Animal Handling Injuries

Hispanic Dairy Workers

Table 1. Summary of Work-Related Injuries

Roman-Muniz IN, Van Metre DC, Garry FB, Reynolds SJ, Wailes WR, Keefe TJ, 2006. Training methods and association with worker injury on Colorado dairies: a survey. J Agromedicine 11(2): 19-26.

* Figures based on NYCAMH/NEC Dairy Workforce Study

Reference: Pratt DS, Marvel LH, Darrow D, Stallones L, May JJ and Jenkins P. 1992. The Dangers of Dairy Farming: The In- jury Experience of 600 Workers Followed for Two Years. Am J Ind Med. 21:637-650.

Circumstances Surrounding Dairy Injury Events

  • Milking – milking by hand, milking into container, milking into a pipeline.
  • Feeding – use of tractors, skid steers, augers, wheel barrels, forks , buckets and manual labor.
  • Cleaning – removing manure from barn, lots or pens.
  • Footwork – trimming/ doctoring hooves for maintenance or health.
  • Dehorning – removing horns with a hot iron, saw, wire or gouge dehorner.
  • Calving – assisting with difficult births.
  • Treatment – surgery, vaccinations, implants, delousing.
  • Other – herding, fencing, etc.

Boyle D, Gerberich SG, Gibson RW, Maldonado G, Robinson RA, Martin F, Renier C and Amandus H. 1997. Injury from Diary Cattle Activities. Epi. 8(1):37-41.

The Nature of Dairy Injuries Relating to Animal Contact

Characteristics of Livestock-handling Injuries Among Colorado dairy Farms

Douphrate Et Al. 2009 Livestock-handling injuries in agriculture: an analy- sis of Colorado workers’ compensation data. Am J Ind Med 52:391-407.

Patient Advice on Animal Handling:

  • Never approach a cow from directly behind it — talk to it softly and touch it gently as you approach.
  • Proper lighting in cattle facilities is imperative — cattle will balk at shadows.
  • Move cattle toward lighted areas, not dark areas.
  • Understand a cow’s flight zone and use their response to you to move them where you want them to go.
  • Cattle are more comfortable and are more easily moved when they are in a group rather than alone.
  • Facilities should be properly designed and maintained for safe animal handling.(See patient education section for Spanish and Haitian Creole materials)