Australian Farmers' Hearing 1994-2008
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Child Safety on Farms
Around 20 children under 15 years are fatally injured on an Australian farm every year and many more are hospitalised or treated by General Practitioners across rural Australia. The major causes of child deaths and injuries on farms are dams, farm vehicles, machinery, motorcycles and horses. Age and development characteristics also place children at greater risk.
A recent study of on-farm fatalities from 2001-2004 by the Australian Centre for Agricultural Health and Safety found that:
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Children (0-14yrs) make up 15-20% of farm injury deaths, around 66% are male.
The main agents of fatality and serious injury are:
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Drowning in dams (mostly under five year olds)
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ATVs or 4 wheeled motorbikes, and
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Farm vehicles (cars, utes)
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Around 25% of all child deaths were visitors to the farm, but for quad bikes, around 50% are visitors.
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Drowning accounts for around 35-40% on child farm deaths, with farm dams being by far the most common site.
There has been an improvement in the reduction of toddler drowning on farms in recent years – particularly a reduction of drowning in dams, which have halved since the 1990s. However, drowning is still the number one cause of child farm fatality in Australia.
A common scenario is that a toddler wanders away from the home un-noticed into farm water bodies or toward other farm hazards (vehicles, mobile machinery). Apart from dams, children can find their way into creeks, troughs, dips and irrigation channels. Children under five years of age are at greatest risk.
For non-fatal injury of children on farms, older children (5 - 14 yrs) figure more prominently - particularly in relation to injury from 2 and 4 wheeled motorbikes (and horses). Whilst there tends to be more hospital Emergency Department presentations for 2-wheeled motorbikes, injuries from quad bikes are likely to be more severe or fatal. There are four times as many children being killed riding quad bikes than 2 wheel motorbikes on farms.