Secondary Injuries/IllnessesOn the Farm
Presented by:
Dr. Therese Willkomm
Factors Contributing to Secondary Injuries/Illnesses on
the Farm Nature of disability and other health
related conditions Nature of Farm Task being Performed and
Required Abilities Assistive Technologies Used to Complete
Farm Tasks–
• Environmental conditions
• Other
Nature of disability and other health related conditions
o Associated physical, sensory, cognitive, environmental limitations;
o Secondary complications – predispositions to respiratory impairments; heat strokes; wound injuries
o Other Health related conditions
o Prognosis- getting worse or better
Nature of Farm Task being Performed and Required Abilities and Risks of Secondary Injuries
– Farm mobility – Tool use– Machinery use– Livestock handling – Grain/feed handling -– Material handling –
Assistive Technologies Used to Complete Farm Tasks–
– Level 1 Accommodation– Level 2 - Commercially available products; seating
and mobility equipment; prosthetic devices; etc– Level 3 -Commercially available equipment
modifications; – Level 4 - One of a kind solutions high risk of injury or
failures– Time – If A.T. takes too much time it won’t be used or– Money – limited funds $1,800 – Learn to “Make Due
with What you have”
Level 1: No Accommodations
Level 2 Commercially Available: Prosthetic Device Failures and
Entanglement
Secondary Injuries and Seating Systems
Level 3 - Equipment Modifications and Risks of Injury
Risk to Co-Workers Using Equipment that Has Been Modified
Level 4 - One of a kind solutions at risk of causing an injury
Money – Limited Funds $1,800 – Learn to “Make Due with What you
have”
Time – If A.T. takes too much time it won’t be used
Environmental Conditions
–Dust, dirt, bacteria
–Sun, extreme heat,
–Extreme cold
–Moisture -rain, snow, humidity
Other Factors
• Socio-Economic factors – Older Labor Intensive Farm Operations– Older machinery
• Behavioral – Accident Prone and Risk Taking
• Lack of Available Family Members or Hired Help
Objective 3.d. in the NAP Workplan:
Increase the knowledge of clients and service providers
regarding causes and prevention of secondary injuries and
illnesses.
Objective 1.c in the NAP Workplan:
To increase knowledge of Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers (RERCs) and
Durable Medical Equipment (DME) Manufacturers on how DME products,
specifically wheelchair-related seating and mobility systems and prosthetics/orthotics, are
used and/or misused on the farm; describe limitations and recommendations for
improvements.