Assessment of Iowa farmers' perceptions about auger safety

A survey of Iowa farmers was conducted to assess the farmers' perceptions and beliefs regarding auger safety and how these perceptions are put into practice. A questionnaire was designed to obtain information on the following auger-related topics: recognition of safe practices and appropriate shielding, personal practices and behaviors, risk perception, and personal beliefs. A random sample of 400 Iowa farmers (arrayed by county) was selected to be representative of Iowa farms. The response to the mailed survey was 23%. Some returned surveys were eliminated because the respondent was retired or did not own/operate augers, resulting in 57 usable questionnaires. Survey responses indicate that the majority of Iowa farmers who participated in this study can correctly identify appropriate shielding for auger intake that meet or exceed ASAE standards. Survey responses suggest that it is common practice in Iowa for youth (age 13 to 19) to operate augers. Iowa farmers in this study perceive the most important contributing factors to auger-related injuries to be operating an auger without shielding, failure to pay attention on the job, moving augers in a raised position, and using hand or feet to redirect the flow of grain. Survey results also indicate that carelessness is perceived to be the leading cause of auger-related injuries, and that auger related injuries can be avoided by having respect for the equipment, being careful, and using common sense. The results also show that the Iowa farmers who participated in this study commonly perform auger-related practices (e.g., moving an auger in a raised position) that they identify as being unsafe.     

An insight into the grain auger injury problem in Queensland, Australia

Grain auger-related injuries were studied by examining the injury data obtained from the Queensland worker's compensation database. Close to 60% of 52 claimants were male employees in the 20 to 34 age group. Fingers, hands, and arms were affected in 65% of all cases, and the auger flighting was involved in 60% of claims. The severity of auger-related injuries is reflected in the high average cost of claims and number of working days lost, which were more than double the all-industries values. Injuries involving the auger flighting are three times more costly (in time and money) than the all-industries values. More claims were made during winter and towards the end of summer, with the majority of injuries occurring in the animal industries. Most incidents occurred in the early or middle periods of a working shift. In addition, two focus group meetings were held to gain a broader perspective of the grain auger injury picture in Queensland, Australia. Focus group participants suggested that the operator's state of mind and attitude to safety are important, while the auger's age, type, and shielding were cited as important risk factors. They suggested that older augers are less likely to be adequately shielded, and mobile augers are most likely to be involved in injury events. The information gained from this study is being used to develop strategies to help farmers minimize injuries associated with the use of grain augers.     

Case reports of on-site investigations of auger-related farm injuries

Previous reports have indicated that injuries involving augers (screw conveyors) are a serious problem in agriculture, but to date on-site engineering inspections linking injuries to mechanical and procedural aspects have not been available. This article details four events involving injuries as the result of being entangled in auger flighting. In each report, the circumstances surrounding the injury event are outlined, and the machinery involved is evaluated in terms of its compliance with current safety standards. In three of the four instances, the machinery did not conform to current guarding standards or to safety sign standards. In these three cases, injuries were preventable with improved guarding according to ASAE Standards. In the other case, the machine complied with ASAE Standards, but the injury could have been prevented with improved guarding of the auger flighting.     

Agricultural injuries among operation household members: RRIS-II 1999

The purpose of this study was to determine the magnitude and consequences of agricultural injuries, and to reveal potential risk factors among agricultural household members. The Regional Rural Injury Study (RRIS-II) collected injury and exposure data on agricultural households of 16,538 people in Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska for each six-month period of 1999. Adjusted injury rates, consequences, and potential risk factors were identified through analyses. Selection of variables for multivariate analyses was based on a causal model. Injuries reported here occurred while the individuals were involved in activities associated with their own farm or ranch, unless otherwise stated. Estimates of injury rates and the effects of various exposures were derived by Poisson and logistic regression. These models accounted for correlation within both subject and household, and were adjusted for non-response. The rate of agricultural injury to household members on their own operation was 74.5 injuries per 1,000 persons per year. Differences in rates due to age and gender diminished when rates were calculated according to hours worked. Although only 5% of injured persons required in-patient hospitalization, 28% required emergency department treatment, and 84% required some type of professional health care. Moreover, 47% of all injuries required time off from agricultural work, and 7% required time off from non-agricultural work. In multivariate analyses, decreased risks were associated with Minnesota, and increased risks were identified for those with prior injuries and for males.This study provides a basis for further research on agricultural injuries and their prevention.     

Effect of age on hospitalized machine-related farm injuries among the Saskatchewan farm population

Machinery-related injuries are the leading cause of fatal and hospitalized injuries on Canadian farms. In Saskatchewan, the proportion of all farm injuries related to farm machinery exceeds that reported for all of Canada. This project examined the relationship between age and various factors associated with farm machine-related injuries in Saskatchewan. A retrospective review of hospital discharge data from the administrative data set of Saskatchewan Health was conducted using external cause of injury codes to identify cases of farm machinery injury that occurred in Saskatchewan during the period April 1, 1990, to March 31, 2000. Log linear estimates of association of various factors in four age groups were derived. There were 1,493 hospitalizations attributed to farm machinery-related injuries. Among the injured cohort, age was a predictor of the rate of injury. Significant association for nature of injury, mechanism of injury, and type of machine varied by age group. These data provide insights for a case-control study of farm machinery-related injuries with the objective of determining personal, environmental, and machine-related factors that are responsible for this serious public health issue.     

Analysis of 151 agricultural driveline-related incidents resulting in fatal and non-fatal injuries to U.S. children and adolescents under age 18 from 1970 through 2004

Agricultural driveline-related incidents have been identified as an important cause of farm-related injury resulting in death and permanently disabling conditions to children and adolescents. A database of driveline-related injuries, including both PTO drivelines and secondary shafts and drivelines on agricultural equipment, developed at Purdue University was mined to identify all cases involving children and adolescents under age 18 who had been involved in a driveline-related incident from 1970 through 2004. Although these incidents did not account for a high percentage of all childhood farm-related injuries, this age group was found to make up nearly one in four documented agricultural driveline incidents. Of the 685 cases in the database with known ages, 151 were identified as youth under age 18. Findings indicated that these incidents often resulted in catastrophic injuries including amputation, spinal cord injuries, and compound bone fractures. Over the period studied, the trend in documented cases is declining, with recent years reporting below the yearly average and 2004 reporting no fatalities. Youth, primarily males, age 13 had the highest frequency of incidents, and over 50% of all cases occurred to youth ages 12 to 17. Fall was identified as the season with the most reported incidents. Amputations were documented in nearly 50% of all cases, and augers, elevators, and conveyors were the machines most frequently identified as being involved in the incident. Recommendations and strategies that specifically target the childhood injury problem related to agricultural drivelines are provided.     

Injuries in the Iowa Certified Safe Farm Study

The aims of this article are to assess injury characteristics and risk factors in the Iowa Certified Safe Farm (CSF) program and to evaluate the effectiveness of CSF for reducing injuries. This intervention program includes a health screening, on-farm safety review, education, and monetary incentives. Cohorts of farmers in an intervention group (n = 152) and control group (n = 164) in northwestern Iowa were followed for a three-year period. During the follow-up, there were 318 injuries (42/100 person-years), of which 112 (15/100 person-years) required professional medical care. The monetary cost of injuries was $51,764 ($68 per farm per year). There were no differences in the self-reported injury rates and costs between the intervention and control groups. Raising livestock, poor general health, and exposures to dust and gas, noise, chemicals and pesticides, and lifting were among risk factors for injury. Most injuries in this study were related to animals, falls from elevation, slips/trips/falls, being struck by or struck against objects, lifting, and overexertion. Machinery was less prominent than generally reported in the literature. Hurry, fatigue, or stress were mentioned as the primary contributing factor in most injuries. These findings illustrate the need for new interventions to address a multitude of hazards in the farm work environment as well as management and organization of farm work.     

Traumatic injuries in agriculture

The National Coalition for Agricultural Safety and Health (NCASH) in 1988 addressed issues in agriculture and noted "a sense of urgency... arose from the recognition of the unabating epidemic of traumatic death and injury in American farming . . ." This article provides an update to the NCASH conference on traumatic injuries in agriculture, a history on how the facts and figures were arrived at for the NCASH conference, and a current report on the status of traumatic injuries in agriculture in the U.S. Fatal and nonfatal injuries are addressed along with national and regional surveillance systems. The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) was used for reporting national agricultural production fatal injuries from 1992-1998 (25.8 deaths per 100,000 workers), the Traumatic Injury Surveillance of Farmers (TISF) 1993-1995 was used to report nonfatal injuries occurring nationally (7.5/100 workers), and Regional Rural Injury Studies I and II (RRIS-I and RRIS-II) were used to illustrate a regional approach along with in-depth, specific analyses. Fatality rates, which showed some decline in the 1980s, were fairly constant during the 1990s. Changes in nonfatal injury rates for this sector could not be assessed due to a lack of benchmark data. The main concerns identified in the 1989 NCASH report continue today: tractors are the leading cause of farm-related death due mostly to overturns; older farmers continue to be at the highest risk for farm fatalities; and traumatic injuries continue to be a major concern for youth living or working on U.S. farms. Fatal and nonfatal traumatic injuries associated with agricultural production are a major public health problem that needs to be addressed through comprehensive approaches that include further delineation of the problem, particularly in children and older adults, and identification of specific risk factors through analytic efforts. Continued development of relevant surveillance systems and implementation of appropriate interventions are the primary challenges for the current decade.     

Measurement of operator exposure to power take-off driven augers

Prior studies at Purdue University have shown that PTO entanglements occur most frequently on portable grain augers. A research project was conducted to measure operator exposure to PTO components and document work patterns during the use of grain augers. Information on the methodologies used to measure operator exposure is presented along with data on exposure to conventional grain augers while unloading from trucks and wagons, extended dump hopper augers, and swing-away hopper augers. It was found that operators had a higher exposure time to operating PTO components when the driveline was located on the right side of the grain auger, as one stands facing the hopper end of the auger, than on the left side of the grain auger when using conventional grain augers and grain trucks. It was determined that this added exposure was due to the position of the driver's door of the truck, the natural path of the driver from the operator's seat to the rear of the truck, and the movement of the truck body into the workspace when tilted. Of all scenarios examined, operators had the highest exposure time when using conventional grain augers and gravity-flow grain wagons. Operators had no recorded exposure time when operating swing-away hopper augers. Recommendations were made based on the observations of this study for reducing operator exposure through increased awareness of hazards and reconfiguration of the way augers are incorporated into grain handling operations.     

Safety assessments of agricultural machinery in Iran

Serious agriculture-related accidents are increasing in Iran, and this has come to the attention of authorities and planners. Due to the lack of data for this region of the world, research was conducted in different states of Iran to assess the most common causes of agriculture-related injuries. The relevant factors were divided into the three groups: personal, mechanical, and environmental. The major personal factors were education level, age, experience, injured limb, hospitalization period, gender, injury level, training, working hours, and insurance. The mechanical factors were machine type, machine part, mechanism of injury, machine's effective life, work activity at the time of injury, safety equipment, and insurance. The environmental factors were time of incident, geographical conditions of the accident location, and the time lapse between the accident and arrival at the hospital. The interactions between the various factors were also analyzed. All data were collected directly from farmers or their relatives. Data collection efforts were led by an official from the nearest health center or the local government agricultural office. The results indicated that 53% of injuries were related to personal factors, and 40% were related to the combination of personal and mechanical factors. The results confirmed that tractors and rotating parts were associated with the highest percentage of injuries in machine-related accidents. Lack of safety equipment and working beyond effective machine life was also observed in most cases. Personal factors need to be carefully considered in this region; insufficient levels of education and training were the main personal factors related to agricultural accidents. The results suggest that experience without training does not prevent injury, as more than 80% of injuries occurred to individuals with no training. Statistical analysis confirmed a significant effect of safety equipment and training on injuries. This study showed that agricultural injuries were severe in 60% of cases.     

Management as a risk factor for farm injuries

The organizational injury theory focusing on management issues could provide new viewpoints on causes and prevention of injuries in agriculture. The objective of this study was to test whether the quality of farm management is associated with farm injuries. A cohort of 134 farms was used to examine the relationship between farm injuries and selected management, farm, and farm operator characteristics. The number of machines and musculoskeletal disorders were found to be risk factors for injuries (RR = 2.34, 95% CI 1.27-4.31, and RR = 1.75, 95% CI 1.14-2.69). Management quality (significant work delays) was associated with injuries (RR = 1.59, 95% CI 1.00-2.52) in univariable analysis but not in the multivariable model. Although the results for the association between injury and management quality were not conclusive, this line of research should be continued.     

Desiccation of white spruce seedlings planted in the southern boreal forest of British Columbia

Three consecutive years of seedling injury evaluation data from two research sites established in the southern part of British Columbia boreal forest are presented. In 2 out of 3 years the injury was substantial. Planted white spruce is injured during its first overwintering while naturally established seedlings are not. A brief summary of 1992/93 post-winter assessments of 1-year old operationally established plantations is also presented. Most of the injury is sustained in late March and April. Microclimatic records indicate that desiccation is the main cause of observed injury. Prompt dehydration and severe injury resulted from exposing seedlings to controlled environment conditions similar but less harsh than those recorded in late March and April on monitored forest sites. Positioning of young roots of planted seedlings deep in the soil is viewed as a factor contributing to the injury.     

Risk factors for occupational injuries among full-time farmers in Finland

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the frequency of and farm management-related risk factors for occupational injuries among full-time farmers. A computer-assisted telephone interview was conducted among randomly selected self-employed full-time farmers (n = 1182; 911 male and 271 female), The response rate was 86%. Two-thirds of the respondents raised dairy or beef cattle. Nearly 16% of the farmers had experienced one or more occupational injuries requiring medical consultation during the past 12 months; the total number of such injuries was 222. Injuries were more common among male (17 injuries/100 person-years) than female farmers (13 injuries/ 100 person-years). The injuries occurred most frequently in animal husbandry work (n = 97). Falling or slipping was the most common mechanism of injury. Poisson regression with a stepwise (forward) model selection procedure identified the following risk factors for occupational injuries: male gender, younger age, cooperation with other farmers, perceived high accident risk, and stress symptoms. The adjusted rate ratios for these risk factors ranged from 1.40 to 1.96. This study indicates that interventions are needed, particularly among male farmers in their early years of full-time farm operation. At this stage of life, heavy financial burden and stress while establishing and expanding production may contribute to injuries. To reduce stress and related injuries, we recommend guidance for farmers regarding the organization and management of farm work.     

A community-based telephone survey of work and injuries in teenage agricultural workers

In order to estimate the one-year cumulative incidence of work-related injuries in teenage agricultural workers and to characterize the patterns and types of agricultural work performed by teenagers, we performed a community-based random-digit dialing telephone survey. We used a sampling frame of farm and non-farm households to access information on teenage agricultural workers. An agricultural community in eastern Washington State was selected due to the high number of teenage youth and its agricultural economy. Teenage agricultural workers who worked for an agricultural business owned by one of their family members were more likely to work a greater number of seasons, work fewer hours per week, perform tasks involving driving, animal care, and mechanic work, and were less likely to be seasonal workers or work in the harvest than teenagers who did not work for a family member. A similar pattern of work differences was seen when comparing non-Hispanic to Hispanic agricultural workers. Teenagers working for a family member in agriculture had a higher injury rate than teenagers working for an agricultural business not owned by a family member. The injury rate among Hispanic teenage agricultural workers was also higher than that of non-Hispanics.     

Health risk behaviors and work injury among hispanic adolescents and farmworkers

Adolescents may engage in health risk behaviors that increase their likelihood of injury. Employment places adolescents at risk of work-related injuries. This study responds to the paucity of data on the relationship between adolescent health risk behaviors and work-related injury. This cross-sectional study included the administration of anonymous surveys to ninth graders (n=4914) who attended high schools in south Texas. An aggregate risk score (ARS) was developed based on health risk behaviors. The ARS was analyzed as an outcome using linear regression. Associations between health risk behaviors and work-related injury were assessed with logistic regression. Of the respondents, 19% reported they had a job, and 14% reported that they had been employed in farmwork. Farmwork-related injury was reported by 9% of adolescents, and 12% reported other work-related injury. Mean ARS scores were significantly higher (p < 0.05) for both male and female adolescents who reported a work-related injury compared to nonworking adolescents, and for males who had done migrant farmwork compared to all other adolescent males. The ARS increased as hours worked per week increased. After controlling for confounding factors, a statistically significant association was found between ARS and non-farmwork, work-related injury, but not between ARS and farmwork-related injury. Farmworkers with high ARS were more likely to report non-farmwork, work-related injuries. The predictors of work-related injury in the adolescent groups, particularly for farmworkers and migrants who are under additional stress, remain an important occupational health area to be addressed.     

Sulphur dioxide injury to vegetation in the vicinity of a sulphite pulp and paper mill

This paper documents vegetation injury caused by SO₂ emissions from a sulphite pulp and paper mill located in Ontario. Acute vegetation injury caused by SO₂ was correlated with increased levels of S within injured vegetation, meteorological data, and air sampling records of SO₂ monitored by a continuous recorder located adjacent to the vegetation injury zone. The symptoms of injury observed on plants within the injury zone were described, and the relative sensitivity to SO₂ was determined for 75 plant species in the area.     

Stoichiometric patterns of soil carbon,nitrogen, and phosphorus in farmland of the Poyang Lake region in Southern China

Journal of Soils and Sediments - Previous studies have reported the occurrence of a Redfield-type ratio (e.g., C/N/P, C/N, C/P, or N/P) between C, N, and P concentrations in marine and (in part)...     

Interactive effect of tillage depth and mulch on soil temperature, productivity and water use pattern of rainfed barley (Hordium vulgare L.)

Soil porosity and organic matter content influence the hydrology, thermal status and productivity of agricultural soils. Shape, size and continuity of soil pores are determined by tillage practices. Thus appropriate tillage and mulch management can conserve residual soil moisture during the post rainy season. This can play a key role in enhancing productivity under the rainfed ecosystem of subhumid region in eastern India. A field study was carried out on a fine loamy soil from 1993–1994 to 1995–1996. Two tillage treatments were conventional ploughing (150 mm depth) and shallow ploughing (90 mm) depth. Each tillage practice was tested with three mulch management viz., no mulch, soil dust mulch and rice (Oryza sativa L.) straw mulch. Soil organic carbon, bulk density, moisture retentivity, soil temperature with productivity and water use pattern of barley (Hordium vulgare L.) were measured.Reduction in ploughing depth resulted in nominal increase in profile (0.0–1.2 m) moisture status, yield, and soil thermal status at 14:00 and water use efficiency (WUE). However, it decreased the magnitude of soil temperature in the morning (07:00). Straw mulch conserved 19–21 mm of moisture in the profile (1.2 m) over the unmulched condition. Both soil dust and rice straw mulching elevated soil thermal status at 07:00 as compared to unmulched condition, but this trend was reversed at 14:00. Straw mulching significantly increased grain yield and WUE over soil dust mulch and unmulched condition. Impact of straw mulch was more pronounced under shallow ploughing depth. Shallow tillage with rice straw mulching is recommended to the farmers to obtain higher level of yield and water use efficiency.