Farm Worker Injuries Associated with Cows

Abstract

recent overview of agricultural occupational safety and health hazards reported the incidence of trauma due to farm animals as "unknown" (OSHA, 1994), possibly due to the attention given to machine related injuries. A study based on National Safety Council data estimated that animal induced injuries amount to 16.9% of all farm work injuries (Purschwitz, 1990). However, in a recent dairy farming study, 32% of injuries were reported as animal related (Pratt, 1992). Among hospitalized victims of agricultural injury, 3% of long term disabilities resulted from farm animal injuries (Cogbill, 1985). Thus, animal related injuries in the agricultural workplace are common and potentially serious.Another study found 61 of 70 (87%) animal related occupational injuries among farm residents were caused by cows (Layde, 1996). During the period from 1991 to 1996, the Occupational Health Nurses in Agricultural Communities (OHNAC) surveillance program* in New

Livestock-Handling Related Injuries and Deaths

“…There have been many local or regional surveys that have looked at risk to farm animal handlers (Stallones, 1990;Brison & Lawrence, 1992;Pratt et al, 1992;Waller, 1992;Zhou & Roseman, 1994;Layde et al, 1996;Boyle et al, 1997;Casey et al, 1997a;Casey et al, 1997b;Hwang et al, 2001;Sprince et al, 2003;Douphrate et al, 2009). Most of the studies show that livestock handling activities are the second or third leading cause of injuries on the farm, causing from 12% to 24% of farm injuries.…”

Are animal-related injuries in rural areas a social problem? A survey from Poland

“…Studies have been conducted for better understanding the main causes of accidents in agriculture [11][12][13]. According to Swedish research, there are three defined factors that influence risk and safety during contact and working with animals: the human (handler), the animal (cattle), and the facilities.…”

Worker Injuries Involving the Interaction of Cattle, Cattle Handlers, and Farm Structures or Equipment

“…For instance, Douphrate et al (2006Douphrate et al ( , 2009 found that cattle-handling injuries in Colorado often occurred when dairy workers were either kicked or stepped on while milking. Similarly, Casey et al (1997b) found that dairy workers in New York State were frequently injured while washing udders or attaching milking equipment. These findings raise the possibility that injuries might be prevented through the redesign of milking equipment and procedures.…”

“…In beef and dairy settings overall, injuries have been especially common where workers and cattle are crowded together in barns, alleys, and pens (Casey et al, 1997a(Casey et al, , 1997bDouphrate et al, 2006Douphrate et al, , 2009Grandin, 1997). This realization has led to calls for improved physical barriers and new work procedures designed to keep cattle calm and separated from their handlers (Grandin, 1997;NCR-197, 2003).…”

“…In fact, Douphrate et al (2009) recommended that "injury prevention efforts should be directed at livestock-handling facility and equipment design" (pp. 404-405), and Casey et al (1997aCasey et al ( , 1997b stated that improved facilities and work practices could prevent many injuries.…”