Medical consequences of work-related accidents on 2,454 Swedish farms

The medical consequences of accidents related to work on 2,454 farms in two Swedish rural municipalities were studied. The objectives were to describe the nature and scope of the injuries incurred, to collect data for the health planning procedure, and to test a local system for continuous injury surveillance in emergency care. All the injuries of 163 patients during the period 1 January-31 December 1983 were analyzed with regard to diagnosis, severity, medical treatment, hospitalization, and temporary and permanent disability. Wounds, contusions, fractures, foreign bodies, sprains, and strains constituted the main diagnostic groups. Injuries to the fingers, head and face (including the eyes), feet, and legs dominated. Six percent of the patients were admitted to the hospital. Seventy-five patients were put on temporary disability for a total of 2,431 d. For 62 of these patients the injuries were classified as minor. Permanent disability was observed in 4% of the cases. The study emphasizes the importance of registry criteria when one is comparing different injury surveillance systems. The majority of the injuries could have been prevented by the proper use of appropriate personal safety equipment. The results may serve as a basis for general measures to improve local safety consciousness.