Wheat thresher agricultural injuries: a by-product of mechanised farming.

Farm mechanization has resulted in extensive use of wheat threshers on Indian farms. It has also increased agricultural injuries. A prospective study was undertaken for analysis of wheat thresher agricultural injuries and their remedial measures. Fifty two patients presenting with thresher injuries during the wheat harvesting season of March to June, 2003 were studied. A study-specific 14-point proforma was prepared to gather all possible information from site of injury to hospital records. Injuries were mostly of the upper limb and amputations accounted for most of these. Poor light arrangements, unskilled workers, drug / alcohol abuse, fatigue, poor designing and lack of orientation to work on these machines were the contributory factors to such injuries. The analysis emphasizes that the need of the hour is to decrease wheat thresher injuries through specific preventive approaches like improved designing, education, legislation, compensation and surveillance programmes.