The remaining sections of this publication discuss basic concepts related to agricultural health and safety. These are presented on separate pages so that they can be posted in areas where agricultural safety hazards exist. These incidents affect not only agricultural workers but also their families and communities. In addition, many deaths and injuries unrelated to farm operations occur on the farm. These incidents often involve children, visitors, and other nonworkers.
Injuries result in significant losses to the victim in terms of medical cost and lost work time.
A day in the hospital is expensive, as illustrated in Figure 3. These costs may be borne in part by insurance, but they still place a financial burden on the worker's family. Disabling injuries include both permanent and temporary disabilities that result in lost work time. Additional costs in the form of lost workdays and lost wages add to the burden, as shown in Table 3. However, agricultural safety can be greatly improved by understanding some of the most basic causes of agricultural injuries and illnesses.