Farmers and ranchers aged 60 years or older account for a disproportionate number of farm injuries and fatalities in Canada, according to a recent study by the Canadian Agricultural Injury Surveillance Program.
The CAISP study indicated that 35 percent of all work-related farm fatalities and 24 percent of farm injuries resulting in hospitalization involve farmers and ranchers 60 or older, an age group that represents only 13 percent of the country’s farming population.
The study also suggests that as farmers age, their likelihood of being killed or injured increases.
For example, farmers between 70 and 79 make up only 3.2 percent of the Canadian farm population, yet they account for 17.8 percent of farm deaths and 20 percent of injuries requiring hospitalization.
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The risk to seniors involved in agriculture is particularly worrisome since the proportion of Canadian farmers 65 or older is expected to double by 2041, said Theresa Whalen-Ruiter, farm safety co-ordinator with the Canadian Federation of Agriculture.
Recent figures from Statistics Canada suggest the average age of Canadian farmers is already over 50 years.
“A key thing to remember here is that with the current state of the (farm) economy, there are not as many young farmers going into the industry, therefore the people that are in there are aging,” Whalen-Ruiter said.
“When you put an aging population in combination with one of the most dangerous occupations, it’s a recipe for injury. So when you look at these circumstances, it makes sense to take extra care and attention to possible hazards.”
Health and safety organizations that monitor injuries and deaths among the elderly say it is critical that older farmers realize, accept and deal with the effects of aging, which include reduced vision, loss of hearing, poor balance, slower reaction time and earlier onset of fatigue relative to younger farmers.
Also, many seniors suffer from disorders that reduce mobility, such as arthritis, which can seriously impact personal safety on the farm.
At the same time, Whalen-Ruiter said increasing awareness and promoting safer farm practices among older farmers can be a challenge.
“It is sometimes a difficult age group to reach because in some cases they’ve been farming for 20 or 30 years and they feel that they know how to do things and they do, but safety of course is something that can’t be taken for granted and it has to be practised every time.
“Complacency is sometimes what causes some incidents.”
Whalen-Ruiter said it is critical that farmers change their on-farm routines as they adopt new technologies. Potential dangers should be recognized early and proper procedures developed.
“Routine can be very good assuming that it was a good routine that was developed in the first place.
“As machinery and technology evolves and as farmers continue to advance and change their ways of doing things, it’s important that the correct and safe routines are developed right from the start.”
The CAISP study suggested that the machine types most commonly associated with injuries to older farmers are tractors, augers, combines, motor vehicles, power take-off devices, swathers, balers and plows.
Seniors who are injured often take longer to recover and can experience an irreversible decline in function, which can lead to institutionalization and death.
To protect themselves from injury, farmers should ensure that the tasks they do are appropriate for their reduced physical abilities.
For example, remember that vision is hampered most at dawn and dusk so the risk associated with operating machinery rises at these times.
To avoid injury, farmers should also practise these safety measures:
- Get plenty of rest during seeding, harvest and long work periods. Take frequent breaks to protect against fatigue and physical stress.
- Drink plenty of liquids and keep them available in your work area.
- Have something to eat regularly, at least every four hours.
- Use extreme caution when operating equipment. Be familiar with any medication you take and its effect on your reaction time. Even over-the-counter medications can hamper reflexes and diminish alertness, limiting your ability to operate farm tractors and other machinery.
- Make sure a family member or fellow worker knows where you will be working. Bring a cell phone or two-way radio if you can, so you can get help if you need it.
- Know your limitations. Don’t push your mind and body past their safe and healthy limits.
Ñ With files from the Western Producer
