How dangerous is farm work?
Contrary to the popular image of fresh air
and peaceful surroundings, a farm is not a
hazard-free work setting. Every year, thousands
of farm workers are injured and hundreds
more die in farming accidents. According to
the National Safety Council, agriculture is the
most hazardous industry in the nation.
What are health and safety
hazards on farms?
Farm workers—including farm families and
migrant workers—are exposed to hazards such
as the following:
¦ Chemicals/Pesticides
¦ Cold
¦ Dust
¦ Electricity
¦ Falls
¦ Grain bins
¦ Hand tools
¦ Highway traffic
¦ Lifting
¦ Livestock handling
¦ Machinery/Equipment
¦ Medical Care – Hospitals and emergency
medical care are typically not readily accessible
in rural areas near farms.
What can I do to improve safety
on my farm?
You can start by increasing your awareness of
farming hazards and making a conscious effort to
prepare for emergency situations including fires,
vehicle accidents, electrical shocks from equipment
and wires, and chemical exposures. Be especially
alert to hazards that may affect children and
the elderly. And minimize hazards by carefully
selecting products you buy to ensure that you
provide good tools and equipment. Always use
seat belts when operating tractors, and establish
and maintain good housekeeping practices.
Here are some other steps you can take to
reduce illnesses and injuries on your farm:
¦ Read and follow instructions in equipment
operator’s manuals and on product labels.
¦ Inspect equipment routinely for problems that
may cause accidents.
¦ Discuss safety hazards and emergency
procedures with your workers.
¦ Install approved rollover protective structures,
protective enclosures, or protective frames on
farm tractors.
¦ Make sure guards on farm equipment are
replaced after maintenance.
¦ Review and follow instructions in material
safety data sheets (MSDSs) and on labels that
come with chemical products and communicate
information on these hazards to your workers.
¦ Take precautions to prevent entrapment and
suffocation caused by unstable surfaces of
grain storage bins, silos, or hoppers. Never
“walk the grain.”
¦ Be aware that methane gas, carbon dioxide,
ammonia, and hydrogen sulfide can form in
unventilated grain silos and manure pits and
can suffocate or poison workers or explode.
¦ Take advantage of safety equipment, such as
bypass starter covers, power take-off master
shields, and slow-moving vehicle emblems.
¦ Manure pits
¦ Mud
¦ Noise
¦ Ponds
¦ Silos
¦ Slips/Trips
¦ Sun/Heat
¦ Toxic gases
¦ Tractors
¦ Wells
What factors are associated
with a higher risk of injury
and illness on the farm?
The following factors may increase risk for
farm workers:
¦ Age – Injury rates are highest among children
age 15 and under and adults over 65.
¦ Equipment and Machinery – Most farm
accidents and fatalities involve machinery.
Proper machine guarding and equipment
maintenance according to manufacturers
recommendations can help prevent accidents.
¦ Protective Equipment – Using protective
equipment, such as seat belts on tractors,
and personal protective equipment (such as
safety gloves, coveralls, boots, hats, aprons,
goggles, face shields) could significantly reduce
farming injuries.
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What are the benefits of improved
safety and health practices?
Better safety and health practices reduce
worker fatalities, injuries, and illnesses as well as
associated costs such as workers’ compensation
insurance premiums, lost production, and
medical expenses. A safer and more healthful
workplace improves morale and productivity.
How can I get more information
on safety and health?
For more information about farm safety,
visit OSHA at www.osha-slc.gov/SLTC/
agriculturaloperations, the National Safety
Council at www.nsc.org/farmsafe/facts.htm,
the Environmental Protection Agency at
http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/safety/
workers/workers.htm, and the Centers for
Disease Control at www.cdc.gov/nasd/menu/
topic/topic.html. In addition, OSHA has
various publications, standards, technical
assistance, and compliance tools to help you,
and offers extensive assistance through
workplace consultation, voluntary protection
programs, strategic partnerships, alliances,
state plans, grants, training, and education.
OSHA’s Safety and Health Program Management
Guidelines ( Federal Register 54:3904–3916,
January 26, 1989) detail elements critical to the
development of a successful safety and health
management system. This and other information
are available on OSHA’s website.
¦ For one free copy of OSHA publications,
send a self-addressed mailing label to OSHA
Publications Office, 200 Constitution Avenue
N.W., N-3101, Washington, DC 20210; or
send a request to our fax at (202) 693 –2498,
or call us toll-free at (800) 321–OSHA.
¦ To order OSHA publications online at
www.osha.gov, go to Publications and
follow the instructions for ordering.
¦ To file a complaint by phone, report an
emergency, or get OSHA advice, assistance,
or products, contact your nearest OSHA
office under the U.S. Department of Labor
listing in your phone book, or call toll-free at
(800) 321– OSHA (6742). The teletypewriter
(TTY) number is (877) 889 –5627.
¦ To file a complaint online or obtain more
information on OSHA federal and state
programs, visit OSHA’s website.
This is one in a series of informational fact sheets highlighting
OSHA programs, policies, or standards. It does not impose
any new compliance requirements. For a comprehensive list of
compliance requirements of OSHA standards or regulations,
refer to Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations. This information
will be made available to sensory-impaired individuals
upon request. The voice phone is (202) 693–1999. See also
OSHA’s website at www.osha.gov.
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