Every 3 Days a Child Dies on a Farm
Recently, National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety released a report concerning agricultural safety for children. The data they compiled was shocking. In the United States, a child will die in a farm-related incident every three days. In addition, every day, a farm will injury 33 kids in an agriculturally related accident.
Marsha Salzwedel, a safety specialist with the National Children’s Center, therefore, explained which data the National Children’s Center used. “When we say seriously injured, we’re not talking about a child falling down and scraping their knee or something like that. It’s an injury that if it took place in an adult would probably require time off work.”
Leading Cause of Child Fatalities
The leading cause of child fatalities on a farm is machinery. Over 25% of the time, this was the case. Motor vehicles, including ATVS, come in second. Teenagers are one of the highest groups of children at risk on a farm. This is because it is legal to use any farming equipment. This includes tractors, which are responsible for the most farming injuries.
When a tractor rolls over, the chance of injury and even death is very high. New tractors must have rollover protective structures (ROPS). ROPS provides a protective space to prevent the tractor from crushing a worker. However, the seatbelt must be worn. Without it, a farm worker can easily fall out of the seat. Then, the tractor or ROPs can crush him or her.
Not Your Fault
Remember, you don’t have to use farm equipment negligently for it to malfunction. Farm equipment malfunctions occur because companies don’t design safe machinery. Manufacturers often fail to warn you of all the ways you can be injured while using these heavy, complex machines.
When farmers are injured by unsafe farm machinery without adequate warnings for secure operation, it is equipment is considered “defective”. This term that applies to poor design, improper manufacturing, negligent marketing, or all three.
Consequently, if you are an injured farm worker, if one of your family members has been injured or died working on a farm, or if you have lost wages due to injury, you may be entitled to compensation.