at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's website.) Fuel cannot be stored in the same structure as machinery or power tools. Tanks should be properly vented. If above ground, the area around the tank should be free of litter, weeds, and any fuel spills that could aid in starting or accelerating the spread of a fire. Fuel tanks should be adequately protected from being struck by machinery. An approved 10 B:C fire extinguisher should be located near all fuel pumps and tanks.
3. Electrical lines coming into the building should be high enough to allow equipment to pass underneath.
4. Electrical systems in machine sheds should be sufficient for the power tools and equipment that will require the use of electric current.
5. Electric outlets should be of the three-prong grounded type.
6. Machinery storage buildings should not be used to store debris.
7. Doors on machine sheds should be wide enough for machinery to safely pass through without being caught. Doors also need to pull or slide open and close freely in case of an emergency.
8. Exits should be clearly marked.
9. Doors should be lockable to keep out children and unwanted visitors.
10. Floor surfaces should be level and smooth, free of bumps and protruding rocks.
11. Equipment should be parked so there is enough space for a person to walk completely around it.
12. Buildings should have adequate ventilation for the starting or running of an engine within the structure. Engines should not be left running inside a building for a prolonged period of time unless the exhaust is properly vented.
13. All tools and accessory equipment should be kept picked up and stored in their proper place, e.g., air hoses, oil cans, spare tires, jacks.
14. Keys should always be removed from all equipment or machinery to prevent children or unauthorized people from starting them.
15. Do not allow non-employees inside the machine shed. Children should never be allowed to play around or inside the machine shed or on farm machinery itself.

References

1. Childhood Agricultural Injury Survey. National Estimates of Injuries to All Youth (<20 Years) on US Farms by Source of Injury. 2014. cdc.gov/niosh/topics/childag/cais/pdfs/I-15-508.pdf (PDF)
2. Childhood Agricultural Injury Survey. National Estimates of Injuries to All Youth (<20 Years) on US Farms by Type of Youth and Age Group. 2014. cdc.gov/niosh/topics/childag/cais/pdfs/I-4-508.pdf (PDF)
3. National Agricultural Statistics Service. The 2001 Report on Adult Agricultural—Related Injuries. 2004.
4. National Agricultural Statistics Service. The 2001 Report on Childhood Agricultural—Related Injuries. 2004.
5. National Institute for Farm Safety. A comparison of injuries among youth living on farms in the U.S. from 1998–2001. K. Hendricks, L. Layne, E.M. Goldcamp and J. Myers. 2004.
6. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Agricultural Safety. 2018. cdc.gov/niosh/topics/aginjury/default.html
7. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Injuries among Farm Workers in the United States. 1995.
8. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Non-fatal All-Terrain Vehicle Injuries to Youth on Farms in the U.S. M. Goldcamp, J. Myers, K. Hendricks and L. Layne. 2001.
9. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Childhood Agricultural Injuries in the U.S. 2017. marshfieldresearch.org/Media/Default/NFMC/PDFs/2017 Child Ag Injury Fact Sheet.pdf (PDF)
10. National Safety Council. The Plain Facts about the Agricultural Industry. 2005.
11. Occupational Injury Surveillance of Production Agriculture Survey. National Estimates of Agricultural Work-Related Injuries to Adults (20 Years and Older) on US Farms by Injury Event. 2014. cdc.gov/niosh/topics/aginjury/oispa/pdfs/AI-11-508.pdf (PDF)
12. U.S. Department of Labor. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
13. United States Department of Agriculture. Economic Research Service Briefing Room. 2002.
14. United States Environmental Protection Agency. Underground Storage Tanks (USTs).

This publication was made possible in part by a grant from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Program on Agricultural Health Promotion Systems for New Jersey.

August 2019