Farming: America's Most Dangerous Job and Its Most Isolated Workers

Agriculture is by far one of the most popular industries in the US, with hundreds of thousands of lone farmers working across the country. And while farmers might love working in the great outdoors, it can be quite a lonely and dangerous profession. Reports suggest that each year there are around 23 farming-related casualties per 100,000 workers. This makes farms some of the most hazardous places to work in the country.

Not only are farmers working alone, but there a several situations where they’re at risk of injury, or even death. This might sound like a depressing situation, especially given that farming is an important business, but there are systems that can be put in place to make farm working a safer environment.

Whether it’s a tractor roll or getting caught in machinery, there are a number of dangers that provide high-risk roadblocks to farmers. And with no one around to help, this just adds to the everyday pressure of the farmer.

Farm accidents and statistics

Farming-related fatalities are reported to be seven times higher than the national average, this includes construction workers or emergency responders like firefighters and police officers. Times like harvest season is noted to be one of farming’s most risky times of year.

But what is the leading cause of death, or injury, in farming? Tractor rollovers are reported to account for more than half. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported hundreds of fatalities due to tractor rollovers between 2017-2021.

The high ratio of tractor accidents means important safety measures have to be put into place to help prevent such incidents. This could be an alarm to alert another worker or the tractor operator wearing a seatbelt. There’s also education and training to help the agricultural industry to help safeguard them and their families.

Tractor rollovers, equipment entanglement, and falls

Working alone in a largely isolated field can be hazardous for many reasons, but as well as tractor rollovers, sadly, there are plenty more accident-inducing situations. Here are some more examples of other accidents that can occur while farming:

Equipment entanglement

Using large and heavy machinery is a must within the farming community. You can’t do most daily tasks without having to operate a tractor or hay baler. Although most workers are seasoned farmers with years of experience under their belt, that doesn’t help when machinery goes wrong or there’s a freak accident. Getting clothing or even a body part caught in a moving machine can be fatal.

Falls

Farmers might have to fix a barn roof or work on uneven ground, both of which can lead to a dangerous fall. But it’s not just uneven ground or slippery surfaces that can cause fatal falls, it’s fatigue. Farmers start work early in the morning, and sometimes don’t finish until sundown, so tiredness is a key instigator in falls and other accidents. It might seem like something that can be prevented with a good night’s sleep, but sometimes a solution isn’t that simple.

Tractor rollovers

The most common of accidents, a tractor rollover can occur when a tractor veers to the side, hits an object or malfunctions. This can be fatal for the operator if they don’t have sufficient training or are not wearing their seat belt. Older tractors might not have seat belts or other measures that offer protection.

Rural cellular coverage challenges

Falls, tractor rollovers, and entanglements might be unavoidable, but the lack of cellular coverage doesn’t help either. Farmers usually work alone in isolated rural locations, a place that might not have good cellular coverage. This doesn’t help if something to go wrong. How can anyone assist if they don’t know you are in trouble? Or you can’t let them know that something is wrong?

Having a way to contact a co-worker or family member would help to ensure someone was around and contactable while a worker is alone in the field. It would mean that if there was an accident, someone could locate you and provide medical assistance sooner.

Satellite-enabled emergency devices

But it’s not all bad news in the world of farming. With innovative technologies and communications tools, there are several ways to get the accident stats down. Here’s a look at some of the emergency devices to help lone farmers.

SOS buttons

An SOS button will instantly send a distress signal once pressed. Not only that, but it will provide emergency centers with your exact locations using GPS. This is just one of many positive steps to build a safer lone-working environment

Personal locator beacons

Another satellite enabled emergency device is a PLB (personal locator beacon). This handy device connects remote agricultural areas when cellular coverage is not in range. It sounds an emergency alarm via satellite networks.

Machinery alarms

Installed on heavy machinery to monitor rollovers, sudden stops, and operator inactivity, equipment alarms are designed to automatically trigger alerts when something goes wrong.

Family farm vs. commercial operation safety

In farming, safety challenges exist on every type of landscape, but the way those challenges show up can be very different between family farms and commercial operations. Family farms are often run by relatives who wear many hats. Parents, children, grandparents, and seasonal helpers all pitch in to make the farm run smoothly. On the other hand, commercially run farms are generally bigger and more structured operations.

Potential hazards on family farms

A youngster feeding livestock, a parent repairing old equipment, or a grandparent working alone with heavy machinery can all face significant risk. Family farms may use older tractors and equipment because they are reliable and familiar, but older tools often lack modern safety features that could reduce serious injuries. So, while there are many positives to working on a family-run farm, there are also some risk factors to consider.

Risk factors for commercial farms

You might think that a commercially run farm would ensure fewer fatalities, due to newer machinery and relevant training. However, this is not always the case. Although commercial operations typically employ a larger workforce, the farms are often bigger in scale and work on tight schedules. More workers plus more machinery can provide more opportunity for risk.

Despite their differences, both family farms and commercial operations share common ground when it comes to lone working. People matter more than productivity and technology should be used to support workers.

For family farms, building a culture of safety might mean formalizing tasks that have always been done informally and ensuring that every person on the farm understands the risks. For commercial operations, that safety culture might include structured training, regular equipment inspections, and systems that keep lone workers connected.

How lone worker monitoring can help

Working alone can come with some additional risks, especially when you’re in remote areas. Farmers who are alone during the day without any help around if needed are more at risk to injury. Older farmers might also have health issues that could arise when they’re alone, this is why lone worker tracking could help.

SureSafe provide simple to use and affordable devices to protect farmers and other lone workers. SureSafe offers a collection of innovative features including 24/7 monitoring and the ability to talk to your contacts or our response centre directly through the alarm.

To learn more about how SureSafe can offer safety and peace of mind while you, your employees, or your loved ones are at work, give us a call at 0800 112 3201 or try our live chat. You can also request a call back via our easy online form.