ABSTRACT

Purpose: Tractor rollovers, machine entanglements, and falls have consistently resulted in high rates of fatal and nonfatal injury on farms. While rates continue to be high, we know very little about how compliant machinery and equipment are with recommended safety standards. This study examined compliance with recommended safety standards among 31 farms in Iowa.

Methods: We developed a hazard assessment tool to evaluate agricultural injury hazards on farms. We enrolled 31 row crop farms in Iowa between August and October, 2019. Data collection included an interview with the farm owner or operator and an environmental assessment of safety hazards. We graded various hazards associated with tractors, entanglements, and falls using measures of compliance to recommended safety standards. We also examined the prevalence of injury to owners or operators, family members, contract farmworkers, and hired farm hands.

Results/Findings: More than half (52%) of the farm workers experienced an injury that resulted in medical attention. Among the 31 farms enrolled, there were three fatalities related to farm work, all of which occurred among owners or operators. We found that 87% of farms were compliant with roll-over protective structures (ROPS), and 71% of farms had a seatbelt in good working condition. For power take-off (PTO) powered implements, 16% of farms were compliant with PTO guards. For fixed implements, such as augers, grain dryers, and bench grinders, 48% of farms were compliant with recommended safety standards. Approximately two-thirds of farms were compliant with ladder safety, and 45% were compliant with having handrails at working elevations.

Practical Application: Many of the tractors and other hazardous equipment were present and mostly compliant with recommended safety standards. However, there is clearly a need for improved compliance with recommended safety standards among specific hazardous equipment on the farm. Our hazard assessment tool provides farmers and other stakeholders with an opportunity to systematically and comprehensively evaluate compliance to recommended safety standards.

摘要

目的：拖拉机翻滚，机器缠结和跌落一直导致农场的致命和非致命伤害率很高。尽管费率一直很高，但是我们对机器和设备如何符合建议的安全标准知之甚少。这项研究检查了爱荷华州31个农场对建议的安全标准的遵守情况。

方法：我们开发了危害评估工具来评估农场的农业伤害危害。我们在2019年8月至10月之间在爱荷华州注册了31个排田农场。数据收集包括与农场主或经营者的访谈以及对安全危害的环境评估。我们使用符合建议的安全标准的措施对与拖拉机，卷入和坠落有关的各种危险进行了分级。我们还检查了对所有者或经营者，家庭成员，合同农业工人和雇用的农场工人造成伤害的普遍性。

结果/发现：一半以上（52％）的农场工人受伤，导致医疗护理。在所登记的31个农场中，有3起与农场工作有关的死亡事故，均在所有者或经营者中发生。我们发现87％的农场符合翻转保护结构（ROPS），71％的农场的安全带状况良好。对于取力器（PTO）供电的机具，有16％的农场符合PTO防护装置的要求。对于固定工具，例如螺旋钻，谷物干燥机和台式粉碎机，有48％的农场符合建议的安全标准。大约三分之二的农场符合梯子安全标准，而45％的农场在工作海拔高度上符合扶手标准。

实际应用：存在许多拖拉机和其他危险设备，并且大多数都符合建议的安全标准。但是，显然需要在农场中的特定危险设备中更好地遵守建议的安全标准。我们的危害评估工具为农民和其他利益相关者提供了系统地，全面地评估对建议安全标准的遵守情况的机会。