Occupational injuries on thoroughbred horse farms: a description of Latino and non-Latino workers' experiences

Details

• Personal Author:
  Clouser JM ; Marsh MW ; Reed DB ; Swanberg JE ; Westneat SC
• Description:
  Animal production is a dangerous industry and increasingly reliant on a Latino workforce. Within animal production, little is known about the risks or the occupational hazards of working on farms involved in various aspects of thoroughbred horse breeding. Extant research suggests that horse workers are at risk of musculoskeletal and respiratory symptoms, kicks, and other injuries. However, limited known research has examined the experiences of the industry's workers, including immigrant workers, despite their prominence and increased vulnerability. Using data collected from thoroughbred farm representatives via a phone-administered survey, a 2-hour face-to-face semi-structured interview, and farm injury logs, this article identifies and describes types of injuries experienced by workers (N = 284) and their surrounding circumstances. Results indicate that general injuries and musculoskeletal strains, sprains, and tears account for a majority of injuries among workers on thoroughbred farms. Upper limbs and extremities are most frequently injured, while direct contact with the horse accounted for over half of all injuries. No differences in the diagnoses or distribution of injury were found by ethnicity; however, Latinos were more often struck by or trampled by a horse while non-Latinos were more often injured by an insect or plant. Implications and opportunities for future research are discussed. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Accidents, Occupational Agriculture Epidemiology Farmers Livestock Musculoskeletal Diseases Occupational Health Respiratory System Safety
• Keywords:
  Accidents Agricultural Workers Animal Husbandry Workers Author Keywords: Worker Injury Farm Workers Horse-related Injuries Immigrant Workers Injuries Latino Workers Livestock Industry Musculoskeletal Disorders Occupational Health Occupational Safety Respiratory Health

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• ISSN:
  1660-4601
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement ; Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Kentucky ; Maryland ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 4
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  10
• Issue:
  12
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20045180
• Citation:
  Int J Environ Res Public Health 2013 Dec; 10(12):6500-6516
• Contact Point Address:
  Jennifer E. Swanberg, School of Social Work, University of Maryland, 525 West Redwood Street, Baltimore, MD 21201
• Email:
  jswanberg@ssw.umaryland.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2014
• NORA Priority Area:
  Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
• Performing Organization:
  University of Kentucky
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20010930
• Source Full Name:
  International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
• End Date:
  20270929
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:1534cd0cc55050c9d8d4e82763621bc9b903e617e2dbf18d870f7f65c30190d6d69ad574351edb9127bed93561af69a579b9e0a70f012a83fba3c3bc6c979215
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/200694/cdc_200694_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 194.11 KB ]