Fatal Work-Related Injuries in the Agriculture Production Sector Among Youth in the United States, 1992–2002

Abstract

Youth working on farms face unique risks that are not present for many other young workers, including machinery, large animals, electrical hazards, chemical hazards and excessive noise. This research identified the number and rate of occupational fatalities for youth working in the agriculture production industry, which is most closely affiliated with farming, for the years 1992–2002. The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI), developed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), was the database used for the analysis. There were 310 work-related deaths to youth less than 20 years of age from 1992 through 2002 in the agriculture production sector. This compares to 1,958 total fatalities for all workers less than 20 years of age for the same time period. The number of agricultural production fatalities to youth has shown a general downward trend over this time period. The rates were higher for young workers in agriculture production than for young workers in all industries by a factor of 3.6. Fifteen year olds had the highest fatality rates with the crop production sector having a rate six times that of all 15 year old workers. The objective of this descriptive research was to identify, prioritize and publicize the risks to children and youth who work on farms in order to provide public health and safety professionals relevant information upon which to base decisions for interventions or other prevention activities for this priority population. This research also has direct applications for farm parents and safety and health professionals who work with the priority population of young agricultural workers.