WASHINGTON, D.C. — The rate of childhood injury on U.S. farms and ranches has declined by nearly 60 percent since 1998, according to the most recent data released by USDA.

“This marked decline is a testament to the dedicated efforts of many individuals, organizations and agribusiness sponsors, along with federal agency leadership,” said Barbara Lee, director of the National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety in Marshfield, Wis.

The center is funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), which commissioned the surveys, released last month.

In telephone surveys, USDA found a decrease from 13.5 injuries per 1,000 farms in 2001 to 7.2 in 2009. An injury was defined as any condition occurring on the farm resulting in at least four hours of restricted activity or requiring professional medical attention.

Four separate surveys were conducted in 2001, 2004, 2006 and 2009. Approximately 50,000 farmers/ranchers across the country participated in the survey. Since there is no national database, the collected interviews are the basis for estimates. Ag-related injuries were collected on people younger than 20 years old.

In 2009, there were 15,876 injuries to youth who lived on, worked on or visited a farm in the United States, compared to 29,277 in 2001.

The majority of the injuries occurred to youth living on the farm.

Youth living on the farm incurred 22,144 injuries in 2001, 18,000 in 2004, 16,654 in 2006 and 7,715 in 2009. Work-related injuries to hired and working household youth contributed to about one-fourth of childhood injuries on these farm operations.

For each survey year, male youth incurred most of the injuries. Youth 10-15 years of age accumulated the highest number of injuries in all four years: 13,368 injuries in 2001, 10,480 in 2004, 10,158 in 2006 and 6,912 in 2009. Youth aged younger than 10 years were the next highest age group.

Agriculture has the second-highest fatality rate among youth workers, at 21.3 per 100,000 full-time equivalents, compared to 3.6 per 100,000 across all industries. 

Of the leading sources of fatal injuries to youth, 25 percent involved machinery, 17 percent involved motor vehicles (including ATVs) and 16 percent were due to drowning.

Of non-fatal injuries, an estimated 2,585 household youth were injured while performing farm work in 2009; however, nearly 80 percent of non-fatally injured children were not actively working when the injury occurred. Transportation accidents, making up 32 percent in 2009, were the most common injury event among household youth, defined as those who live on farms.

In 2009, youth who live on livestock operations had a higher rate of injury, with 8.1 injuries per 1,000 youth, when compared to their counterparts on crop operations, with 6.6 injuries per 1,000 youth.

Also in 2009, there were an estimated 2.2 million farms in the United States, an increase of 2 percent from 2001.

See www.cdc.gov/niosh/childag for more information and the complete report by NIOSH.