Relevance

According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2017, Kentucky (KY) agriculture had the highest number of fatalities in all work sectors (U.S. Bureau of Labor, 2017). While the number of fatalities and injuries has decreased in KY, it remains that agriculture is a dangerous occupation and there are health and safety risk factors unique to working and living on a farm. Hemorrhage causes up to 40% of fatalities following a traumatic injury (Tien et al., 2004). Early deaths, those when patient arrives alive at hospital following a traumatic injury and dies within 24 hours, can largely survive with prompt, definitive care (Sobrino & Shafi, 2013). In addition, rural emergency assistance can take up to an average of 31 minutes or longer compared to 17 minutes for urban emergency assistance delaying care (Access to Emergency Medical Services Rural Areas, 2022).

Response

As part of the promotion of health and safety of farmers and farm families in collaboration with Kentucky Department of Agriculture Raising Hope Safety, Health, and Rescue team, the Extension Specialist Ag Nurse provided training and education about common farm injuries and incorporated Stop the Bleed. Stop the Bleed is a national program designed to train lay persons to control bleeding after injury until emergency services arrive.

The class includes both didactic and hands-on demonstration and evaluation of participants. Evaluation is conducted by the instructing team. Members of the Air Evac medical team collaborated with extension to provide the appropriate participant to instructor ratio for evaluation of skill.

The program is developed to provide information on first-aid for common injuries on the farm.

Results

19 KY Homemaker Association members from 13 KY counties attended. All attendees were successfully certified in Stop the Bleed. Three members of the Raising Hope Team have since completed certification to be instructors and regional classes are being planned state-wide.

Email from FCS agent:

Several of my Homemakers attended your presentation at the KEHA state meeting on common injuries, and were very impressed! They told me that they all learned something and they felt more confident were something ever to happen to their sons/daughters or themselves on the farm. They sang your praises!

This got my ANR agents and I thinking that your presentation would be perfect for our farm population, if it’s something you travel to the counties to do. We are willing to work with local sponsors to try to get some injury kits similar to what you gave out to Homemakers as well. We’re in Hardin County (Elizabethtown) so could possibly even reach multiple counties if we wanted to offer it as a regional type training so that you could reach even more with only one trip. 

If you have any availability and this is something you’re able to do, we would love to get you on the schedule!

Public Value Statement

The goal is to: a) provide education and knowledge for common injuries on the farm, promote health and safety of farmers and farm families, and c) enhance collaboration with local and state EMS services.