Farmers Suffer Shocking Rates of Amputation From Workplace Injuries
Climbing ladders and silos, operating heavy machinery, and lifting heavy bags of feed in extreme weather conditions are routine tasks for farmers. They're also costing farmers their limbs, at a rate that's 2.5 times higher than people in other industries, reports Eureka Alert!.
A new study from Northwestern University Prosthetics-Orthotics Center explains the grisly details of what it costs to bring food to our plates. According to the study, when a farmer or rancher is injured while working, there's an 11 percent chance that an amputation will occur. Fingers and toes account for most amputations, but hands, arms, legs and feet are also at risk.
The loss of a limb is gruesome enough, but an injured farmer's loss doesn't always stop there. Artificial limbs created for agricultural workers with significant limb amputation aren't meeting farmers' needs, the study says. Lacking the durability that the physical laboring of farming involves and costing a pretty penny, prosthetic limbs aren't delivering.
The study is part of a larger research project at the University that is working to design education materials suited to farmers' needs, as well as partner with prosthesis manufacturers to develop better products.
Stefania Fatone, research associate professor in physical medicine and rehabilitation at Feinberg and corresponding author of the study, says designing protheses for farmers is rife with problems. Not only are the physical demands of a farmers more intense than many other occupations, different farmers have different needs; what works for a dairy farmer might not serve the purposes of a corn farmer or cattle rancher.
The paucity of strong, affordable prosthetic limbs makes returning to farming or ranching after an accident a real challenge. Farmers involved in the study reported having fallen or gotten a second injury due to the use of their prosthesis.
Extreme weather also impedes the recovery process for farmers by wearing down prostheses not suited for extreme conditions. "Farmers report that prostheses sometimes get stuck in mud, caught in weeds and exposed to chemicals, rain, snow and extreme cold and heat," Eureka Alert! reports. "All farmers interviewed in this study avoided using myoelectric prostheses while on the job because of the risk of exposure to harsh environments."
Prosthetics companies aren't entirely to blame. Prosthetists involved in the study said some farmers had "unrealistic expectations" of their articificial limb, leading the researchers to note that a lack of education about prosthetic limbs is also contributing to the problem. Farmers also reported getting injured because they rushed on the job or didn't adhere to proper safety measures.
Even if the durability problems are ironed out, farmers still face a financial dilemma. The Huffington Post reports that prosthetic limbs can run from $15,000 to $20,000—and that's after an expensive hospital stay for amputation.
The first to publish detailed information on the problems farmers and ranchers face with prosthetics, this study opens the door to further examination and possible solutions—not just for farmers but for many other industries.
Military members, construction and forestry workers, commercial fishermen, miners and manufacturers could also stand to benefit.
Weigh in: Why do you think farmers' need for prosthetics hasn't received much attention? Let us know in the comments section below.
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