How did your state do ?

[skyhightree1]

I just saw this on my insurance companies website and wondered does anyone else have a report about there states farm accidents ? I am curious as to why the farm deaths has increased in my state. I speculate that its from alot of city people moving out to the country and calling themselves farmers and not properly understanding how dangerous farm equip. really is. Maybe I am being harsh when I say that but I say that because alot of the family farms are drying up and im seeing a increasing number of city people move in my area get land and tractors and call themselves a farmer because they raise a garden.

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Virginia saw increase in farm-related deaths in 2012
January 10, 2013
RICHMOND—Ten lives were reported lost due to farm work-related accidents in Virginia during 2012—three more than in 2011.

Tractor runovers accounted for four deaths; unspecified tractor or equipment incidents resulted in three; tractor overturns accounted for one; an all-terrain vehicle accident resulted in one; and an animal-related incident accounted for one, according to unofficial statistics from Virginia Farm Bureau.

For the past 18 years, deaths resulting from tractor incidents have accounted for the majority of farm accident fatalities.

“Eighty percent of the fatalities this year resulted from tractor- or equipment-related accidents, so there is still a lot of room for improvement when operating a tractor or any farm machinery,” said Farm Bureau Safety Manager Jimmy Maass. “Getting more farmers to make tractor and equipment safety a priority will go a long way toward reducing these numbers.

“When working on the farm, it is so important to take a few extra minutes to make sure you are operating or working as safely as possible. Being cautious will save you so much more in the long run.”

In addition to the one farm-related ATV fatality, two additional ATV fatalities that were not farm-related were reported to Farm Bureau.

“ATVs are very useful for a lot of tasks—and they can be a lot of fun—but there also are a lot of dangers associated with these heavy machines,” Maass said. “Without appropriate safety gear and training, riders can be severely injured.”

According to Farm Bureau’s cumulative findings since 1994, 107 people have died in the state when their tractors overturned; 61 were involved in unspecified tractor or equipment mishaps; and 49 were run over by tractors or other farm equipment. The remaining 61 fatalities were attributed to operating farm equipment on public roads and to incidents involving animals or ATVs.

For more farm safety information, visit FarmBureauAdvantage.com/safety.

Contact Maass at 804-290-1379.

 

[kenny thomas]

At least one killed already in 2013. A friend of mine was killed by a bull less than 2 weeks ago. He didnt show up for supper and someone went to look for him and the bull had him tore up real bad. They had to shoot the bull to get to my friend but it was way too late.

 

[greybeard]

Skyhightree, I haven't seen any stats for Texas, but when they started selling all those mid size or compact tractors and everyone of em came with a fel, everyone around here with more than 2 acres rushed out and had to have one. Surprised 1/2 of 'em didn't kill themselves the 1st month they owned one.

 

[MO_cows]

I'm sure the newbies, wannabes and so forth all do their part to contribute to these stats, but farming is still a dangerous business. Our neighbor has been farming his whole life, as level headed a guy as you will ever meet, and he rolled a tractor recently just traveling to where he wanted to work with it. Not sure how it happened, hit a slick spot or soft spot and it slid down into the ditch and rolled clear over. He got out of it with some broken ribs. A couple years ago, another experienced farmer had an incident with the nitrogen tank and "scalded" the side of his face.

 

[skyhightree1]

Greybeard don't get me started on all those compact tractor people. They do some dangerous stuff on them around here that I would never imagine doing. Mo_Cows yea farming is extemely dangerous and you can't get into a rush and gotta remain calm cause almost everything on a piece of machinery involves moving parts and some people take for granted how dangerous they are. I bought a sickle mower for my farmall cub and like a fool had my hand in the sickle where if it slid it would cut my finger off and didnt thik about it till my buddy said guess you got extra fingers you don't need... and yelled at me "move your G.D. finger out of the way of the knife you stupid S.O.B. i don't feel like driving you to the hospital."

 

[Caustic Burno]

I'm sure the newbies, wannabes and so forth all do their part to contribute to these stats, but farming is still a dangerous business. Our neighbor has been farming his whole life, as level headed a guy as you will ever meet, and he rolled a tractor recently just traveling to where he wanted to work with it. Not sure how it happened, hit a slick spot or soft spot and it slid down into the ditch and rolled clear over. He got out of it with some broken ribs. A couple years ago, another experienced farmer had an incident with the nitrogen tank and "scalded" the side of his face.

Don't get to thinking your invincible as that is when you are going to get hurt.
No matter how many years you have been on a tractor one can get away from you in one careless second.
I stood one up on end last year and I an still not real sure how it happened.

 

[skyhightree1]

You got that right. When you get too comfortable thats when something happens.

 

[Limomike]

Probably an increase in deaths is just because there are more people being born and living everywhere now.
Fact is.. as was said before, farming IS and always will be a dangerous thing to do. Even when a person is mindful of doing something simple, things can happen. I have known several men who farmed and ranched all their lives that lost their lives by doing simple "stupid" things. Such as.. forgetting to put their brake on, and the tractor roll over them, standing up while cutting brush, and getting knocked off and under the brush cutter, working on the tractor without making sure it was secure and crushing them.
I myself am a miracle because I survived a tractor roll over back a few years ago. it was purely my fault, getting into a hurry trying to get my cows fed in the drizzle, wet cold evening, and ran my tractor up onto a big bale. (not a good thing to do when it dont have a roll bar) I am here to tell ya, you CANNOT jump off of a tractor when its starting to roll over. Just wont happen.
Even the paramedics told me that they thought they were coming out to a dead man when they got the call of a tractor roll over.
Ended up with several screws in my shoulder, bruised lungs,injured spleen,bladder, kidneys, broke ribs but I'm still kickin.
I now have a tractor with a roll bar, and use caution in everything I do. I love the cattle business too much to have that incident make me quit. :cboy:

 

[Dave]

For years farming has been the fourth highest in number of fatalities behind commercial fishing, logging, and mining. Farming is far more dangerous than other occupations that are touted by the media as being dangerous jobs. A farmer is 8 times more likely to be killed on the job than a cop.

 

[skyhightree1]

Glad you are ok Limo and thats one thing i always have done was stand up while bushhogging periodically growing up. I now use a cab tractor to bushhog most of the time. I had a bad experience bushhogging on a cabless tractor when somehow i ran over some limbs and was looking back turned around a huge part of a limb that was broken off and somewhat sharp pinned me against the seat and was pushing into my chest luckily i didnt panic too bad and was able to hit the brakes and just got a bruised chest

 

[alisonb]

It would be interesting to know how many of those accidents were alcohol/drug related.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

It would be interesting to know how many of those accidents were alcohol/drug related.

Very few I would wager.

 

[skyhightree1]

I must agree with you Tennessee

 

[Dave]

I would think that there were more from lack of sleep than from drugs or alcolhol.

 

[Limomike]

It would be interesting to know how many of those accidents were alcohol/drug related.

I would have to agree, that very few probably were related to alcohol or drugs. I remember when they loaded me into the ambulance, a OK Highway patrol stepped into the back, and started asking me questions about if I had been drinking, or doing drugs. My wife was standing there, and she looked at him and said " why dont you just get out of here, and let them get him to the hospital!" I was proud of her for saying that... ( I shoulda told him, YEAH, I threw that bottle away right before I dumped this tractor over!" )
But I know he was just doing his job, as in Oklahoma, the Highway patrol has to investigate ANY motor vehicle accident, even if it is out in the middle of a pasture (as mine was)

 

[alisonb]

I remember when they loaded me into the ambulance, a OK Highway patrol stepped into the back, and started asking me questions about if I had been drinking, or doing drugs.

:shock: He must have asked that question for a reason, perhaps he's seen a couple of alcohol/drug related accidents in his time.

I do agree that the majority of accidents are probably caused by pure fatigue and stress on the part of the farmer.

 

[Limomike]

I remember when they loaded me into the ambulance, a OK Highway patrol stepped into the back, and started asking me questions about if I had been drinking, or doing drugs.

:shock: He must have asked that question for a reason, perhaps he's seen a couple of alcohol/drug related accidents in his time.

I do agree that the majority of accidents are probably caused by pure fatigue and stress on the part of the farmer.

He asked that because it was purely dumbassedness on his part.

 

[M5farm]

I remember when they loaded me into the ambulance, a OK Highway patrol stepped into the back, and started asking me questions about if I had been drinking, or doing drugs.

:shock: He must have asked that question for a reason, perhaps he's seen a couple of alcohol/drug related accidents in his time.

I do agree that the majority of accidents are probably caused by pure fatigue and stress on the part of the farmer.

the 2 major farm accidents I have personally witnessed did'nt have anything do do with drugs or alcohol. as with all farmers I know they were in a hurry to get a job finished and were not a careful as they should have been. and I suspect that is the major cause of accidents.

 

[cow pollinater]

I grew up driving tractors and I was taught how to be safe around them and I'm still missing two fingers and I've had a few close calls that could have been really bad and I had done everything right.
I think God pitties fools and children... I always made my mistakes as a kid without ever really having it go bad but after about twenty everything I did got me hurt even if it wasn't suposed to. :lol:
As far as fools, we had a guy at one of my customer's dairies that parked the ONLY tractor on the place that was OSHA certified on a downhill grade with the implement raised, out of gear, with no brake set while he got off to open a gate. :dunce: The gate knocked him unconscious after his chin fell on it as the front and then rear tire and then scraper rolled over him. Luckily he was still uncounscious while the bull tossed him around. He woke up and was able to walk away with a concusion and a few minor scrapes... He was fine for about a week until someone sugested that he see a lawyer and then all of a sudden he was hurt bad. :?
I never drink around equipment and I've never used a drug before but I think I could do better than that guy if I was lit up like a Christmas tree. :lol:

 

[Dave]

A dairy down the road from me had a guy start a tractor that was in gear while standing on the ground beside it. Of course it fired right up and ran him over. A few weeks later a guy decided to check the level in the gas tank of an old truck by openning the gas cap and holding a lit match over it so he could see the fuel. You can guess the results of that operation. God does not protect all fools. There are some that he goes along with Darwin on.