Farm safety - crush injuries

A crush injury occurs when the body or a body part is trapped, pinched or jammed under or between objects. The damage depends on how much force is involved, and enough force can cause traumatic amputation.

On farms, the most commonly injured body parts are the hands and fingers, and many injuries happen during cropping or workshop-based farm maintenance.

While anyone of any age who works, visits or lives on a farm can be injured, older and less experienced people are at greater risk. The effects of ageing — such as slower reaction times, poorer eyesight and reduced strength and agility — make crush injuries more likely. Simple safety measures can dramatically reduce the risk to you, your family and other farm workers. Crush injuries can happen while moving farm equipment, working with machinery, handling livestock and during many other farm tasks.

Compartment syndrome and crush injury syndrome#

Crush injuries can cause compartment syndrome or crush injury syndrome. Both are serious and both need urgent medical attention.

Compartment syndrome can occur when muscles inside the “compartment” of a limb swell so much that blood flow is blocked. The fascia covering the muscles is not very elastic and does not stretch, so the pressure from the swelling is forced inwards, compressing nerves and muscles. This can damage nerves and muscles and cause chronic pain and mobility problems. It has many causes, including being crushed under a heavy object.

Crush injury syndrome occurs when a large area of muscle is compressed and starved of blood flow over several hours. This causes muscle cells to break down and release acids and other chemicals. When the pressure is removed, these chemicals can travel to the heart and kidneys and cause serious damage.

First aid for crush injuries#

First aid for crush injuries needs careful assessment. If the area has been compressed for a long time, it may be best to wait for emergency services to arrive, or to seek advice when you call your local emergency number (for example 911 in the US and Canada, 112 across the EU and many countries, 999 in the UK, or 000 in Australia) , before removing the crushing weight — a tourniquet or intravenous fluids may be needed before the weight is released.

However, if weight on the head, chest, neck or abdomen is not removed, the casualty may die from breathing failure or blood loss. Even when someone does not appear badly injured, internal damage or rapid deterioration can occur, so always seek medical attention.

Preventing crush injuries#

Crush injuries on farms can be prevented by taking simple precautions. Each type of hazard needs specific measures, but some general advice applies.

Machinery#

Most machinery-related injuries are crush injuries or amputation of the fingers or hands, and they can happen at any time. General safety suggestions include:

• Read the manual and pay particular attention to the safety instructions
• Make sure everyone using a piece of equipment understands how to operate it safely
• Do not remove or modify safety features and guards — missing guards are a major factor in crush injuries
• If necessary, fit safety shields to cover all moving parts, such as belts and pulleys
• Regularly maintain and check machinery, as accidents are more common with old equipment, and replace it when needed
• Make sure clothing such as sleeves and pant legs is not loose or flapping where it could be caught in moving parts, and tie up long hair
• Fit safety signs
• Do not take shortcuts — for example, switch off machinery before making any adjustments
• Avoid working alone; if that is not possible, tell someone when to expect you so they can check on you. Make this a rule for everyone on the farm

Tractors#

Tractors are a leading cause of farm deaths and a major cause of serious injury. Most injuries and deaths involve the tractor rolling over. Human error is a major factor — studies of tractor accidents show that, in most cases, at least one person took an action that led directly to the injury or death.

Safety suggestions for tractors include:

• Buy a tractor with safety features such as a seatbelt, reversing beepers and a dead man’s seat brake (also known as an operator presence sensing system, or OPSS), which turns off power sources and brakes the tractor when the operator leaves the seat with the engine on and the tractor in gear
• Fit a certified rollover protective structure (ROPS), especially if the tractor does not have an enclosed cabin
• Keep the tractor properly maintained and check it regularly
• Keep children and visitors well away from the tractor when it is operating
• Only start the tractor when you are safely seated — deaths have occurred when workers started a tractor from outside the vehicle
• Always wear the seatbelt
• Do not allow passengers unless the tractor has a purpose-built seat with a seatbelt; passengers riding on the mudguard may fall and be crushed by the rear wheel
• Do not leave the motor running when you are off the tractor making adjustments
• Be particularly careful when adding attachments, and follow all recommended safety precautions

Quad bikes#

Quad bikes are a major cause of death and serious injury on farms, and most injuries and deaths involve the quad bike rolling over the rider. Safety suggestions include:

• Take a quad bike training course
• Use the quad bike strictly as set out in the operator’s manual
• Only ride on familiar and even tracks
• Install an appropriate and suitably tested crush protection device (CPD)
• Never let children under 16 years of age ride quad bikes
• Never carry passengers on quad bikes

Grain augers#

Safety suggestions for grain augers include:

• Do not remove the intake guard — removing it may improve grain flow but dramatically increases the risk of crush injuries
• Use the grain auger strictly as directed, as inappropriate use increases the risk of harm
• Make sure the emergency stop is near the grain auger inlet

Livestock#

A common livestock crush injury happens when a body part, such as an arm, is pinned between an animal and a stockyard or in a crush. The larger the animal, the greater the risk. Safety suggestions include:

• Do not work alone
• Make sure animals know you are approaching
• Minimize the time you spend in the same enclosure as farm animals
• Be aware that frightened mothers will protect their young if they sense a threat — for example, alarmed cows may charge
• Always use appropriate equipment, such as bail heads and crushes
• When yarding stock during mating, use separate yards for bulls whenever possible
• Install a vet gate into your cattle crush to make getting in and out safer
• When vaccinating or drenching, do not put your arms through the railings — go over the top where possible

A farm safety emergency plan#

Suggestions for a farm safety emergency plan include:

• Place first aid kits around the farm and ensure easy access to a suitable, well-stocked kit
• Make sure at least one farm worker is trained and current in first aid
• Keep emergency contact numbers and a copy of your correct (official) address next to the telephone and in farm vehicles
• Plan routes to the nearest hospital emergency department
• Talk through your emergency plan with your family, other farm staff and visitors so everyone knows what to do in an emergency

Key points#

• On farms, the most commonly injured body parts are the hands and fingers
• Most injuries occur during cropping or workshop-based farm maintenance
• Simple safety measures can dramatically reduce the risk of crush injuries to you, your family and other farm workers
• Crush injuries can cause compartment syndrome or crush injury syndrome, which both have serious consequences
• Compartment syndrome can be caused by many things, including being crushed under a heavy object

Where to get help#