Youth in Agriculture » Agricultural Fatalities

If you are under 16, Child Labor Laws forbid you from handling certain classes and types of chemicals or pesticides; state laws may be even more stringent.

Do You Know... Each year on farms in the United States, an alarming number of youth younger than 20 years of age are killed, injured, or permanently disabled? Agriculture is one of the most dangerous industries in the nation. The following are examples of fatalities to young workers.

Case Study Fatalities:

Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) Reports

  • On July 30, 1994, a ten-year-old boy died when the tractor he was driving overturned while he was turning off a public highway onto a gravel road. The tractor was towing a hay baler and loaded hayrack and was not equipped with a roll-over protective structure and seat belt.
    FACE Reports: 94MN04101

  • On July 11, 1995, a 13-year-old boy died after being engulfed by corn inside a grain bin. The boy and his father were using a portable auger to unload corn from the bin into a truck. The boy uncovered the bin roof access opening and sat on the roof ladder to monitor the flow of corn. The boy accidentally fell into the grain bin and suffocated. FACE Reports: 95MN045

  • On June 3, 1994, a 13-year-old boy died when struck by a runaway farm wagon. He was attempting to stop and direct the wagon but was instead caught between the wagon and the garage. FACE Reports: 94MN03001

  • On August 17, 1995, a 17-year-old boy died after he was struck by a front-end loader bucket. FACE Reports: 95MN04601

  • On September 13, 1997, a 13-year old boy died when he was run over by a grass seeder being towed by a tractor on sloped land. FACE Reports: 97MN03801

  • On January 19, 1999, a 17-year-old youth farm worker was killed when he become entangled in Power Take Off (PTO) driveline of an old grinder-mixer. FACE Reports: 99IA003

  • On June 22, 1999, an 18-year-old male farm worker (the victim) died after the tractor he was driving overturned and he received crushing injuries from being tossed in the cab. FACE Reports: 99WI038

  • On July 26, 1989, five family members, including a 15-year-old youth, died after entering a manure waste pit on dairy farm. FACE Reports: 8946

Farm Fatality Reminder of Electrocution Danger Associated with Aluminum Irrigation Piping

  • In June of 1989 a 15-year-old worker was fatally electrocuted. Two other teen workers were hospitalized for electrical burns to their hands and feet.

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