Steven D. Helgerson, Samuel Milham Jr.
AUTHOR ABSTRACT
For
accidental electrocutions in Washington State from 1950 to
1979, the standardized proportionate mortality ratio for farmers
compared with the general population was found to be 226 in
a recent report. This excess mortality rate in Washington
State was investigated by the authors, who reviewed death
certificates and associated local newspaper reports of all
farmers killed by electrocution during 1950-79 and of all
persons killed by electrocution during 1970-79. Selected employers,
next of kin, and public utility personnel were also interviewed.
In Washington
State 42 farmers were electrocuted during the years 1950-79;
23 of them were killed while working near irrigation pipes
that came into contact with overhead electrical lines. During
1970-79 there were 15 irrigation pipe-associated (IPA) electrocutions
among farmers and 15 among farm workers. The average age of
farmers who suffered IPA electrocutions, 33.2 years, was less
than the average age of farmers whose electrocutions were
not associated with irrigation pipes, 48.9 years. Among persons
less than 20 years old, IPA electrocutions were more common
than any other type of electrocutions. During the months of
April through September, 93 percent of the IPA electrocutions
occurred as compared with only 61 percent of other types of
electrocution.
Among
measures for the prevention of these electrocutions are education
of the population at risk and changes in methods of irrigation.
JOURNAL AND
NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE ID#
JOURNAL: Public
Health Rep. 1985; 100(3): 325-328.
Note:
Public Health Reports.
NLOM ID#:
85217113
.
Disclaimer
and Reproduction Information: Information in NASD does not
represent NIOSH policy. Information included in NASD appears
by permission of the author and/or copyright holder. More
NASD Review: 04/2002
This
document was extracted from the CDC-NIOSH Epidemiology of
Farm Related Injuries: Bibliography With Abstracts, U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service,
Centers for Disease Control, National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health.
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