Journal of Agricultural Safety and Health最新文献

Highlights: Microbial assessment of dairy workers in Arizona, U.S. Provides demographic and working information of an underserved group. Highlights the need for health and safety assessments and solutions in the dairy industry.

Abstract: The dairy industry in Arizona, like many other agricultural industries in the United States, is dependent on the labor that migrant farm workers provide. Infections caused by zoonotic pathogens are commonly underreported or misdiagnosed, and possibly more so in migratory workers that face cultural, structural, legal, financial, and geographic barriers to health services. The objectives of this project were to: assess the demographics of Arizona dairy workers, determine the exposure potential of Arizona dairy workers to zoonotic organisms, and inform best management practices. A questionnaire including demographics, work tasks, and household characteristics was administered. Swab samples were collected from the shoulders, knees, and foreheads of employees at two dairy operations at the end of the work shift. The swabs were cultured for E.coli O157:H7 and Salmonella. Molecular DNA isolated from Salmonella and Cryptosporidium was quantified using droplet-digital Polymerase Chain Reaction (ddPCR). Twenty dairy workers were recruited, and 60 samples were collected. The majority of workers were male, preferred to speak Spanish, and identified as Latino/Hispanic (68.8%, 93.8%, and 93.8%, respectively). E. coli O157:H7 was detected in 13% of cultured knee and forehead samples. Salmonella spp. gene copies were detected on 60.0% of samples collected from forehead skin samples; 40.0% of shoulder clothing samples; and 15% of knee clothing samples, as measured via ddPCR. The positive cultural and molecular samples indicate the need for improved post-workday sanitation practices at farms. This study provides surveillance of a largely invisible population, including insights that can be used to create site-specific health and safety protocols for the dairy industry, inform risk assessment models, and foster preventive practices in the dairy industry.

Highlights: About 30% of farmers had moderate or worse hearing in at least one ear for frequencies between 2000 and 6000 Hertz. Improvements in perceptions were observed by increased HBM concept scores for barriers related to comfort and communication, self-efficacy, and hearing protection benefits. Older farmers had higher HBM concept scores for barriers related to communication and the benefits of hearing protection compared to younger farmers. The point source intervention contributed to the effect of education in improving farmers' HBM concept scores for comfort and self-efficacy.

Abstract: Objectives: Hearing protection devices (HPDs) can effectively prevent hearing loss. However, they are not widely used by farmers. This study assessed factors influencing farmers' perceptions about hearing protection and evaluated if a point source hearing protection intervention changed these perceptions over time.

Methods: Intervention farmers (n=53) received education and the point source intervention (storing HPDs near major noise sources). Control farmers (n=36) received education only. Annually, for nearly four years, farmers from both groups were asked to complete a questionnaire about their perceptions of hearing protection.

Results: During the multi-year study, both intervention and control farmers' perceptions about hearing protection improved. Perceptions about barriers related to comfort were better for intervention farms (p=0.007) and for farmers that participated in the study longer (p<0.001). Perceptions about self-efficacy were also better for intervention farms (p=0.001) and for farmers that participated in the study longer (p<0.001). Age was associated with better perceptions about the benefits of hearing protection (p=0.011). Perceptions about communication barriers improved for all farmers as the study advanced (p=0.002) and for farmers that were older (p=0.006).

Conclusion: Intervention and control groups improved their perceptions of hearing protection over time. The point source intervention contributed to the effect of education on farmers' perceptions of comfort and self-efficacy but not to perceptions related to communication barriers or the benefits of hearing protection.

Highlights: The frequency and severity of lone agricultural worker fatalities is unknown and was found to be higher than expected. Agricultural workers frequently take on complex or hazardous tasks perceived to be doable alone. Of the 368 lone agricultural worker cases documented and reviewed, 74% resulted in a fatality. The leading cause of lone worker incidents analyzed was tractor rollover.

Abstract: Research was conducted to explore the nature and magnitude of agricultural injuries and fatalities where the victim was determined to be working alone at the time of the incident. Underreporting of lone agricultural worker injuries and fatalities as an incident classification was identified as a gap in current data collection methods, and discussion of the problem was lacking in the literature. Current incident reporting strategies have fully negated data regarding whether the victim was alone at the time of injury. Approximately 1,000 individual agricultural injury and fatality incident reports from several states were analyzed over a five-year period from 2016 to 2021. A total of 368 incidents were documented in which the agricultural worker was clearly identified as working alone at the time of the injury. Incident causes, age range and sex of the victim, time of year, and hours before the victim was found were analyzed from available case data. Contributing factors identified in these incidents included: (1) the frequency of agricultural workers completing recognized hazardous tasks perceived to be doable alone; (2) distance from emergency medical or rescue services (EMS) in remote areas; (3) lack of communication between the worker and their supervisors, coworkers, or family members; (4) difficulties in physically accessing communication devices if entangled, entrapped, or otherwise impaired; and (5) non-existent or poor cellular coverage due to a lack of towers and a lack of signal in remote, or hilly or wooded areas. Victims working alone were often not found for hours or even days after the incident occurred, resulting in the 74% fatality rate of the sample being significantly higher than situations in which others were present at the time of injury.

Highlights: The majority of Hispanic/Latino agricultural workers surveyed reported experiencing stress about becoming infected with and contracting COVID-19. A small proportion of Hispanic/Latino agricultural workers surveyed reported experiencing instances of COVID-19 traumatic stress. Hispanic/Latino farmworkers reported stress surrounding their ability to financially provide for their families as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abstract: Hispanics/Latinos, particularly those that identify as foreign-born, are overrepresented in the agricultural sector in the U.S. Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, this subpopulation of farmworkers was recognized as an invaluable group of essential workers unable to implement COVID-19 protections. Previously validated COVID-19 stress scale measures were identified, adapted, and translated to collect COVID-19 stress data from Hispanic/Latino agricultural workers in two heavily agricultural counties in northeastern North Carolina. Participants were recruited using purposive convenience sampling. Data collection took place from June to November of 2021. The majority of Hispanic/Latino agricultural workers surveyed reported experiencing worries about catching COVID-19 (92.00%) and being infected with the virus (95.95%). A small proportion of the surveyed population indicated experiencing COVID-19 traumatic stress. More than half of participants were concerned about the impacts COVID-19 would have on their ability to see (53.42%) and provide for their families (58.33%). Farmworkers bore relatively heavy stress burdens associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Because this group is a vulnerable population at risk for adverse health outcomes, reports numerous barriers to healthcare access, and faces health and safety challenges related to acculturative stress, understanding their experiences with COVID-19 is essential for the development of protective and preventative efforts to improve outcomes among Hispanic/Latino farmworkers.

Highlights: Operators of single-axle tractors are exposed to high levels of hand-arm vibrations. A single-axle tractor with a gasoline engine produces lower vibrations than a tractor with a diesel engine. The daily working time with the single-axle tractor should be limited to protect the operators. If daily vibration exposure is not limited, hand-arm vibration syndrome may occur in a relatively short time.

Abstract: Single-axle tractors are often the only source of mechanical power for agricultural activities on small farms, but operators are exposed to high levels of hand-arm vibrations transmitted from the handles. These vibrations can cause hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS), which includes vascular, neurological, and musculoskeletal disorders. The aim of this paper was to evaluate and compare the vibrations transmitted to the operator's hands from the handles of two single-axle tractors (with gasoline and diesel engines). The vibration levels were measured at engine idling mode and at full load during soil tillage. The frequency-weighted acceleration values during soil tillage were 11.76, 2.90, and 6.16 m s-2 for the single-axle tractor with gasoline engine, while the values for the single-axle tractor with diesel engine were 22.47, 6.83, and 7.95 m s-2 in the X-, Y-, and Z-axes, respectively. As expected, significantly lower acceleration values were measured for both tractors at engine idling mode. The daily vibration exposure of the operator of the single-axle tractor with gasoline engine was 9.02 m s-2, and at such exposure, hand-arm vibration syndrome will occur in 10% of the operators after 3.09 years. For the single-axle tractor with a diesel engine, the daily exposure was 16.86 m s-2, and hand-arm vibration syndrome will occur in 10% of the operators after only 1.59 years. The daily working time with a single-axle tractor should be limited to protect the operators, and work schedules should be arranged to include vibration-free periods.

Highlights: Crash rates among southern log truck fleets were 176% higher than log truck fleets in the Lake States. Vehicle and driver out-of-service rates were similar among log trucks in the US South, Northeast, Lake States, and West. The age and condition of log trucks did not explain elevated crash rates in the US South.

Abstract: The US South harvests more than 200 million tonnes of timber annually, nearly all of which is transported from forests to mills by truck. Log truck fleets in the US South have been struggling with rising liability insurance premiums. The goal of this study was to compare crash rates and the condition of log trucks operating in the US South to log trucks operating in other US regions and trucks in other industries. A sample of inspection and crash data were collected from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Vehicle and driver out-of-service rates, vehicle defect rates, and crash rates among log truck fleets in the US South were compared to log trucks in other US regions and to 50 large non-log truck fleets. Crash rates among southern log truck fleets were 176% higher than log truck fleets in the Lake States and 48% higher than 50 large non-log truck fleets. Vehicle and driver out-of-service rates were similar among log truck fleets in each region (p > 0.25), but southern logging business fleets had higher vehicle out-of-service rates than 50 large non-log truck fleets (p = 0.02). Driver education, technology implementation, improved fleet maintenance practices, and weight limit parity on interstate highways may improve timber transportation safety.

Highlights: A machine learning-based real-time monitoring system for agricultural machinery operators was developed Categorization of tractor operators' behaviors in real-time into low, medium, and high-risk safety behaviors. Visual and sound feedback alert system of Ag-OMS triggered when operators engaged in unsafe operating behaviors.

Abstract: The 2015 CS-CASH (Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health, 2015) Injury Surveillance Surveys showed that around 19% of injuries to agricultural producers are related to tractors or large agricultural machinery, yet only a limited number of studies are found that address tools and methods for monitoring safety behaviors of agricultural machinery operators in real-time. The current safety behavior monitoring approaches require an in-person presence, which can be both time- and cost-inefficient, and the other available methods lack a feedback element to alert operators in real-time. As a result, the research presented in this study aimed to develop an automated approach to monitoring tractor operators' safety behaviors through the use of a trained machine learning (ML) model and a feedback system to alert operators when they engage in unsafe practices. For the ML model development, a skeleton-detecting algorithm called OpenPose was used to detect real-time human postures in a livestreaming video feed from a camera installed in the tractor cab. The model was then trained on three separate categories of tractor operators' safety operating behaviors, and this trained classifier was used to label operators' safety behaviors in real time based on the three safety classes. A feedback mechanism controlled by an onboard microcontroller was then used to alert the operators when unsafe operating behavior was detected to facilitate safe practices. This monitoring system, named Ag-OMS (Agricultural Machinery Operators Monitoring System), monitored the ingress/egress operators' behaviors in real-time entering and exiting the tractor cab. The Ag-OMS successfully identified the ingress/egress operators' behaviors with an accuracy of 97% on the testing datasets for all safety risk categories.

Highlights: Survey data collected from equine-assisted services programs that offer unmounted (ground) programs document the need for standardized equine safety evaluations. 36.7% of respondents used an objectively defined method (i.e., used a defined percentage, number, rating scale, or yes/no checklist that must be achieved by the equine prior to them entering the program), while 63.3% did not use an objectively defined method. Common equine safety concerns were biting/nipping, spooking from external stimuli, and stepping on a person's foot.

Abstract: The Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH Intl.) is an organization that supports equine-assisted services (EAS). As the standard setting organization for EAS programs, PATH Intl. established evaluation metrics to ensure the safety of both humans and equines. One of the standards, Equine Management and Welfare Standard 2 (EQM-2), calls for EAS programs to have an unbiased equine assessment process. This standard can be implemented in different ways depending on program policies. Survey data was collected on each type of center with regard to the implementation of the equine assessment standard in unmounted (ground) activities, as well as self-reported safety and equine evaluation procedures for unmounted (ground) activities. The primary research objective was to identify differences between PATH Intl. Premier Accredited Member Centers and PATH Intl. Member Centers. No significant differences were found between center types except for incidents of human injury (Χ2[2] = 9.908; p =.007). Both types of centers had a variety of responses related to the implementation of their evaluation procedures, including, but not limited to, how many individuals evaluate each equine, the type of assessment tool, and the frequency of evaluations. Future studies should examine the different evaluation methods in depth to determine an objective standard for equine evaluation procedures in EAS programs and how best to keep human participants safe during therapeutic services.

Highlights: Previous quad bike educational interventions focused solely on operator behavior, leading to positive shifts in 'safety knowledge' but very little change in actual rider behavior. Discussions in a recent virtual ATV Safety Symposium hosted by the University of California-Davis (2022) emphasized building agricultural community awareness of quad bike engineering controls-particularly in the U.S. and other nations. Outreach specialists in agriculture should begin to prioritize more discussion of quad bike engineering controls in training programs.

Abstract: To date, most quad bike educational programs have featured an operator-focused approach, focusing on adherence to administrative controls, personal responsibility, and personal protective equipment. Though these programs lead to shifts in 'safety knowledge', they result in very little change in actual rider behavior. In this perspectives article, we highlight discussions from a recent ATV Safety Symposium and USDA-NIFA review of agricultural ATV safety in the U.S. that highlight the dire need for building agricultural community awareness of quad bike engineering controls such as CPDs, wider and more stable frame designs, and others. Although CPDs were introduced 15 years ago, we continue to observe low awareness of this and other important quad bike safety features among young adults in agriculture. We believe that it will be critical to apply some of the recommendations outlined in this article to improve future outreach programs focused on quad bike safety for agricultural occupational use. If rural, agricultural communities learn to accept and respect these life-saving technologies, future standards, policies, and legislative actions are more likely to be well-received.