Farm accidents: Low IQ levels or wrong choices

[Chagit]

What is the reason behind farm accidents ?


"Low IQ scores in early adulthood were associated with a subsequently increased risk of unintentional injury. A greater understanding of mechanisms underlying these associations may provide opportunities and strategies for prevention"


Although willpower and choice based accidents may be independent of IQ levels, still in order to secure the work in the widest scope, it should be aimed to minimize the multitasking distribution as much as possible to minimize the accidents based on the lack of analytical ability due to low IQ levels and choice mistakes due to physical fatigue. Warnings written in an effective language that triggers the right way of thinking should be posted all over the farm to ensure that workers are constantly reminded. Workers suspected of slow analytical ability should not be assigned to complex tasks.

 

[bcp]

City accidents have the same cause.

Bruce

 

[Aquamoose]

Just slap a sticker that says “Darwin’s theory applies here. Proceed at your own risk.”

 

[Midniteoyl]

Dunno 'bout all that. I seen me many a dem smart, edumacated persons doing the most stupidest things I ever did saw.

 

[ericm979]

IQ tests primarily test how good you are at taking IQ tests. I've known high IQ people who could be brilliant at some things but at times lacked common sense.

And of course we don't want to entirely blame accidents on the victims. While people can do dumb stuff, employers and designers should take that into account and make processes and machinery so people who do dumb stuff don't get hurt. Because we've all done dumb stuff at some time in our lives.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

IQ tests measure a fish's ability to climb a tree.

I've met some extremely stupid people with "high IQ's". Most of them, you really do wonder how they find there way home at night.

 

[Doughknob]

What is the reason behind farm accidents ?


"Low IQ scores in early adulthood were associated with a subsequently increased risk of unintentional injury. A greater understanding of mechanisms underlying these associations may provide opportunities and strategies for prevention"


Although willpower and choice based accidents may be independent of IQ levels, still in order to secure the work in the widest scope, it should be aimed to minimize the multitasking distribution as much as possible to minimize the accidents based on the lack of analytical ability due to low IQ levels and choice mistakes due to physical fatigue. Warnings written in an effective language that triggers the right way of thinking should be posted all over the farm to ensure that workers are constantly reminded. Workers suspected of slow analytical ability should not be assigned to complex tasks.

Looking at you signature. That is a good one! What do you think of this one I want to make my sig: "Ban guns. They kill people." ?

 

[mwayne]

Of the few fatal farm accidents I have first hand knowledge of, fatigue or extreme fatigue would be the primary cause. Cutting hay in the summer all during daylight hours and then servicing the equipment after dark for days on end for example, causing the tractor operator to fail to yield right of way to a locomotive. Hauling square bales all day until night and falling asleep running the truck off road.
Alcohol would be a secondary cause.

 

[Chagit]

Could alcohol related accidents or working above one's capacity with the ambition of making more money, be a sign of low IQ levels ? or behaviors triggered by animal instincts based on short term gratifications ?

 

[Torvy]

I hate pretentiousness. If some snob met my cousin, they would probably assume him to be an ignorant hick. Thing is, he has a BS as did both of his parents who ran the ranch before him. Despite the odds stacked against a cattle rancher nowadays, his net worth, excluding the land, is upwards of 7 figures. Of course, you would never notice. Old ranch house, used equipment, seed corn hats and dirty boots.

As for people who get injured or killed? Lots of reasons. Complacency is one big one. People are cautious at first, but get in a hurry and fail to shut off the PTO or go faster than they should on that steep incline, or other such things. Sometimes it is poor engineering. Sometimes it is just plain bad luck. Sure, some people are just not bright enough to save themselves. Suggesting that this is some rural phenomenon is, frankly, offensive.

 

[ruffdog]

Laziness is also a consideration. Someone that doesn't follow the correct lockout procedure or check to see if the power is off, may become a statistic.

 

[Cat385B]

Complete and utter morons are more accident prone, but I fail to see how that applies to farming.

 

[Root Cause]

I have no idea why you think I.Q. is a primary factor. What I have found here on this forum is that most farmers and ranchers are very intelligent and experienced in many things. They rely on their own abilities and intellect to overcome all sorts of problems that they encounter on a daily basis.

First, accidents do not happen due to one factor. (See Malcolm Gladwell, Outliers regarding airplane crashes) Many look for the one thing that caused an accident when in reality, it was a combination of things. Fatigue, distractions, poor maintenance, poor communication, etc. There are typically several things that combined, create an accident.

In what I have seen in industry, tribal knowledge and peer pressure play a role in whether or not accidents happen as well. I have seen companies roll out new safety requirements that always result in resistance. Most accidents are avoidable but only when people follow the rules. This isn't an issue of a high or low I.Q. It may be that they were in too big of a hurry or they have done something so many times, that the safety rules do not apply to them and others follow their lead. (I worked in a factory of 600 where accidents happened on average 1 time/week. This dropped to 1 time/year with a large push to develop and use any and all safety practices and devices with a zero-tolerance for ignoring the rules).

With all that said, the answer to your question has many answers. Farm equipment is dangerous, many people work alone, and bad habits transfer from one generation to the next. People get tired because they work hard and equipment fails.

And capitalism is far from perfect but it's been better than anything else man has tried so far.

 

[pjbci]

Dont feed the trolls.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

I have no idea why you think I.Q. is a primary factor. What I have found here on this forum is that most farmers and ranchers are very intelligent and experienced in many things. They rely on their own abilities and intellect to overcome all sorts of problems that they encounter on a daily basis.

First, accidents do not happen due to one factor. (See Malcolm Gladwell, Outliers regarding airplane crashes) Many look for the one thing that caused an accident when in reality, it was a combination of things. Fatigue, distractions, poor maintenance, poor communication, etc. There are typically several things that combined, create an accident.

In what I have seen in industry, tribal knowledge and peer pressure play a role in whether or not accidents happen as well. I have seen companies roll out new safety requirements that always result in resistance. Most accidents are avoidable but only when people follow the rules. This isn't an issue of a high or low I.Q. It may be that they were in too big of a hurry or they have done something so many times, that the safety rules do not apply to them and others follow their lead. (I worked in a factory of 600 where accidents happened on average 1 time/week. This dropped to 1 time/year with a large push to develop and use any and all safety practices and devices with a zero-tolerance for ignoring the rules).

With all that said, the answer to your question has many answers. Farm equipment is dangerous, many people work alone, and bad habits transfer from one generation to the next. People get tired because they work hard and equipment fails.

And capitalism is far from perfect but it's been better than anything else man has tried so far.

The 20 hour days are a big part of it. That, and farms are not factories with fixed equipment. That ammonia fitting can blow out unexpectedly. Rapidly rotating machines sometimes fly apart. Tractors have a ROPS for a reason, but they only improve your chances, not prevent injury or death. Ambulance service is a long way away. Lack of EMS is the primary reason rural people die younger than urban people.

 

[/pine]

Some accidents are not preventable...others are not..
Accidents happen in nature without any human influence...

But as the old adage goes..."an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure"...

 

[bcp]

If low IQ was a common thing in rural life, city people would starve.

Bruce

 

[ning]

I've found that low IQ is often indicated by starting useless threads.

 

[Chagit]

It is an indicator of one's reasoning abilities. This shows their success in remembering and associating the information they have to reach a logical conclusion.

I have no idea why you think I.Q. is a primary factor.

 

[bunyip]

It is an indicator of one's reasoning abilities. This shows their success in remembering and associating the information they have to reach a logical conclusion.

Maybe, but applying said information can be optional