Agricultural Safety: 2009 Injuries to Youth on Farms

Agricultural Safety: 2009 Injuries to
Youth on Farms
Released April 5, 2012, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA).

Update Alert – April 24, 2012
Due to errors that were not detected before the April 5th release of “2009 Agricultural Safety: Injuries to
Youth on Farms,” NASS is issuing a revised report. Although the errors impact specific data estimates,
they do not impact the illustrated trend of decreasing injuries to youth on farms in the United States
between 2001 and 2009. The impacted data are identified in the report with asterisks.
Injuries to Youth on Farms in the United States, 2001, 2004, 2006, and 2009
In 2009, there were an estimated 2,200,010 farms in the United States, an increase of 2 percent from 2001. Agriculturerelated injuries to youth under 20 years of age on United States farms have decreased from 13.5 injuries per 1,000 farms
in 2001 to 7.2 injuries per 1,000 farms in 2009. 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, 27,591 in 2004, and 22,894 injuries in 2006. These
findings are based on a series of telephone surveys of 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 youth less than 20 years of age that occurred on their farms in four separate surveys covering the years
2001, 2004, 2006, and 2009. 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.
For all four survey years, male youth incurred most of these injuries: 57 percent in 2001, 52 percent in 2004, 67 percent in
2006, and 58 percent in 2009. Youth 10 to 15 years old incurred the highest number of injuries in all four years: 13,368
injuries in 2001, 10,480 injuries in 2004, 10,158 injuries in 2006, and 6,912 injuries in 2009. Youth less than 10 years of
age were injured in 9,698 events in 2001, 9,060 events in 2004, 6,435 events in 2006, and 4,111 events in 2009. Youth
aged 16 to 19 years incurred 5,976 injuries in 2001, 7,722 injuries in 2004, 6,048 injuries in 2006, and 4,148 in 2009.
Youth living on the farm operation (household youth) incurred 22,144 injuries in 2001, 18,801 injuries in 2004, 11,654
injuries in 2006, and 7,715 injuries in 2009. Injuries to males accounted for 54 percent of all household youth injuries in
2001, 53 percent in 2004, 66 percent in 2006, and 58 percent in 2009. Most injured household youth were 10 to 15 years
of age. Youth in this age range incurred 10,836 injuries (49 percent) in 2001, 7,273 injuries (39 percent) in 2004, 5,790
injuries (50 percent) in 2006, and 3,594 (47 percent) in 2009. In 2001, 6,644 injuries (30 percent) to youth living on the
farm were work-related, while 6,384 injuries (34 percent) were work-related in 2004, 3,601 injuries (31 percent) were
work-related in 2006, and 2,585 injuries (34 percent) were work-related in 2009.
In each survey year, work-related injuries to hired and working household youth contributed to approximately a quarter of
childhood injuries occurring on these farm operations. In 2001, 8,588 injuries (29 percent) were work-related while 6,965
injuries (25 percent) were work-related in 2004, 4,964 injuries (22 percent) were work-related in 2006, and 3,191 injuries
(20 percent) were work-related in 2009. In 2006 and 2009, over 70 percent of these work-related injuries occurred to male
youth, compared to 62 percent in 2001 and 59 percent in 2004. In 2001, 2004, and 2006, most work-related injuries were
to youth 16 to 19 years of age; 49 percent in 2001, 50 percent in 2004, and 54 percent in 2006. In 2009, approximately 42
percent of work-related injuries were to youth 10 to 15 years of age and 42 percent were to youth 16 to 19 years of age.

Agricultural Safety: 2009 Injuries to Youth on Farms (April 2012)
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service

1

NIOSH sponsored this survey to better understand the magnitude and scope of agricultural-related injuries to youth on
United States farms. The survey was conducted as part of the NIOSH Childhood Agricultural Injury Prevention Initiative.
For further information, contact Kitty Hendricks, NIOSH, at (304) 285-6252 or Scott Cox, at USDA/NASS (202) 7204028.

2

Agricultural Safety: 2009 Injuries to Youth on Farms (April 2012)
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service

Estimates of Agricultural-Related Injuries to Youth Under 20 Years of Age On Farms – United States:
2001, 2004, 2006, and 2009
Working and non-working youth
Year

2001
2004
2006
2009

......................
......................
......................
......................

In-business
farms1
(number)
2,157,780
2,112,280
2,089,790
2,200,010

Total youth

Total youth
per farm

Total injuries3

Injuries
per 1,000 youth

Injuries
per 1,000 farms

(number)

(number)

(number)

(number)

(number)

2

37,148,468
31,226,560
30,747,431
27,646,594

* 17.2
14.8
14.7
12.6

29,227
27,591
22,894
15,876

0.8
0.9
0.7
0.6

13.5
13.1
11.0
7.2

Working youth
Year

2001
2004
2006
2009

......................
......................
......................
......................

Working youth4

Working youth
per farm

Work injuries

Work injuries
per 1,000
working youth

Working injuries
per 1,000 farms

(number)

(number)

(number)

(number)

(number)

1,150,324
1,036,084
897,231
748,938

0.5
0.5
0.4
0.3

8,588
6,965
4,964
3,191

7.5
6.7
5.5
4.3

4.0
3.3
2.4
1.5

* Revised.
1
Estimated number of farms still in business based on the farm operator youth farm injury study.
2
Total youth population on farms, including hired youth, visitors and relatives, whether working or non-working.
3
Includes work-related and non-work-related injuries.
4
Hired youth and working household youth.

Estimates of Agricultural-Related Injuries to Youth Under 20 Years of Age Living On Farms –
United States: 2001, 2004, 2006, and 2009
Working and non-working household youth
Year

2001
2004
2006
2009

......................
......................
......................
......................

In-business
farms1

Total household
youth2

Total household
youth per farm

Total injuries
to household
youth3

Injuries
per 1,000
household youth

Injuries
per 1,000
farms

(number)

(number)

(number)

(number)

(number)

(number)

2,157,780
2,112,280
2,089,790
2,200,010

1,352,948
* 1,256,989
1,121,392
1,033,803

0.6
* 0.6
0.5
0.5

22,144
* 18,801
* 11,654
7,715

16.4
* 15.0
* 10.4
7.5

10.3
* 8.9
* 5.6
3.5

Working household youth
Year

2001
2004
2006
2009

......................
......................
......................
......................

Working
household youth

Working youth
per farm

Work injuries
to household
youth

(number)

(number)

(number)

725,007
698,773
590,497
518,551

0.3
0.3
0.3
0.2

6,644
6,384
3,601
2,585

Work injuries
per 1,000
working
household youth

Work injuries
to working
household youth
per 1,000
farms

(number)

(number)
9.2
9.1
6.1
5.0

3.1
3.0
1.7
1.2

* Revised.
1
Estimated number of farms still in business based on the youth farm injury study.
2
Total youth population living on farms, whether working or non-working.
3
Includes work-related and non-work-related injuries.

Agricultural Safety: 2009 Injuries to Youth on Farms (April 2012)
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service

3

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