Nonfatal farm injuries in eastern Ontario: a retrospective survey

Abstract

A one-year retrospective survey was conducted to study the incidence of, and potential risk factors for farm-related injuries. One hundred thirteen dairy and beef farms in Eastern Ontario were surveyed using a personal interview. Information was collected on demographic characteristics of the farm owner, workers, and family; characteristics of the farm operation; and information on behaviours potentially affecting injury risk. The crude rate of injury was 9.6 per 100 person years. Significantly higher rates of injury were found for: owner-operators of farms (RR = 2.9; p less than 0.001); male sex (RR = 3.8; p less than 0.001); living/working on a beef as opposed to dairy farm (RR = 2.3; p = 0.01); farm owners in the age groups of less than 30 and greater than 70 years (p = 0.05), full-time as opposed to part-time beef farm owners (RR = 4.2; p = 0.02); and full-time owners of beef as opposed to dairy farms (RR 2.4; p = 0.03). Common patterns of injury included accidental falls (E880-8); lacerations, bruises, and crush injuries from working with cattle (E906) or from agricultural machinery (E919.0); and foreign body injuries to the eye (E914). Few injuries were associated with the use of tractors or power take-offs. 82% of injuries, for which medical treatment was sought, were treated in a hospital-based emergency department. This information would support efforts to establish an emergency-department-based surveillance system for farming injuries in our setting.