State's farm fatalities fall

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WISH) - For the first time in 13 years, no Hoosier children were killed in farm-related accidents in 2011. Overall, the number of accidents was down, too, according to a report by Purdue University.

The Indiana Farm Fatality Summary states that 16 people died in farm-related incidents in 2011, down from 23 in 2010. That’s about 13 percent of the 122 fatal work injuries documented in the state in 2011 – but less than 1 percent of the state’s work force is in agriculture.

Every year since 1988, at least one person younger than 18 had died in farm-related accidents, the report said; that streak was broken in 2011. And while that was welcome news, one safety expert said it’s not enough.

“We’re moving in the right direction, but every one of these incidents is preventable," said Bill Field, Purdue Extension safety specialist. "We shouldn't just accept this as something no one can do anything about."

Field said he thinks equipment upgrades from older machinery has helped lower the number of farm-related injuries and fatalities in recent years.

"We're seeing a retirement of older machinery. Today's farming units are safer, have better technology, are better guarded and run better overall. Older equipment is being salvaged because of the high price of steel and iron," Field said.

Tractors remained the most significant cause of injury, accounting for 38 percent of reported fatalities, the report said.

Fields also estimated there were nearly 7,000 farm-related injuries in Indiana in 2011, although not that many incidents were reported. Non-fatal incidents are not well documented, but the few reports that were received were severe and involved extended hospital stays.

"From a productivity perspective, these incidents can cost quite a bit of money, and farmers are usually not well insured and have high deductibles. The economic impact for farmers in Indiana is in the millions of dollars. Just a visit to the emergency room can be very expensive," Field said.