Farm injury resulting in hospital admission: a review of farm work and non-farm work-related injury

INTRODUCTION: Occupational health on farms is important because farms are not only workplaces where agriculture workers are vulnerable to high injury and fatality rates, they are also homes where families and visitors undertake a variety of activities that can result in injury. AIM: To profile and describe injuries requiring hospital admission that occurred on farms, both for injuries related to farming activities and injuries unrelated to farm work in the Midland region of New Zealand. METHODS: A review of anonymised prospectively collected Midland trauma registry data from 1 July 2012 to 30 June 2018 was undertaken. Cases include unintentional injuries occurring on a farm. Non-major injuries are included to better quantify the trauma burden. RESULTS: In total, 2303 hospital admissions met the study criteria. Non-major injury accounted for 93.1% of events and 45.0% of injuries occurred during farming activities. Five people died in hospital; all injured while undertaking farm work. Males made up 84.8% of farm work and 70.9% of non-farm work injuries. Horse riding had the highest number of injuries, with off-road motorcycles, livestock, falls and quad bike injuries comprising the most common injury activities and mechanisms. Farming-related major injuries commonly involved quad bikes, non-traffic vehicles and motorcycles. Farmers in the Districts of Waitomo, Rotorua, Waipa and Taupo had the highest standardised hospitalisation rates. DISCUSSION: The nature of farms and farming exposes people to different risks from the risks people in urban areas are exposed to. Injury prevention efforts should remain on work-related farming injuries, but also encompass the high number of injuries that are not related to farm work but happening on farms.