Agriculture-related injuries in the parkland region of Manitoba

Abstract

Objective: To review a series of farm injuries in the parkland region of Manitoba, compare the collected data to similar studies, and provide a baseline for deriving effective preventive measures for the local community.

Design: Retrospective case study involving review of hospital charts.

Setting: The population studied was derived from the catchment area for Dauphin General Hospital, a referral centre servicing an agricultural region of 57,000 people.

Patients: Seventy-two patients were admitted to hospital between January 1981 and December 1991 after being injured by agricultural machines, farm animals, herbicides or other chemicals, and fertilizers. Four fatalities were identified through a review of local medical examiner records, for a total of 76 cases.

Main outcome measures: The following data were abstracted for each case: sex, age, time and date of injury, cause, type of injury, and body part involved.

Results: Most cases involved men, between the ages of 20 and 69, during the afternoon and early evening with a seasonal peak in late summer. More than 60% of injuries were caused by agricultural machinery, followed by animal-related injuries (25%). Grain augers were the most common type of machine causing injury (35%). All patients younger than 9 years were female, and 75% of their injuries involved farm animals. A decreasing annual frequency of farm injuries was noted over the 11-year period. Fewer accidents involving farm machinery appear most responsible for this trend.

Conclusions: Many agriculture-related injuries occur in the parkland region of Manitoba. The type and pattern of injuries observed resembles those documented in other studies. With effective education and preventive measures, most injuries and fatalities could be prevented. Physicians are obliged to encourage and support educational programs in their communities and to review safety practices with patients.