The Minnesota Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation
(FACE) program is a National Institute of Occupational Safety and
Health (NIOSH) sponsored surveillance program that conducts ongoing
surveillance and investigations of targeted work-related fatalities
in Minnesota. Minnesota (MN) FACE investigates and writes incident
reports on work-related fatalities. Investigations are conducted
from a safety perspective to identify factors that increase the
risk of work-related fatal injury and to develop recommendations
to prevent future occurrence of work-related fatalities. All information
collected by MN FACE is kept private under Minnesota statute. MN
FACE investigates all fatalities involving industrial machines,
highway work zones, farm work-related occurrences and workers 18
years of age or less throughout the state of Minnesota. These investigations
have identified some of the most serious ongoing hazardous work
situations in the agricultural industry in Minnesota (Boyle
et al., 1995;Brown et al., 1997;Madery
and Parker, 1993;Parker and Wahl, 1999;Wahl
et al., 1996; Wahl et al., 1996;Parker
et al., 1996). From 1994 to 2003, MN
FACE investigated 87 farm work-related fatalities.
