P. Cowan and J. Allen
Agricultural Safety and Health Detection, Prevention and Intervention
Conference, Columbus, OH
The
North Carolina Farm Injury Project, funded by NIOSH as one
of ten OHNAC states assessing the incidence of farm related
injuries and illnesses, has been collecting data in four eastern
North Carolina counties since 1991 through active surveillance
activities. From June, 1991, through December, 1993, thirty
reports of injuries in children ages one through seventeen
were received from reporters in these four counties. The primary
cause of injury was being struck by or caught in a piece of
farm machinery or equipment such as tobacco harvesting equipment
or tractor hitches. These injuries most often resulted in
lacerations requiring a trip to an emergency room for suturing.
The project also received reports of injuries caused by falls,
MVA's, and encounters with animals. Three of the children
injured were hospitalized. No fatality reports on children
in the four-county area were received by the project during
this time.
The
Farm Injury Project conducted a series of focus groups in
1993 to obtain information about the health and safety needs
of the farming population in eastern North Carolina. The analysis
of this data indicated that farmers and their families were
concerned about the potential for injuries and illnesses in
their families and in the overall safety of their children
while working and playing on the farm. The groups felt more
educational activities related to farm health and safety for
children were needed in their area.
Injury
reports on children and focus group information led the project
to the planning and implementation of a one-day farm safety
camp for 100 children in our expanded eight-county project
area in June of this year. This presentation will describe
the collaborative effort of planning a successful event and
provide outcome and evaluative information.
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
research abstract was extracted from a portion of the proceedings
of "Agricultural Safety and Health: Detection, Prevention and
Intervention," a conference presented by the Ohio State University
and the Ohio Department of Health, sponsored by the Centers
for Disease Control/National Institute for Occupational Safety
and Health.
The
authors noted above are from: Farm Injury Project, Washington,
NC and NC Farm Injury Project, Raleigh, NC respectively.
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