Agriculture is one of the few industries where relatives of workers suffer high rates of injuries due to the nature of working farms existing on private lands, and researchers say farmers need to ensure children are kept safe from workplace incidents.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health, in a Wednesday blog post, said while agriculture ranks among the most hazardous industries for workers, it is unique in that family members are also at risk of suffering fatal and nonfatal injuries.
Researchers said 33 children a day are seriously injured in agriculture-related incidents, and a child dies on a working farm every three days, although more than 60% of children involved in farming incidents were not working at the time an injury occurred.
While many farmers know about the risks of bringing children onto active worksites, a lack of childcare options is one reason why kids remain on farms during working hours, researchers wrote.
Other reasons include a lack of financial support to help pay for safe play areas, a lack of paid family leave and not enough childcare tax credits.
Researchers said living and working in the same location presents unique challenges, and stakeholders must address ways to improve safety for children of working farmers.
This article was first published in Business Insurance.
