Farm Work Injuries Among a Cohort of Children in Kentucky, USA

Children residing on farms with livestock may be at an increased risk for work-related injuries, compared to children who work on other commodity farms. This study characterizes children\u27s work tasks on Kentucky farms and assesses whether children who work on beef cattle farms are at an increased risk for farm work injuries. The results of a cohort study of children aged 5-18 years (N=999 at baseline) working on family farms in Kentucky, followed for two consecutive years after an initial enumeration five years previously, found that 70% of the children were involved in animal-related chores. Across all age groups, children on beef cattle farms devoted a greater number of hours per week to farm work, compared to children living on other commodity farms, especially during the school year. For all children in the study, working more than 180 days per year, performing farm work independently, and working on a beef cattle farm (compared to other commodity farm), increased the risk of a farm work injury. However, none of these associations were statistically significant. For male children only, the performance of work tasks independently was significantly associated with a 2.4-fold increased risk (OR = 2.41; 95% CI: 1.15-5.06; P=0.02) for a farm work injury, after controlling for days of working, age, period of data collection, and commodity type of the farm

Farmwork-Related Injury Among Farmers 50 Years of Age and Older in Kentucky and South Carolina: A Cohort Study, 2002-2005

Farmers in the U.S. are becoming more diverse; the average age of the farmer is increasing, as is the number of women and minority farm operators. There is limited research on injury risk factors in these special populations of farmers. It is especially important to study the risk factors for injury in these growing and at-risk groups. A longitudinal survey was conducted of farmers (n = 1,394) age 50 and older who resided in Kentucky and South Carolina. The questionnaire was administered by telephone and mail surveys four times between 2002 and 2005 to the fixed cohort of farmers, obtained by convenience sample. Approximately half of the cohort was female, and the majority of the cohort worked less than 40 hours per week. This cohort reported a crude, non-fatal injury rate of 9.3 injured farmers per 100 per year. Farmers reporting chronic bronchitis/emphysema (estimated odds ratio [EOR] = 1.57), back problems (EOR = 1.37), arthritis (EOR = 1.31), 3 to 4 restless nights in the past week (EOR = 2.02), or 5 to 7 restless nights in the past week (EOR = 1.82) were at significantly higher odds of sustaining a farmwork-related injury as calculated by the generalized estimating equations (GEE) regression method Farmers operating equipment on highways (EOR = 1.51) or climbing higher than eight feet (EOR = 1.69) were at significantly higher odds of sustaining a farmwork-related injury, and females were at higher risk of injury when performing animal-related tasks (EOR = 3.00) or crop-related tasks (EOR = 2.21). Identified factors associated with farmwork-related injury should better inform agricultural health policies and guidelines for older farmers, such as policies governing the allowable number of hours worked per week and rest breaks, guidelines that advise appropriate types of farm tasks, and ergonomic engineering advances on farming equipment

The Hidden Work of the Farm Homemaker

Despite women’s involvement in agricultural production, the work role of women residing in farm households has not been thoroughly examined. Data collected in 1994-1995 as part of the NIOSH-sponsored Farm Family Health and Hazard Surveillance Project were used to address task issues and health status of farm women in Kentucky. In 1996, the farm woman component of the Kentucky study was replicated in five counties in west Texas, allowing an examination of farm women in two large agricultural states. The Kentucky study employed a two-stage cluster design;the Texas study was based on a systematic quota sample of farms. Both studies selected a sample of women aged 18 years and older living in farm households. A total of 992 women in Kentucky (response rate = 85%) and 665 women in Texas completed a structured 30-min telephone interview on work roles, health status, injuries, and demographics. The results indicated that although 46.4% of the Kentucky respondents and 46.3% of the Texas respondents characterized themselves as farm homemakers, they regularly engaged in farmwork. Reported tasks included work with animals, tobacco-related chores, field irrigation, farm equipment operation, and farm management. Further, women who characterized themselves as homemakers reported rates of farm injuries that were comparable with women who classified themselves in other roles such as full agricultural partners. Role definition may influence the woman’s perception of risk on the farm, preclude participation in farm safety programs, and prevent an accurate occupational medical history. This two-state descriptive study highlights the hidden work role of the farm woman—a role that remains invisible to the farm woman herself—and emphasizes the important occupational exposures that farm women encounter

Farm Tractor Safety in Kentucky, 1995

Objective: Tractor rollovers are a major cause of farm injuries and fatalities. The authors used data from a statewide surveillance study to estimate the prevalence of safety features such as rollover protective structures, seat belts, and power take-off shields on farm tractors in Kentucky. Methods: Using data from the Farm Family Health and Hazard Surveillance Project, the authors report on the prevalence of farm tractor safety features by size of farm, by region of the state, by number of tractors per farm, and by tractor age and estimate the prevalence of tractors equipped with rollover protection by region and for the state as a whole. Results: Of the estimated 85,446 family-owned farms in Kentucky with at least one tractor, an estimated 55.6%, or 47,515 farms, do not have a tractor equipped with a rollover protective structure. Few tractors that are 10 years old or older were found to be equipped with seat belts; no tractors that were more than 20 years old were equipped with seat belts. Conclusions: Kentucky, with an estimated 25 to 30 tractor-related fatalities each year, may contribute up to 20% of the total number of farm tractor fatalities in the nation. The overall prevalence of rollover protective structures on tractors in Kentucky is lower than estimates for other states as reported in national survey data. The study\u27s findings suggest the need to target smaller farms with one or two tractors for retrofitting of rollover protective structures and for tractor safety programs

Fifty homemakers' evaluation of the performance characteristics of kitchen carpet

It was the purpose of this study to determine the homemakers' evaluation of the performance of kitchen carpet for ease of maintenance, appearance retention, and durability. Fifty homemakers who owned kitchen carpet and resided in Guilford County, North Carolina were interviewed by the investigator in April and May 1971. The data were recorded on multiple choice questionnaire forms during the interviews and reported as percentages. Chi square techniques were employed where appropriate. Ninety-two per cent of the homemakers reported that their kitchen carpet was easy to maintain. Sixty-six per cent said they had experienced difficulty cleaning one or more types of spills. The presence of children in the home was the only factor shown to have a statistically significant relationship to problems with spills at the .05 level of confidence. Ninety-six per cent of the homemakers were satisfied with the appearance of their carpet. Since two-thirds of the homemakers' carpets had been installed for less than two years, this survey could not determine the homemakers' evaluation of the durability of kitchen carpet

Use of Rollover Protective Structures -- Iowa, Kentucky, New York, and Ohio, 1992-1997

Agriculture has one of the highest occupational fatality rates of all industries in the United States (1). Tractors and other types of agricultural equipment account for a large proportion of these fatalities, and farm-tractor rollovers account for approximately 130 work-related deaths each year in the United States (2). Although rollover protective structures (ROPS) are effective in protecting tractor operators from fatal injuries during rollovers (3-5), most tractors in the United States are not equipped with ROPS (4-7). Beginning in 1985, tractor manufacturers in the United Sates agreed to sell only tractors with ROPS; however, many older tractors without ROPS remain in use. To determine the prevalence of the use of ROPS, beginning in 1992, the Farm Family Health and Hazard Surveillance (FFHHS) program * collected state-based data on tractor age and use of ROPS from selected states. As of August 1997, four states had completed collection and analysis of data on farm tractors. This report summarizes the results of that survey, which indicates that 80%-90% of tractors in use in the four states were manufactured before 1985 and that less than 40% are equipped with ROPS

Deep dives: different groups’ experiences of and recovery needs from Covid-19

This national research into Covid-19 was undertaken with a biopsychosocial lens (Engels, 1977), that is to say, exploring the biological, psychological and social factors arising from Covid-19. Some factors could be predicted prior to the research and formed a skeleton analytical framework. This was expanded iteratively as each narrative was explored, with new factors recounted in narratives added to the framework. In this report we take a ‘deep dive’ seeking data pertaining to certain groups of people in order to provide specific insights into the needs of these groups rather than risking the specific disappearing into the general. This is not to treat different people’s needs in isolation, or as discrete. Different demographics and characteristics intersect influencing different experiences of Covid-19. In discussing the responses of people with a single shared characteristic we are not seeking to simplify or segregate, but rather to draw out nuance to further inform recovery efforts. Due to the nature of our data, these deep dives focus in on the experiences of people who were shielding; people with health or mental health conditions and services needed; people with additional needs and their carers; older adults and their carers; people experiencing decreased employment and financial hardship; experiences of learners and volunteers. It was not possible to consider the experiences of minority groups due to low numbers in the data

Directly Imaging Fast Reaction Fronts

Direct observation of fast intermetallic phase formation in Reactive Multilayer Foils (RMLFs) has been achieved. Snap-shots of the reaction appear to show development of mass-thickness contrast of the unmixed Al and Ni layers and an intermetallic phase. Electron imaging of these RMLF reaction fronts have never been attained in the past. The reaction front travels at {approx}10 meters per second as the nanoscale layers mix in an exothermic chain reaction, thus making traditional in situ electron microscopy {approx}10{sup 5} times too slow to produce such an image. The DTEM capability to produce several million electrons within nanoseconds for single-pulse imaging made this experiment possible. Additionally, the sample drive laser ensures reliable experiment initiation and repeatability. In no other way could such a high velocity event be captured at this magnification. RMLF reaction fronts continue to be analyzed via diffraction for complete phase evolution with respect to time. High quality diffraction patterns enable quantitative phase information to be obtained for future comparison to simulation

Time Resolved Annular Dark Field Imaging of Catalyst Nanoparticles

Dynamic transmission electron microscopy (DTEM) has the potential to provide insight into nanoparticle catalyst dynamics by obtaining direct images with high spatial and temporal resolution. To date, the limited signal to noise ratios attainable for dispersed nanoparticle samples have made such studies difficult to perform at the highest resolution. These limitations have been overcome by the fabrication of an annular objective lens aperture that permits images to be obtained with a 5 fold increase in the signal to background ratio. This annular dark field imaging mode is shown here to vastly improve the contrast attainable in 15ns pulsed electron images and allows particles as small as 30nm in diameter to be observed