The Purdue Agricultural Safety and Health Program recently published the “2024 Indiana Farm Fatality Summary with Historical Overview”. With harvest season beginning around the state, and the upcoming National Farm Safety and Health Week (September 22-27) the summary is an excellent, but sobering, reminder of the risks farm operators and farm worker face each day.
Some of findings from the 2024 study include:
- An 87% increase in documented fatalities from 2023 (15 to 28)
- Individuals over the age of 60 are the primary victims (57%)
- Tractors continue to be the primary agent involved (38%)
- Amish and Old Order communities account for a disproportionate number of incidents
- Men account for (96%) of incidents
The Purdue Ag. Safety team encourages everyone to make safety a priority as we enter the busy harvest season. The full summary can be downloaded here: https://www.purdue.edu/engineering/ABE/INPREPared/indiana-farm-fatality-summaries/
For more information about safety and health on the farm and in rural Indiana, please visit the following websites that have been designed to enhance the quality of life of farm families and farm workers:
If you need more information contact: inprepared@purdue.edu.
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