Farming is physically demanding work. Many types of accidents can happen on a farm, causing injury and death to farm workers. From tractor rollovers to injuries resulting from being kicked or trampled by livestock, there are risks present almost everywhere on the farm. There are heavy loads to be lifted, and there may not be enough hands or equipment to lift them safely. Manure lagoons, drainage ditches, and other water sources pose a risk for drowning, and grain bins, hoppers, and silos pose risks of entrapment and suffocation.
Working conditions on farms often contribute to the danger that is present in the farm work environment. There is often a great deal of pressure to plant and harvest crops within short windows of time. When weather conditions interfere with work, farmers have even fewer days in which to complete their work on time. When this happens, they may work long hours and become fatigued, which increases accident risk. They may also work hurriedly, which means that they may not take the time to work as safely as they could.
Some of the workers on farms are younger or older than workers in other occupations; because there are different age restrictions for farm work than there are for other types of work, especially on family farms. Unfortunately, this diversity in the work force contributes to an increase in accident risk. Adults over sixty five years of age and children under the age of fifteen have the highest injury rates of all of the different types of farm workers.
Tractor roll overs are a leading cause of injury and death among farm workers. There are devices which can prevent overturning, but only about sixty percent of all of the tractors that are currently in use on American farms have them. Tractors are not the only machines that farmers use, and farm equipment causes many injuries. Using proper machine guards, training workers on using machinery safely, and taking time to perform regular maintenance and safety checks on farm equipment can all help to prevent farm equipment-related injuries.
Farm workers may also experience chronic injuries. Exposure to large amounts of dust or poisonous gases over time can cause lung diseases. Exposure to chemicals can cause cancer and other health problems. Heavy lifting and repetitive motion over years of work can result in musculoskeletal disorders and chronic pain.
Farm workers are also unique in that many farm workers who are temporarily or permanently disabled by work-related injuries are insistent upon returning to farm work as soon as they can. For many of them, it is the only work that they have ever known, and it is a deeply ingrained part of their identity. Sometimes, these disabilities can be accommodated by installing adaptive equipment, assigning the worker to different jobs at the same farm, or even teaching them how to do paperwork and other tasks which can be performed in an office setting.
Giddens Law Firm, P.A.: Mississippi Workplace Injury Attorneys
Farm work is dangerous and there is great potential for accidents and injuries to occur. Like other workplace accidents, farm work injuries involve missing work during the recovery process and the possibility of having to do different work due to a disability. Being absent from work while you heal from your injuries can cause a great deal of financial stress, as well. A Mississippi Workplace Injury Attorney can help you to pursue the recovery that you deserve. To learn more about how the attorneys at the Giddens Law Firm, P.A. can help you, call (601) 355-2022.