NIOSH logo and tagline

Simple Solutions: Ergonomics for Farm Workers

Español (Spanish)
Related Pages

 

February 2001
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication Number 2001-111
Cover of Publication 2001-111

Farm work is hard work, and farm workers feel the results. Farm workers get backaches and pains in the shoulders, arms, and hands more than any other health problem. A third of the injuries that cause them to miss work are sprains and strains, and a quarter are back injuries. These are also the most common causes of disability.

The technical term for these sprains and strains is “work-related musculoskeletal disorders” (WMSDs). WMSDs hurt! They hurt:

  • workers’ bodies
  • workers’ earnings
  • growers’ profits

Simple Solutions: Ergonomics for Farm Workerspdf icon [PDF – 1,521 KB]

Page last reviewed: June 6, 2014
Content source: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health