Farm-related injury presenting to an Australian base hospital

Data concerning farm-related injuries were collected from the Emergency Department at Tamworth Base Hospital over a 12-month period from 1 September 1997.

The aim of the study was to collect information at a local level to establish baselines with a view to developing prevention strategies. All people who presented with a farm injury or illness to the emergency department participated in the study.

During this period there were 384 injuries, of which nearly three-quarters were males (72.2%). Four injuries were fatal. The average rate of injury per 100 farms per annum in the service area of the Hospital was 30 per 100 farms (range 9-80 per 100 farms, per annum). Half (54.1%) of the people injured were employed at the time of the injury. Horses (21.1%) and motorcycles (15.8%) were the two most common injury agents.

The information gained can be used to direct injury prevention at a local level and may be also used at the national level as a guide when grouped with other similar studies of different commodity groups.