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Accidental Occupational Farm Fatalities in North Carolina: 1984 to 1988
Author(s) -
Bernhardt Judy Hayes,
Langley Ricky L.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
the journal of rural health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.439
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1748-0361
pISSN - 0890-765X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1748-0361.1992.tb00327.x
Subject(s) - accidental , occupational safety and health , case fatality rate , environmental health , medicine , agriculture , medical examiner , injury prevention , psychological intervention , poison control , geography , demography , medical emergency , population , nursing , physics , archaeology , pathology , sociology , acoustics
Development of interventions to prevent accidental occupational fatalities requires the prior identification of those at risk and the circumstances surrounding the injuries. A survey of unintentional farm fatalities was conducted using medical examiner reports (RIME) and death certificates (MECD) to identify deaths due to agricultural occupational injuries in North Carolina from 1984 through 1988. Of 393 cases, 123 met the criteria “farmer” listed as occupation on the RIME/MECD and/or “victim” in a rural area performing a farming task when injured. A second aim of this study was to use an existing data base to achieve maximum accuracy in identifying true cases of work‐related farm fatalities. A fatality rate of 41/100,000 agricultural workers was found; the National Institutes of Occupational Safety and Health's National Traumatic Occupational Fatality study criteria would have identified only 57 percent of these. Victims were characterized as middle age (53 years), white (76%), male (100%), full‐time farmers (65%). Injury occurred during harvest season on Monday or Tuesday (47%) between 2 and 6 p.m. (54%). Death was pronounced at the scene (74%), with probable cause listed as tractor (62%). Injury location and land elevation were also related, with the mountain region having twice the fatality rate as the coastal plains region.