DESPITE UPBEAT TREND, DANGERS OF FARMING REMAIN APPARENT

Last year, more than 2,200 people died in American farm accidents, a statistic that represents more than 14 percent of on-the-job fatalities in the United States. These numbers indicate a couple of things. One, not very surprising, is that farming is a dangerous occupation. Another, perhaps surprising, is that these dismal numbers actually show a positive trend. Fatal accidents on the farm are being reduced, though there is still much work to be done.

The National Safety Council collects some numbing data about the dangers of agricultural endeavor:

-- Farming and other agricultural industries had the highest death rate of any industry division in 1992.

-- Agricultural accidents resulted in an estimated 140,000 disabling injuries last year.

-- Tractor accidents are the leading cause of accidental death and injury on the farm; 53 percent of farm deaths in 1992 were caused by motor vehicle overturns.

-- The Centers for Disease Control report that 27,000 Americans 19 and under are injured annually on U.S. farms, most of them in "extra-rider" incidents. Some young children are at risk by playing in constant proximity to heavy equipment.

These are statistics that come home to roost. Cape Girardeau County's coroner this month investigated his third fatal tractor accident of 1993. In the rolling hills of this region, special care must be taken by farmers to guard against tractor rollovers.

Motor vehicles, however, aren't the only hazards on the farm. There is large and unpredictable livestock that can kick or crush attendants, and there are chemicals whose use must be carefully controlled. In addition, many farms remain operations with lone or few workers; sometimes they try to do more than is humanly possible and mishaps may result.

Farmers are historically an independent and self-sufficient breed. In the case of educating themselves about farm safety, they are taking steps in the right direction. In 1980, the National Safety Council reported that there were 66 accidental agricultural deaths per 100,000 farm residents; in 1992, the figure had been reduced to 47 deaths per 100,000 farm residents. Coinciding with this, tractor fatalities have fallen from 11.5 per 100,000 tractors in 1980 to 6.8 per 100,000 in 1992.

Agriculture is an important industry in this area. Like any industry then, it is critical (though logistically more difficult) that good safety procedures be followed, for the welfare of the enterprise as well as those who earn their livelihood in it. Vigilance is needed to further reduce accidents on the farm, but the improved statistics are encouraging.