However, many farm workers are injured when they are struck by or against an object and fall from the tractor. These types of accidents usually result in fractures and sprains. Machinery other than tractors also poses injury risks to farm workers. For example, farm workers can become entangled in belts, chains, and gears when working with crop gathering and other moving mechanisms. Farm workers can also be struck by or against combines and grainheads while performing maintenance when the machine is turned off.
Farm workers are also at risk for sustaining nonmachinery-related injuries.
For example, some workers have fallen into grain bins and have suffocated. Other workers have been injured while performing chores that involve working with animals, such as being kicked or stepped on. Farm workers are at high risk for developing several disorders associated with exposure to airborne dusts while working in silos, cleaning grain bins, moving moldy grain, and working in swine confinement facilities. They are also at high risk for developing respiratory disease associated with exposure to gases used in silos, manure pits, and animal production buildings. Occupational Contact Determatitis .