The Older Farmer
and Accidents
Each year over three hundred
people age 60 and over are killed in
the United States as the result of
farm-related accidents. The
numbers killed are unique to
agriculture; agriculture is the only
major industry where large
numbers of people age 60 and over
remain active.
A study of accidents involving
farmers over the age of sixty has
been conducted by Purdue
University. The following are some
of their conclusions:
• A significant percentage of
fatal farm accidents occur to older
persons living on farms, operating
tractors or other farm machinery.
Thus, these people run a
significant risk of having a fatal
farm accident.
• Tractor accidents accounted
for the majority of the deaths, with
other machinery accidents second.
• Most deaths occur at the
middle and end of the week.
• The greatest number of ac
cidents occur right before lunch
and right before dinner when a
person is most in need of a break.
• Frequency of accidents is
highest in those months when
seasonal labor demands are
highest.
• Fatal accidents generally
result in instant or quick death;
medical attention must be prompt
if it is to be effective.
Their recommendations were:
• Accident prevention programs
aimed at the older person should
focus on tractor driving and
machinery safety.
• Accident prevention programs
should also focus on the effects of
aging. Emphasis should be placed
on the fact that reactions and
response times are slower, and
balance is impaired, whether a
person realizes it or not.
• Because many persons age 60
and over do not farm alone, but
with a younger family member,
programs should be developed for
younger family members to make
them aware of the problem and to
help them reach the older person.
• Older persons need to be
especially diligent during planting
and harvesting when they may be
called upon for temporary help.
• Older persons should be
especially careful about exceeding
their capacities, due to fatigue
and/or mental or physical
overload, for example.
(From NIFS Paper 86-6, Farm
Related Fatalities Involving
Persons 60 Years of Age and Older,
Purschwitz and Field, Purdue
University).
Unguarded PTO’s Continue
to Claim Lives!
In 1976 OSHA adopted a Machine
Guarding Standard. Most of that
standard applied to new
machinery by requiring
manufacturers to supply certain
guards. However, one aspect of the
standard required guards despite
of the age of the equipment.
Unguarded power-take-off shafts
(PTO) were deemed dangerous
enough to warrant requiring
remanufacturing of shields to fit
old equipment.
Ten years later we are still
suffering losses due to unguarded
PTO’s.
Case Histories
Case 1
A 10-year-old boy died instantly
as a result of massive mutilation
as he attempted to jump from a
fence line feed bunk to the drawbar
of a moving tractor and feed
wagon being operated by his
father. The father reported that he
had never known of any shielding
being in place on the implement
input driveline, but that there was
a master shield in place on the
tractor being used at the time.
Case 2
In the early fall, the wife of a
Purdue Univ. Examines Farm Safety
part-time farmer was killed as she
tried to help her son operate a post
hole digger. She died from a
crushed chest and internal injuries
which resulted when her nylon
jacket became entangled as she
was attempting to apply downward
force on the frame of the digger.
Hie son had just performed this
action and was going around the
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tractor to increase the speed when
he noticed his mother pushing
down on the frame and told her to
stop. At this time the front of her
coat wrapped around the bare
implement input driveline shaft.
Though the tractor was running at
idle speed, and the son was able to
shut the engine off almost im
mediately, the jacket had wrapped
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tightly enough to (dll the woman.
There was no shielding supplied
with the implement input driveline
when purchased new by the
husband and none had ever been
installed. The master shield on the
rear of the tractor was also
missing at the time of the accident.
This year’s Farm Safety Week is
September 21*27. The theme is “Be
KELLER BROS.
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VJ-.1
I 1
Protected from the Unexpected.”
Between now and September m^ c
guarding PTO’s and putting roU
over protective structures (HOPS)
on all your equipment a number
one priority.
(Case studies from NIPS Paper
86-2, Summary of On-Farm PTQ.
Related Fatalities, Campbell and
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