Extremadura recorded 61 deaths in agricultural accidents involving machinery between 2010 and 2023, which is equivalent to 4.3% of the total registered in Spain, according to the report "Agricultural Accidents and Fires in Harvesters and Balers," prepared by Fundación Mapfre together with the Agrarian Mechatronics research group of the Public University of Navarre and the Laboratory of Agricultural and Industrial Machinery of the University of Zaragoza.
By provinces, Badajoz accounted for the majority of fatalities, with 45 cases, compared to the 16 recorded in Cáceres. In the country as a whole, during the same period, there were 1,620 deaths linked to the agricultural sector, which averages 116 deaths per year, approximately one every three days. In 86.9% of fatal incidents, some type of agricultural machinery was involved (1,407 deaths), especially tractors, with 1,141 accidents resulting in death, representing 81.1% of these incidents.
The other 213 deaths, without machinery involved, are mainly related to falling objects (34%), extreme temperature episodes (20%), and falls of people (13%).
The Director of Road Safety, Health, and Prevention at Fundación Mapfre, Antonio Guzmán, pointed out that "although the agri-food sector is a strategic engine for the Spanish economy, and for society as a whole, it is an activity particularly exposed to risks associated with the use of machinery and the intensity of agricultural tasks."
In this regard, he stressed that "hence the importance of the research developed by the Public University of Navarre and the University of Zaragoza, which is fundamental for the prevention of accidents and deaths in a sector as relevant as agriculture, and which highlights the need for sustained support through public research and innovation funds to enable its sustainability and development."
The study confirms that mortality in the agricultural sector shows a "downward trend" in the analyzed period. Around 2010, there were about 160 deaths per year, with a peak of approximately 180 in 2013. From 2014 onwards, the figure "decreased notably" to around 80 deaths, and subsequently stabilized between 100 and 120 cases annually. In 2023, the last year with data, around 100 fatalities were recorded.
Three large geographical areas group the majority of deaths in agricultural machinery accidents: the northwestern ridge, with A Coruña at the forefront (92 cases), followed by Lugo (73), Pontevedra (72), and Asturias (58); the Mediterranean coast, with Murcia and Valencia (69 each) and Alicante (51); and the Ebro Valley, with Zaragoza (45), Lleida (40), Navarra (40), and Tarragona (37). At the regional level, Galicia stands out by concentrating 19.8% of deaths involving machinery (278 out of 1,407).
Types of Accidents and Risk Factors
The report details that rollovers are the most common fatal accident when machinery is involved, accounting for 57% of the total. Of these cases, 94.1% correspond to tractors and 18% to tractors equipped with suspended implements. Following rollovers are traffic accidents (10%), being run over and self-run over (9%), crushing without rollover (7%), and entrapments with moving parts (5%).
In incidents involving machinery where the task being performed at the time of the fatal accident is known, agricultural work predominates (39%), followed by driving or transport (28%) and maintenance or repair operations (13%). Among the most frequent causes are uneven terrain (22%), going off the road (20%), and recklessness (16%).
As Carmen Jarén, a professor of Agro-environmental Engineering at the Public University of Navarre, explains, "incidents are rarely due to a single cause. They are usually the result of the interaction between the terrain, the machinery, and the operator's behavior. What is clear is that if we can identify these causes, then we can intervene to prevent them. Reducing mortality in the agricultural sector requires combining the use of safe technology, the renewal of the machinery fleet, preventive training included at all educational levels, and greater institutional commitment to agricultural safety."
The profile of victims in agricultural machinery incidents is predominantly male: 94% were men. The average age is 59.8 years, with a high concentration in those over 65, especially in the 66-70 and 76-80 age groups. There are also 27 deceased minors, 21 of them under 16 years old and 6 between 16 and 18.
Temporality also influences: accidents intensify in spring and summer, with 30% more than the monthly average, and are reduced by around 20% in autumn and winter. May is the month with the most fatal accidents in the period studied (159). By days of the week, Monday and Tuesday concentrate the highest records, while Sunday presents the lowest accident rate.
Regarding the time of day, most accidents occur between 6 AM and 8 PM, with peaks between 12 PM and 2 PM and between 4 PM and 6 PM, and minimums between midnight and 6 AM.
Regarding the place where fatal accidents with machinery occur, agricultural plots concentrate 39% of cases. In this environment, the main associated factors are uneven ground (21%) and recklessness (20%), followed by running off the road (14%) and being run over (14%), in addition to risky maneuvers (11%) and steep slopes (6%).
The rest of the fatal accidents are located mainly on dirt roads (20%) and paved roads (16%), and to a lesser extent on streets in urban areas, rural homes, and agricultural facilities.
Fires in combine harvesters and balers
The document also addresses the fire risks associated with the use of combine harvesters and balers. It concludes that fires originate mainly from the contact of plant debris with hot parts of the machine, from incidents in the combine harvester's cutting bar, and from mechanical, electrical, or hydraulic failures.
During the 2016-2021 period, the annual average of forest fires attributed to combine harvesters and balers was 92 and 17 accidents, respectively. Almost half of these fires (48.5%) occur during the hottest hours, so preventive measures focus on proper design, maintenance, and cleaning of the machinery, as well as effective detection and extinguishing systems.
A detailed analysis of combine harvesters indicates that they operate in particularly harsh conditions, with high temperatures and low environmental humidity. Fire sources are mainly located in the engine and exhaust (32%) and the cutting bar (31%), followed by bearings and belts (18%) and electrical causes (9%). Furthermore, the probability of fire increases as the cultivated area grows.
In the case of balers, 28% have suffered a fire or attempted fire, mainly originating in the bearings (32%), the clutch (25%), or the pick-up (23%).
Regarding this aspect, Francisco Javier García, a professor in the area of Agroforestry Engineering at the Higher Polytechnic School of Huesca of the University of Zaragoza, warns that "the use of agricultural machinery, such as harvesters and balers, during periods of high temperatures and low relative humidity, poses a real risk of causing fires with serious environmental and economic repercussions".
However, he clarifies that "nevertheless, this factor should not stigmatize its use. Currently, specific technology and preventive operation and maintenance protocols are available that effectively minimize this risk".