NIOSH Safety and Health Topic:

Childhood Agricultural Injury Prevention Initiative

The problem of children being injured while living, working, or visiting agricultural work environments (primarily farms), has been recognized for several decades. Although many individuals and groups have crusaded for the prevention of childhood agricultural injuries over the years, there was not a national, coordinated effort.

This changed in 1991, when the Surgeon General's Conference on Agricultural Safety and Health was held in Des Moines, Iowa. During this conference, a session entitled Intervention: Safe Behaviors Among Adults and Children highlighted the risks faced by people, both young and adult, involved with production agriculture.

This was followed in 1992 by a Childhood Agricultural Injury Prevention symposium held in Marshfield, Wisconsin. The symposium was sponsored by the National Farm Medicine Center, a component of the Marshfield Medical Research and Education Foundation, which sought to develop consensus on relevant research, education, policy, and other interventions aimed at the reduction of agricultural injuries among children.

From this meeting developed a core of 42 individuals which formed the National Committee for Childhood Agricultural Injury Prevention (NCCAIP). Over a 16-month period, members of the committee finalized a National Action Plan (http://www.marshfieldclinic.org/proxy/MCRF-Centers-NfMC-nccrahs-reports-NationalActionPlan.1.pdf) that was released in 1996 for addressing the childhood agricultural injury problem. The National Action Plan recommends leadership, surveillance, research, education, and public policy. The plan specifically recommended that NIOSH serve as the lead federal agency in preventing childhood agricultural injury.

Due in large part to the efforts by NCCAIP to raise awareness and concern about childhood agricultural injury issues, and with targeted funding from Congress, in October 1996, NIOSH began implementation of a National Childhood Agricultural Injury Prevention Initiative. NIOSH goals for the initiative are to fill critical data needs; establish an infrastructure which facilitates the use of data to develop and improve upon prevention efforts; and encourage the use of effective prevention strategies by the private and public sectors. To date, NIOSH has undertaken a number of activities to address the recommendations in the National Action Plan.

Background on the NIOSH Childhood Agricultural Injury Prevention Initiative

Information on the development of the NIOSH Childhood Agricultural Injury Prevention Initiative, important events leading to the Initiative, and current information on the assessment of the Initiative.

Information on the February 1997 meeting to obtain input from stakeholders for the NIOSH Childhood Agricultural Injury Prevention Initiative

HHS press release on Child Ag Initiatives

NIOSH Update Announcing National Children's Center for Agricultural Injury Prevention

NIOSH FACTS, Health and Safety for Kids on the Farm

A national childhood agricultural injury prevention initiative.
Journal of Agricultural Safety and Health. (Castillo D, Hard D, Myers J, Pizatella T, Stout N. 1998. Special Issue 1, 183-191.)

Midcourse review of background, important events, progress and proposed future efforts

Children and Agriculture: Opportunities for Safety and Health, A National Action Plan
PDF Only 2840 KB (26 pages)
External Link: http://www.marshfieldclinic.org/proxy/MCRF-Centers-NfMC-nccrahs-reports-NationalActionPlan.1.pdf

2001 Child Agricultural Injury Summit
Background Information
External Link: http://marshfieldclinic.org/nccrahs/default.aspx?page=nccrahs_casn
Final Report PDF Only 793 KB (40 pages)
External Link: http://marshfieldclinic.org/proxy/MCRF-Centers-nfmc-nccrahs-reports-summitreport.1.pdf

Childhood Agricultural Injury Surveillance

Provides information on NIOSH activities to implement a Childhood Agricultural Injury Surveillance component as recommended by the National Action Plan.

2001 Childhood Agricultural-Related Injuries
PDF Only 37 KB (2 pages)
External Link: http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/reports/nassr/other/injury/injr0104.pdf

2000 Childhood Agricultural Injuries on Minority-Operated Farms
PDF Only 56 KB (5 pages)
External Link: http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/reports/nassr/other/injury/injr1202.pdf

The NIOSH Childhood Agricultural Injury Surveillance Project

Fatal Unintentional Farm Injuries Among Persons Less than 20 Years of Age in the United States: Geographic Profiles
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2001-131 (July 2001)

Injuries Among Youth on Farms in the United States, 1998
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2001-154 (June 2001)
PDF Only 1,558 KB (191 pages)

USDA/NASS 1998 Childhood Agricultural Injuries
PDF Only 32 KB (2 pages)
External Link: http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/reports/nassr/other/injury/injr1099.pdf

Fatal Work-related Injuries in the Agricultural Production and Services Sector Among Youth In the U.S. 1992-1996 (abstract)
Journal of Agromedicine (Castillo DN, Adekoya N, Myers JR. 1999. 6(3),27-41)

Injuries Among Farm Workers in the United States, 1995
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2001-153 (May 2001)

Young Workers At Risk When Working in Agricultural Production
American Journal of Industrial Medicine, (Hard DL, Myers JR, Snyder KA, Casini VJ, Morton LL, Cianfrocco R and Fields J. 1999. Supplement 1:31-33.)

Fatal On-Farm Injuries Among Youth 16 to 19 Years of Age: 1982-1994
Journal of Agricultural safety and Health, (Myers J, Adekoya N. 2001. 7(2): 101-112)

MMWR Articles

Deaths Among Children Aged Less Than or Equal to 5 Years from Farm Machinery Runovers-Iowa, Kentucky, and Wisconsin, 1995-1998, and United States, 1990-1995
July 1999, V48(28), 605-608.

Childhood Work-Related Agricultural Fatalities-Minnesota, 1994-1997
April 1999, V48(16) 332-335.

Youth Agricultural Work-Related Injuries Treated in Emergency Departments-United States, October 1995-September 1997
1998 V47(35), 733-737.

Publications

Fatal Work-Related Injuries in the Agriculture Production Sector Among Youth in the United States, 1992-2002
PDF Only 86 KB (9 pages)
Journal of Agromedicine (Hard DL, Myers JR. [2006]. 11(2):57-65.)
External Link: http://ja.haworthpress.com

Injuries to youth living on U.S. farms in 2001 with comparison to 1998.
Journal of Agromedicine (Hendricks KJ, Layne LA, Goldcamp EM, Myers JR. [2006]. 10(4):19-26.)

Injury and Asthma Among Youth Less Than 20 Years of Age on Minority Farm Operations in the United States, 2000 Volume II: Hispanic National Data
DHHS NIOSH Publication No. 2006-109 (October 2005)

Injury and Asthma Among Youth Less Than 20 Years of Age on Minority Farm Operations in the United States, 2000, Volume I: Racial Minority National Data
DHHS NIOSH Publication No. 2005-147 (July 2005)

2001 Childhood Agricultural-Related Injuries
PDF Only 37 KB (2 pages)
External Link: http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/reports/nassr/other/injury/injr0104.pdf

Injuries Among Youth on Farms, 2001
DHHS NIOSH Publication No. 2004-172 (December 2004)

Asthma Among Household Youth on Hispanic Farm Operations
DHHS NIOSH Publication No. 2004-158
en español

Injuries to Youth on Hispanic Farm Operations
DHHS NIOSH Publication No. 2004-157
en español

Conference Proceedings: Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders for Children and Adolescents Working in Agriculture
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2004-119 (June 2004)

Asthma Among Household Youth on Minority Farm Operations
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2004-118 (December 2003)

Injuries to Youth on Minority Farm Operations
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2004-117 (December 2003)

2000 Childhood Agricultural Injuries on Minority-Operated Farms
PDF Only 56 KB (5 pages)
External Link: http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/reports/nassr/other/injury/injr1202.pdf

Fatal Unintentional Farm Injuries Among Persons Less than 20 Years of Age in the United States: Geographic Profiles
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2001-131 (July 2001)

Injuries Among Youth on Farms in the United States, 1998
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2001-154 (June 2001)
PDF Only 1,558 KB (191 pages)

USDA/NASS 1998 Childhood Agricultural Injuries
PDF Only 32 KB (2 pages)
External Link: http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/reports/nassr/other/injury/injr1099.pdf

Fatal Work-related Injuries In the Agricultural Production and Services Sector Among Youth In the U.S. 1992-1996 (abstract)
Journal of Agromedicine (Castillo DN, Adekoya N, Myers JR. 1999. 6(3),27-41)

Injuries Among Farm Workers in the United States, 1995
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2001-153 (May 2001)

Young Workers At Risk When Working In Agricultural Production
American Journal of Industrial Medicine (Hard DL, Myers JR, Snyder KA, Casini VJ, Morton LL, Cianfrocco R and Fields J. 1999. Supplement 1:31-33.)

Fatal On-Farm Injuries Among Youth 16 to 19 Years of Age: 1982-1994
Journal of Agricultural safety and Health (Myers J, Adekoya N. 2001. 7(2): 101-112)

The childhood agricultural injury prevention strategy workshop: A private sector perspective. Field W., Final Report to NIOSH: A summary of strategies and successes.

MMWR Articles

Deaths Among Children Aged Less Than or Equal to 5 Years from Farm Machinery Runovers-Iowa, Kentucky, and Wisconsin, 1995-1998, and United States, 1990-1995
July 1999, V48(28), 605-608.

Childhood Work-Related Agricultural Fatalities-Minnesota, 1994-1997
April 1999, V48(16) 332-335.

Youth Agricultural Work-Related Injuries Treated in Emergency Departments-United States, October 1995-September 1997
1998 V47(35), 733-737.

Other Publications

All-Terrain Vehicle Injuries to Youth Living and Working on Farms in the U.S., 2001-2006. 2008.
M. Goldcamp. Research paper presented at the 2008 NIFS Annual Conference, Lancaster, PA.

Injuries Among Youth on Farms in the United States, 2006. 2008. K.J. Hendricks. Research paper presented at the 2008 NIFS Annual Conference, Lancaster, PA.

Tractor Roll-Overs and Farm Safety Exposure Data on Farms and Ranches, U.S. 2006.
2008. L.A. Layne, D. Hard, K.J. Hendricks and J.R. Myers. Research paper presented at the 2008 NIFS Annual Conference, Lancaster, PA.

Fatal Work-Related Injuries in the Agricultural Production Sector Among Youth in the United States, 1992- 2002. 2005. David L. Hard and John R. Myers. Technical paper presented at the 2005 NIFS Annual Conference, Wintergreen, VA.

Non-fatal All-Terrain Vehicle Injuries to Youth on Farms in the U.S., 2001.
PDF Only 52 KB (18 pages)
2004. Michael Goldcamp, John Myers, Kitty Hendricks, and Larry Layne. Research paper presented at the 2004 NIFS Annual Conference, Keystone, CO.

A Comparison of Injuries Among Youth Living on Farms in the US, 1998-2001.
PDF Only 46 KB (18 pages)
2004. Kitty J. Hendricks, Larry A. Layne, E. Michael Goldcamp and John R. Myers. Research paper presented at the 2004 NIFS Annual Conference, Keystone, CO.

Non-Fatal Injuries: An Overview of Injuries to Youth Living on Racial-Minority Operated Farms in the US, 2000.
PDF Only 43 KB (11 pages)
2003. Goldcamp Michael, Hendricks Kitty, Layne Larry and Myers John. Research paper presented at the 2003 NIFS Annual Conference, Windsor, Ontario, Canada.

Farm Hazards to Household Youth on Minority Operated Farms in the US, 2000: Exposure and Injury from Work, Horses, ATVs and Tractors.
PDF Only 66 KB (17 pages)
2003. Hendricks Kitty, Myers John R., Goldcamp Michael and Layne Larry. Research paper presented at the 2003 NIFS Annual Conference, Windsor, Ontario, Canada.

Demographics and Non-fatal Injury Patterns of Youth Less than 20 Years Old on Hispanic Operated Farms in the US, 2000.
PDF Only 60 KB (19 pages)
2003. Layne LA, Myers JR, Hendricks KJ and Goldcamp EM. Research paper presented at the 2003 NIFS Annual Conference, Windsor, Ontario, Canada.

North American Guidelines for Children's Agricultural Tasks and Child Labor Regulations. 2002, June. Cohen, A. Final Contract Report: Available from the NIOSH, Division of Safety Research, 1095 Willowdale Road, Morgantown, WV 26505-2888.

Fatal and Non-Fatal Falls in US Agricultural Production to Youth Less Than 20 Years Old.
PDF Only 60 KB (12 pages)
2002. Hendricks KJ, Myers JR, Goldcamp EM. Presented at the 2002 NIFS Annual Conference, Ponte Vedra, FL.

Farm Fatalities to Youth 1995-1997: A Comparison by Age Groups.
PDF Only 222 KB (18 pages)
2002. Goldcamp EM, Myers JR, Hendricks KJ. Presented at the 2002 NIFS Annual Conference, Ponte Vedra, FL.

Non-fatal Animal-Related Farm Injuries to Youth in the United States– 1998.
PDF Only 50 KB (27 pages)
2001. Hendricks KJ, Adekoya N. Presented at the 2001 NIFS Annual Conference, Pittsburgh, PA.

Fatal Agricultural Work Injuries from Harmful Substances or Environments in the United States. 1992-1996. 1999. Adekoya, Nelson and Myers, John R. Technical paper presented at the 1999 NIFS Annual Conference, Ocean City, Maryland.