Agricultural Safety: 2008 Injuries to Adults on Hispanic-Operated Farms ISSN: 2156-3454 Released August 5, 2010, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Occupational Injuries to Adults on Hispanic-Operated Farms in the United States, 2003 and 2008 In 2003, there were an estimated 47,501 Hispanic operated farms. On these farms there were 1,662 total occupational injuries to adults 20 years of age and older at a rate of 3.5 injuries per 100 farms. In 2008, while the number of farms grew to 53,055, the number of injuries and rate decreased to 1,222 injuries with a rate of 2.3 per 100 farms. The findings are based on a telephone survey of Hispanic operated farms conducted by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Farm operators were asked questions about injuries to adults 20 years of age and older working on their farms in 2003 and 2008. An injury was defined as any condition occurring on the farm operation resulting in at least 4 hours of restricted activity or requiring professional medical attention. Approximately 75 percent of injuries on Hispanic-operated farms occurred to males. In 2003, 1,246 agricultural-related work injuries occurred to males, while 945 injuries were to males in 2008. In 2003, adults 55 years of age or older incurred 26 percent of all injuries (411 injuries). In 2008, adults 55 years of age and older were the injured party in 51 percent of all injury events (581 injuries). Individuals under the age of 35 years incurred less than 16 percent of all injuries to adults on Hispanic operated farms in 2008 and 22 percent in 2003. The majority of injuries in both years happened to adults who lived on the farm. In 2003, household adults accounted for 68 percent of all work-related injuries, while in 2008 household adults accounted for almost 77 percent of these injuries. In 2003, household adults were injured at a rate of 9.7 injuries per 1,000 household adults (990 total injuries). Of these injuries in 2003, 35 percent were to adults 45 to 54 years of age, with 32 percent occurring to people 55 years of age and older. In 2008, the rate of injury for household adults was 9.4 injuries per 1,000 household adults (871 total injuries). The age distribution for the injuries to household adults in 2008 was 29 percent to adults 45 to 54 years of age, with 54 percent occurring to people 55 years of age and older. NIOSH sponsored this survey to better understand the magnitude and scope of working agricultural-related injuries to adults. The survey was conducted as part of the NIOSH Occupational Injury Surveillance of Production Agriculture Survey. For further information, contact John Myers, NIOSH, at (304) 285- 6005 or Mark Gutierrez, USDA/NASS, at (202) 690-2389. Adult Work-Related Injuries on Hispanic-Operated Farms - United States 2003 and 2008 [Estimates may not add due to rounding.] Year Region2 2003 2008 Total In Injuries Total In Injuries injuries business per 100 injuries business per 100 farms1 farms farms1 farms Northeast 62 1,410 4.4 47 922 5.1 Midwest 265 5,040 5.3 99 3,527 2.8 South 554 23,007 2.4 553 26,848 2.1 West 784 18,042 4.3 522 21,757 2.4 Total 1,662 47,501 3.5 1,222 53,055 2.3 1. Farm counts are benchmarked to the 2007 Census of Agriculture. 2. Northeast: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New. Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont South: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina,Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. Midwest: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. West: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. Household Adult Work-Related Injuries on Hispanic-Operated Farms - United States: 2003 and 2008 [Estimates may not add due to rounding.] Year Region2 2003 2008 Population1 Total Injuries Population1 Total Injuries injuries per 1000 injuries per 1000 adults adults Northeast 2,909 48 16.5 1,879 47 25.0 Midwest 10,344 174 16.8 6,442 79 12.3 South 49,091 418 8.5 43,951 482 11.0 West 38,699 350 9.0 40,351 262 6.5 Total 101,843 990 9.7 92,623 871 9.4 1. Farm counts are benchmarked to the 2007 Census of Agriculture. 2. Northeast: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New. Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont South: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina,Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. Midwest: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. West: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. Access to NASS Reports For your convenience, you may access NASS reports and products the following ways: All reports are available electronically, at no cost, on the NASS web site: http://www.nass.usda.gov Both national and state specific reports are available via a free e- mail subscription. 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