Another 23,000 are seriously injured. New York State farms are not immune from such tragedies. Part of the answer lies within the structure of the agricultural industry. Children on farms are often exposed to a wide array of occupational and environmental hazards that are not present in other industries. In addition to young individuals who work on the farm, many youngsters live and play around the farm exposing themselves to hazards that are uniquely dangerous.
Children take on many roles around the farm including working, accompanying adults, and playing.
Agriculture-related injuries can occur during all of these facets of farm life. Many children are injured while working. Injuries can occur when children operate and work around machinery. Injury scenarios can include tractor rollovers, falls from equipment or ladders, and entanglement in power take-off shafts and other machine components such as augers. Children are injured during livestock-related chores, such as feeding animals or cleaning out livestock pens, and are most often kicked, bitten, or crushed by animals much larger than themselves.