New York Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (NY FACE)

FACE FACTS--Farm

picture of tractor

From 1992 to 2004, 287 agriculture workers in New York State died while working. Below are descriptions of real farmers and farm workers who were killed on the job.

  • A feed mill worker became trapped and buried in a grain bin when he entered the bin to level the flaked corn.
  • An elderly farmer died when the tractor he was operating overturned. He was brush-hogging the outer edge of a pasture when the embankment gave way.
  • A farm worker became entangled in a forage chopper while putting in hay bales. The head of the chopper had been removed.
  • An elderly farmer was run over by a brush hog being pulled behind a tractor. He was mowing a slope when he fell off the tractor.
  • A farm worker was crushed by two dairy cows when he moved them to a freestall barn following the morning milking.
  • A dairy farmer was crushed between the end of a gate and a steel fence while trying to load cows onto a trailer. A cow pushed the gate into the victim.

HOW CAN THESE FARM ACCIDENTS BE PREVENTED?

When working around tractors and other machines:

  • Equip all tractors with Rollover Protective Structures (ROPS) and seatbelts.
  • Always disengage the transmission, turn off the engine, and apply the parking brake before dismounting farm machinery.
  • Never stand directly in front of or behind the wheels of agricultural equipment.
  • Do not operate farm machinery with guards or components missing.
  • Do not modify farm equipment for purposes other than the original design.

When working in enclosed spaces:

  • Develop and follow safety procedures for entering confined spaces, such as grain bins, silos, and manure storage systems.
  • Do not enter enclosed places where large animals are present without proper safety passages.

The New York Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (NY FACE) program, in cooperation with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is one of many workplace health and safety programs administered by the New York State Department of Health. Additional information about the NY FACE program can be obtained by contacting:

New York State Department of Health
Bureau of Occupational Health and Injury Prevention
Empire State Plaza-Corning Tower, Room 1336
Albany, New York 12237