Objective: Identify injury risks and protective behaviors of teens engaged in farm work. Method: In 1999-2000, high school agricultural students in Kentucky, Iowa and Mississippi (n=1,127) participated in a NIOSH-sponsored injury prevention project (AgDARE). Students completed surveys that included questions about farm residency; participation in farm work; occupational exposures to machinery, noise and dust; and safety behaviors. The 861 youths who reported working on farms constituted the sample for this analysis. Results: Gender and age: 74% male; 26% female; mean age 15.5. Grade level: ninth, 46.8 %; tenth, 26.5%; eleventh, 13.8%; twelfth, 12.9%. Although 64.8% reported driving tractors, only 53% had ever driven a ROPS-equipped tractor. 42 students (4.9%) had overturned a tractor; 15 of those were injured. 69.1% had used power-driven (PTO) equipment; of those, 26.9% had stepped over rotating PTO's, and 42% had used equipment with missing or damaged PTO shields. 11 participants reported a PTO-induced injury. 71.8% worked in dusty surroundings, but only 14.4% had ever used a respirator. 20% reported trouble breathing after doing dusty jobs. 85% reported working in noisy environments: only 27.4% had ever used any type of hearing protection. Conclusions: Teens who work on farms are exposed to high-risk environments that can prove fatal or result in permanent disability. Teens should be the target of intervention strategies that aim to reduce injury risks and promote use of protective equipment.
Learning Objectives: Indentify injury risks and safety behaviors of teens engaged in farm work
Keywords: Adolescents, Agricultural Work Safety
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: University of Kentucky
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: employment at the University of Kentucky