Causes of mediaeval death

[Duncan Head]

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/jan/26/friar-crushed-by-cart-bone-analysis-hints-at-causes-of-medieval-deaths

Another surprise, said Dittmar, was that there was no evidence of weapon-related injuries, whether healed or not, among the dead

How disappointing

[Erpingham]

The lack of weapon injuries (clearly sharp weapon injuries as someone is recorded as having his head bashed in) is surprising.  Cambridge may not have had many nearby battles but medieval society was generally pretty violent and weapon injuries in the course of daily life were quite common according to surviving court records.

[Imperial Dave]

https://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2021/01/inequality-in-medieval-cambridge-was.html

another article on the same set of finds

[Erpingham]

I continue to have a slight concern about the "cart accident".  While modern car accident victims have similar positioning, a modern car does it by hitting the pedestrian with the bumper or bonnet, neither of which a cart has.  Cart accidents certainly occur in medieval records but being crushed under the wheels seems to be the main problem.

[Nick Harbud]

This should be of no surprise.  I mean, it was not like there was any health and safety legislation governing use of mechanical equipment in those days.  Even by 1800, the Royal Navy lost more men falling from the rigging than it did in naval battles.  Given that the latter held the promise of prize money whereas the former only offered an unpleasant death or the bosun's lash, your can understand why seamen entered battle with a degree of enthusiam.

Incidentally, a statistic for those who believe all such things are insignificant.  In 1980 the UK construction industry, employing roughly 2 million people killed approximately 2,000 every year.  30 years later it had reduced the number of fatalities by 90%.  You can make a difference.

[Jim Webster]

This should be of no surprise.  I mean, it was not like there was any health and safety legislation governing use of mechanical equipment in those days.  Even by 1800, the Royal Navy lost more men falling from the rigging than it did in naval battles.  Given that the latter held the promise of prize money whereas the former only offered an unpleasant death or the bosun's lash, your can understand why seamen entered battle with a degree of enthusiam.

Incidentally, a statistic for those who believe all such things are insignificant.  In 1980 the UK construction industry, employing roughly 2 million people killed approximately 2,000 every year.  30 years later it had reduced the number of fatalities by 90%.  You can make a difference.

Whereas in Agriculture most industrial fatalities are in men over retirement age

[Imperial Dave]

This should be of no surprise.  I mean, it was not like there was any health and safety legislation governing use of mechanical equipment in those days.  Even by 1800, the Royal Navy lost more men falling from the rigging than it did in naval battles.  Given that the latter held the promise of prize money whereas the former only offered an unpleasant death or the bosun's lash, your can understand why seamen entered battle with a degree of enthusiam.

Incidentally, a statistic for those who believe all such things are insignificant.  In 1980 the UK construction industry, employing roughly 2 million people killed approximately 2,000 every year.  30 years later it had reduced the number of fatalities by 90%.  You can make a difference.

Whereas in Agriculture most industrial fatalities are in men over retirement age

farming is a hard life all round

[Nick Harbud]

Whereas in Agriculture most industrial fatalities are in men over retirement age

Sorry Jim, I do not understand your last statement.  A couple of decades ago the retirement age was officially abolished.  This means that, irrespective of one's career choices, the only people over retirement age are, by definition, dead.

[Imperial Dave]

something to look forward to then Nick 

[Jim Webster]

Whereas in Agriculture most industrial fatalities are in men over retirement age

Sorry Jim, I do not understand your last statement.  A couple of decades ago the retirement age was officially abolished.  This means that, irrespective of one's career choices, the only people over retirement age are, by definition, dead.

which is entirely true
Perhaps I should comment that a third of farm worker casualties last year were in men over seventy

[Nick Harbud]

Perhaps I should comment that a third of farm worker casualties last year were in men over seventy

Clearly this age group needs its own risk assessment if they wish to continue employment in agriculture.  I mean, one can hold a driving license indefinitely, but, after 70, the DVLA requires progressively more frequent check ups of sight and other faculties to ensure one is still competent to manage a vehicle.

Are all these fatalities related to the work being performed rather than, say, a sudden heart attack whilst taking a tea break?

[Jim Webster]

Perhaps I should comment that a third of farm worker casualties last year were in men over seventy

Clearly this age group needs its own risk assessment if they wish to continue employment in agriculture.  I mean, one can hold a driving license indefinitely, but, after 70, the DVLA requires progressively more frequent check ups of sight and other faculties to ensure one is still competent to manage a vehicle.

Are all these fatalities related to the work being performed rather than, say, a sudden heart attack whilst taking a tea break?

four were crushed by machinery they were working with, two were drivers (who were just found dead under the machine, so nobody knows exactly what happened), two working with a younger person on the machinery. One died of head injuries having been knocked down by a cow whose calf he was treating

No country for old men 

[Imperial Dave]

the dairy farmer down the lane from me just simply died of old age....he was in his nineties though

[Jim Webster]

the dairy farmer down the lane from me just simply died of old age....he was in his nineties though

That's the aspiration 

[Imperial Dave]

I live in a farming community and they're all old especially sheep and dairy farmers. The only young ones are the ones doing speciality stuff