Collecting reliable occupational injury data on migrant farmworkers is difficult due to the subjects’ transient lifestyle and reluctance to be observed. To overcome these obstacles, an innovative system of collecting injury and illness data from 10 migrant farmworker health clinics in New York and Pennsylvania was used to identify occupational injury patterns. Data were collected on 693 clinical visits by 473 migrant or seasonal farmworkers working primarily in apple orchards during the 1997, 1998, and 1999 harvest seasons. In total, 517 injuries and occupational illnesses were represented. The most frequently reported problem was muscle strain (163), which represents 31.5 percent of all injuries/illnesses. Eighteen percent of all injuries/illnesses were due to falls (95), and 8.9 percent were due to poison ivy (46). Contributing factors to leading injury/illness categories are identified. Preliminary regional estimates of injury rates for leading injury types are given. Conclusions are that such a surveillance system is feasible for assessing occupational injury patterns among migrant farmworkers. Strains, falls and poison ivy are most commonly observed in the study regions of Eastern and Central New York and South central Pennsylvania. Findings will guide future ergonomic studies and intervention efforts.
Learning Objectives: 1. participants will be able to describe a new surveillance methodology for assessing farmworker injury 2. participants will be able to list the leading types of farmworker occupational injury observed in New YOrk and pennsylvania 3. Participants will be able to name 2 major challenges to researchers in studying farmerworker health and safety 4. Participants will be able to 2 name two major respects in which migrant and seasonal farmwork in the Northeast differs from other regions
Keywords: Migrant Farm Workers, Occupational Safety
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health who sponsors the research
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.