A video featuring Edward Sheldon, an agricultural safety specialist at Purdue University, has been uploaded to the AP Video Hub.
In the video, he explains why farm safety is important and the hazards that farmers face ahead of crop harvest.
This video can be found here.
All videos in the Campus Insights series are free for download and use by all AP members and can be found at apvideohub.ap.org or by doing a general search on the Associated Press site. AP members may use the video or pull quotes for print article or for broadcast or podcast.
Storyline
Sheldon says that farming is recognized as one of the most hazardous industries in the country alongside mining and construction.
He notes that around three-fourths of farm injuries and fatalities result from machinery.
In Indiana, there were 20 work-related on-farm deaths in 2021, according to Purdue University’s Indiana Farm Fatality Summary.
Data shows that tractors are the most common agent in farm-related fatalities, representing as many as 52% of documented cases in the past 10 years, with six reported cases in 2021.
Other significant hazards include confined spaces such as grain bins and silos, where individuals can become trapped or disoriented.
Sheldon says farming technology has improved dramatically in the last 40 years, enabling farmers to do more with less risk, and it is important to recognize that farms have become safer in recent decades.