Most of you reading this are likely involved in agriculture in some capacity. Would you consider agriculture to be a high risk industry?
The reality is that agriculture is a dangerous business. A recent report (12/2023) from the U. S. Department of Labor contains some staggering statistics and emphasizes the need for safety. In 2022, workers engage in farming, fishing and forestry had the highest fatal work injury rate among U.S. occupations with 23.5 fatalities per 100,000 full-time employees. A total of 5,486 fatal occupational injuries occurred in the U.S. in 2022 with 146 fatal injuries occurring among agricultural workers. Fatal work injuries due to contact with equipment and machinery (738) increased 4.7% from 2021 to 2022. These statistics are sobering. The need for safety in agriculture is real and present. When was your last discussion about safety with your family or employees? Now is the best time to have those discussions.
A quote from Dr. Keith Bolsen, K-State emeritus professor, comes to mind:
“Our number one goal is to send everyone home safe at night; if an operation isn’t safe nothing else really matters.”
The full report from the U.S. Department of Labor may be accessed at https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/cfoi.pdf
For more information, contact Justin Waggoner at jwaggon@ksu.edu
