Penn State researchers reported 19 farm-related fatalities in Pennsylvania in 2025, matching the total recorded the previous year, according to the university’s annual Pennsylvania Farm Fatal Injury Summary.
The report, compiled by the Penn State Agricultural Safety and Health Program in the College of Agricultural Sciences, tracks fatal incidents to help researchers and extension educators identify hazards and develop safety training and resources for farm operations.
The program, housed in Penn State’s Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering and affiliated with Penn State Extension, said the annual figures can fluctuate significantly and may not capture every agricultural-related death across the state. Researchers also noted that nonfatal injuries remain even harder to track, despite their significant impact on farm workers and families.
In response, Penn State is launching a new farm safety walkthrough program this year. The initiative offers Pennsylvania farmers individualized farm visits to identify operational hazards and develop mitigation strategies. The program is educational in nature, carries no regulatory or enforcement role and is available at no cost.
The 19 fatalities recorded in 2025 occurred across 14 counties, with Lancaster, Butler and Franklin counties each reporting more than one death.
More than 80% of victims were male, consistent with previous years and national trends. More than one-third of those killed were between ages 45 and 64, while more than one-quarter were age 65 or older. Researchers noted a shift in age distribution compared with prior years, with a larger share of fatalities among middle-aged workers and fewer among young children.
The report found that 79% of victims were actively working at the time of injury, and all but one regularly worked on the farm. Non-workers accounted for 11% of fatalities, all involving children younger than 10.
Off-road and industrial vehicles remained the leading cause of farm fatalities, accounting for nearly half of all incidents. These included tractor rollovers, other tractor-related incidents, skid steer rollovers, workers struck by skid steers or forklifts, and an all-terrain vehicle crash.
Researchers noted that tractor overturn deaths often occur when equipment is not fitted with rollover protection structures.
The second most common category involved compression or contact with equipment, objects or buildings, representing more than one-third of fatalities. These incidents included workers being struck, crushed or trapped by machinery, along with a silo collapse and tree or limb falls.
Three additional fatalities resulted from a horse kick, silo gas exposure and a roadway collision involving a tractor.
Penn State researchers said the report likely underrepresents the full number of farm-related deaths, in part because fewer rural newspapers remain in operation, reducing a key source of incident reporting.
Source: Pennsylvania State University, "Most recent Pennsylvania farm fatality report identifies agricultural hazards"