Young farmers learn how to prevent tragedy on the farm during virtual workshop

RICHMOND, VA - Emergency room nurse Katie Hammock highlighted this troubling reality during a recent Virginia Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers Winter Expo workshop titled “Where Medicine Meets Agriculture: Preventing Tragedy on the Farm.” Participants gained a stronger understanding of farm first aid; the confidence to act in an emergency; and a plan to keep their farms, families and employees safe.

“Accidents are called accidents for a reason,” Hammock cautioned. “I’ve seen people do everything right and still have a traumatic injury. You never know when something like this could happen to you or somebody you know.”

The agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting sector is among the top five most dangerous industries in the world with the highest death rate per 100,000 workers in 2023, according to the National Safety Council.

“With the right preparation, it doesn’t have to be tragic,” Hammock noted.

Pulling from personal experiences with treating traumatic farm injuries, she said the top farm-related accidents involve medical emergencies and bleed, burn, crush and puncture injuries.

Cardiac emergencies are one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. and in the agriculture industry. Hammock urged farmers to get CPR-certified, as every minute that CPR should’ve been initiated means a 10% loss in survival odds.

She noted an uptick in agriculture-related burn injuries and cited incidents involving explosions, uncontrolled fires and electrocutions.

Hammock commonly treats people for chainsaw accidents, head lacerations from falls and hand lacerations with hemorrhagic injuries, and she has witnessed uncontrolled bleeding situations.

It takes less than five minutes to bleed out and it would take more than five minutes for emergency personnel to reach Hammock’s Pittsylvania County farm.

She urged farmers to always have a farm emergency kit with a tourniquet nearby. Hammock said a tourniquet is "the No. 1 lifesaving item for hemorrhagic injuries,” along with a blood-clotting product, sterile bandage rolls, a CPR shield and a whistle. Farmers also should keep an emergency blanket nearby to protect injured patients from harsh weather conditions.

“When minutes matter, can emergency personnel find you?” she asked workshop participants.

Hammock encouraged farmers to create an organizer with all farm field addresses, know how to direct emergency personnel to their fields, and ensure that someone is always aware of their location while they are working.

She also noted that those in the agriculture community are 3½ times more likely to die by suicide than the average population.

“If you or a loved one is suffering, you can go to an emergency department in any state and they will provide you with resources,” Hammock added.

Additionally, the Virginia AgriStress Helpline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and has interpretation services for 160 languages. Call or text 833-897-2474 to receive direct emotional support, advice and resources from a trained professional.

For more farm safety tips, visit vafb.com/safety.