Farm Safety & Fatigue Stats & Facts

FACTS

Factors contributing to fatigue on the farm may include:

  1. During peak seasons, farmers may work extended hours to maximize productivity.
  2. Farm work can be physically exhausting, involving repetitive movements and heavy lifting.
  3. Extreme heat, cold, or inclement weather can add to the physical strain and stress.
  4. In busy periods, farm workers may have limited opportunities for rest and recovery.
  5. Farm work often involves irregular schedules, which can disrupt sleep patterns and affect the quality of rest.
  6. Farmers may feel pressure to complete tasks on time, leading to longer working hours.
  7. Certain tasks, such as planting and harvesting, must be done within specific time frames, creating time constraints.
  8. Fatigue impairs cognitive and physical abilities, increasing the risk of accidents and injuries on the farm.
  9. Tired workers may be less efficient and make more mistakes, impacting farm productivity.
  10. Chronic fatigue can lead to various health problems, including physical ailments and mental health challenges.

STATS

  • According to ILO estimates, at least 170,000 agricultural workers are killed each year. This means that workers in agriculture run twice the risk of dying on the job compared with workers in other sectors.
  • A prominent number of deaths in agriculture were among workers aged 60 or over and some were self-employed. The main kinds of fatal accidents resulted from workers falling from a height (35), being struck by a moving vehicle (25), being struck by a moving object (17), becoming trapped by something collapsing or overturning (14), or encountering moving machinery.
  • Key issues linked to fatalities in the agriculture sector were rushing (74%), tiredness (69%), working alone (60%), lack of training (52%), and long hours (52%). As a result, 58% said they took risks and 44% said they had seen people take risks.
  • In 2021, 22,796 farm-related injury claims were accepted, resulting in $84 million to help people recover. That is over 60 farmers getting injured every day.
  • In the past five years, ACC has spent more than $383 million on farm-related injuries, with the cost last year being the highest from this period.