Journal of Agricultural Safety and Health最新文献

Highlights: Government estimates of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses understate the hazards in U.S. agriculture. From 2004 to 2019, government estimates only captured 13% to 26% of the true number of nonfatal injuries. Estimates of nonfatal injuries are more accurate for crop production than for animal production. Estimates are more accurate over time, with a decline in self-employed and unpaid family labor in agriculture.

Abstract: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics provides annual estimates of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses by U.S. industry sector. We performed a series of corrections to these estimates for each year from 2004 through 2019 to account for institutional and behavioral drivers of the undercount in the sample used to construct these estimates for the U.S. agricultural industry. Institutional factors consisted of the exclusion of small farms and self-employed and family workers, as well as the employment undercount due to the highly seasonal nature of agricultural work. Behavioral factors consisted of willful and negligent underreporting by employers. We updated the estimates using information on the number of people employed in the excluded portions of the agricultural industry and estimates of the underreporting rate from prior work. Over this period, we show that the government estimates only captured 13% to 26% of the true number of nonfatal injuries and illnesses, missing 74% to 87% of the true case counts each year. The government estimates were more accurate for crop production, missing an average of 77% of cases, than for animal production, missing an average of 83% of cases. Willful and negligent underreporting was the largest contributor to the undercount, followed by the exclusion of self-employed and unpaid family workers.

Highlights: Low back pain has a high prevalence among fruit farm workers. Fruit packing workers are more likely to have low back pain than field workers.

Abstract: The objective of this observational and correlational cross-sectional study was to analyze the association of labor variables, lifestyle, and low back pain among workers on a grape farm in the northeast region of Brazil. A total of 180 rural workers, men and women, age 18 years and older, and active on the company's staff, participated in the study. The presence of low back pain, considered as a dependent variable, was categorized as yes or no, and the independent variables were personal, work, and lifestyle factors. The workers performed functions in the field (72%) and fruit packing (28%). Low back pain was reported by 44.1% (n = 79) of the participants. There were associations between low back pain and the function performed by the worker. Thus, workers in fruit packing were 1.53 more likely to have low back pain (95% CI 1.09-2.15) when compared with workers in the field, demonstrating the need for strategies to improve the structure of the workday, such as the inclusion of active breaks.

Highlights: Stress was measured in professional sprayer operators who, while working, drove manually and with vision or radar steering. Vision and radar steering reduced the average operator stress rate by 48% relative to manual steering. The use of automatic guidance could have a dramatic positive effect on the health of sprayer operators. Sprayer steering performance was reported for professional operators and both vision and radar guidance for the first time.

Abstract: Self-propelled agricultural sprayer operators work an average of 15 h d^-1 in peak season, and steering is the task that causes the operator the most stress because of the large number of stimuli involved. Automatic guidance systems help reduce stress and fatigue for operators by allowing them to focus on tasks other than steering. Physiological signals like skin conductance (electrodermal activity, EDA) change with stress and can be used to identify stressful events. The objective of this study was to determine if using a commercially available vision and radar guidance system (VSN^®, Raven Industries) reduces agricultural sprayer operators' stress compared to when they are steering manually. Four male professional sprayer operators participated in this study. Each operator performed his job duties normally in GPS-guidance-planted fields, at his self-selected speed, except to drive some passes manually and others with VSN in the same field. EDA was measured with an Empatica E4 wristband, and stressful events were quantified. Machine data (e.g., speed, RTK-GPS, and VSN metrics) were collected from each sprayer via CAN logs. The steering type, stress rate (e.g., stressful events min^-1), and steering performance (cross-track error standard deviation, XTE SD) were determined for each pass. In total, 51 passes (23 manual, 28 VSN) in six fields were analyzed. Operators using VSN had a significant reduction (48% lower, p < 0.001) in their stress rate compared to when they were steering manually. There was no significant difference in the XTE SD for the steering type. The use of an automatic guidance system such as VSN could have a dramatic positive effect on the health of sprayer operators, especially during the long workdays of the peak spraying season, and could reduce the negative effects that stress and fatigue have on steering performance, mistakes, and accidents.

Highlights: Youth are agents for change in biosecurity practices 47 workshops introduced biosecurity principles to youth. The curriculum was tailored for nine animal species. Biosecurity education requires continued programming.

Abstract: Biosecurity education for youth involved in animal agriculture is vital for the continued success of commerce in these industries. Biosecurity workshops were developed and delivered to youth in Minnesota to encourage positive changes, with long-term outcomes of healthier animals. Learning gains were significant for all participants, and the participants retained this knowledge over time. Most participants had good intentions of making changes because of the workshops, and follow-up survey results showed that the participants implemented changes, validating that youth are agents for behavior change. However, other indicators surfaced suggesting that continued programming is needed to encourage adoption of more biosecurity practices.

Highlights: We identified 510 fatal agricultural incidents in Illinois from 1999 to 2019. Tractors and roadway-related incidents were the two leading sources of fatalities. Older farmers (65 and older) accounted for the highest percentage of fatalities. Among tractor-related incidents, overturns accounted for the highest percentage.

Abstract: The objective of this study was to analyze fatal injury trends and injury types in Illinois from 1999 to 2019. Data on fatal farm injuries in Illinois were collected from a newspaper clipping service. The data were analyzed by incident type and victim age. The types of farm-related incidents were classified as confined space, ATV, tractor, electrical, farm equipment, and other. From 1999 to 2019, the University of Illinois reported 510 fatal incidents, of which 213 (42%) were tractor-related. Tractor-related incidents represented the largest proportion of fatalities, followed by 82 (16%) roadway-related fatalities and 45 (9%) grain bin fatalities. In the past two decades, there has been an average of 24 fatalities per year. The number of incidents has declined over time, and the five-year moving average for 2019 was approximately 17 incidents. However, the proportion of tractor-related fatalities has remained consistent overtime and represents approximately 34% to 46% of all incidents per year on a five-year moving average. The results reflect a decreasing number of total farm fatalities in the past two decades with yearly fluctuations. Moreover, the results suggest that tractors remain one of the main causes of farm fatalities in Illinois. These results provide a better understanding of agricultural injuries in Illinois, which will help design targeted outreach efforts and provide new focus areas for research.

Highlights: On-farm samples were used to analyze farmers' exposure to dust while cleaning and unloading their grain bins. Over 18% of samples exceeded the 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA) concentration recommended by ACGIH for respirable dust, and over 27% of samples exceeded the ACGIH recommendation for total suspended particles. The results strengthen the need for relevant agricultural safety education programs to help farm workers understand the health hazards associated with grain dust.

Abstract: Grain dust consists of grain particles, insect parts, silica, bacteria, fungi, and mycotoxins. The size of these airborne particulates is a concern because they can become deeply lodged in the respiratory tract. Exposure to grain dust can diminish overall lung function and lead to respiratory diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), organic dust toxic syndrome (ODTS), chronic bronchitis, and hypersensitivity pneumonitis (farmer's lung). Grain storage and handling facilities are primary work locations with high levels of grain dust concentrations. The objective of this study was to understand farmers' exposure to grain dust while cleaning and unloading their grain bins. During on-farm dust sampling, researchers visited farms to collect dust samples for analysis. Two types of samples were taken. Integrated samples provided average concentrations of total dust and respirable dust while farmers performed their normal tasks in the grain bin. Real-time samples provided instantaneous concentrations of respirable dust (RESP) and total suspended particles (TSP) and how the variations changed during the farmers' working periods. From the data collected in corn storage bins, RESP concentrations ranged from 4.1 to 6.6 mg m^-3, and TSP concentrations ranged from 33 to 70.7 mg m^-3. From the data collected in soybean storage bins, RESP concentrations ranged from 1.6 to 82.3 mg m^-3, and TSP concentrations ranged from 8.9 to 146.8 mg m^-3. Based on the calculated 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA) concentration of all samples, 18.2% of the 8-hour TWA RESP concentrations exceeded the ACGIH-recommended respirable dust concentration of 3 mg m^-3, and 27.3% of the 8-hour TWA TSP concentrations exceeded the ACGIH-recommended total dust concentration of 610 mg m^-3. The results strengthen the need for relevant agricultural safety education programs to help farm workers understand the health hazards associated with grain dust.

Highlights: Farm work is characterized by physically demanding activities that are frequently associated with ergonomic and injury risks. Farm workers' psychomotor abilities and muscle mass decrease with age, leading to increased injury risk and decreased work ability. Work ability (WA) was measured using the Work Ability Index (WAI), a self-assessment questionnaire. Results showed that the most common WA level was moderate. WAI scores were correlated with demographic characteristics and health behaviors. The findings suggest that improvement programs should promote enhanced work ability for aging workers to prevent injuries and premature retirement.

Abstract: This study assessed the work ability (WA) and identify the factors affecting WA among older adult farm workers in Thailand. A total of 170 older adult farm workers (90 male, 80 female) completed a two-part WA self-assessment questionnaire comprising work-related items and the Work Ability Index (WAI) to determine WA. Total WAI scores ranged from 7 to 49. The average WAI score was 36.0, which is a moderate level. Univariate correlation analysis showed that WAI level was associated with regular medication intake, exercise behavior, sleep duration, health status, and pain symptoms. Body height and income were significantly associated with WAI score. Multivariate correlation analysis showed that WAI level was significantly associated with exercise behavior (odds ratio = 3.12, 95% CI [-1.91, -0.36], p < 0.05) and sleep duration (odds ratio = 2.44, 95% CI [-1.53, -0.26], p < 0.05). WAI score was significantly associated with body height. Older adult farm workers' WA was generally moderate, and it did not differ by sex. The findings suggest that enhancing older adult workers' exercise behavior, sleep duration, and related factors would restore or increase their ability to work, promote their health, prevent injuries, and prevent early retirement and work-related disability.

Highlights: Parents did not see themselves as role models for children regarding use of quad bikes. Parents seemed to misjudge their children's maturity and capabilities. Risk acceptance was a common issue, due to risk normalization. There is a need for an age limit for drivers of adult-size quad bikes.

Abstract: When seeking to explain the many accidents involving children on quad bikes, it is critical to understand the norms and risk perceptions of their parents, because parents are responsible for their children's safety. This study explored attitudes and behavior among parents of rural children using quad bikes and their experiences of incidents and injuries. Information obtained from two focus group discussions, one with young adults and one with parents, and an in-depth interview with a quad bike distributor was used to develop an interview guide. The guide was used in telephone interviews with Swedish parents (n = 41) and some children ages 5 to 14 (n = 9) between autumn 2015 and spring 2016. Analysis of the results revealed eight themes: (1) how quad bikes are used, (2) risk awareness, (3) safety information could help other parents, (4) parents' perception of children's abilities, (5) children's learning, (6) children`s perspective, (7) rules and responsibilities, and (8) risk acceptance. Major findings were that parents were aware of the risks and had a strong commitment to children's safety, but also showed risk acceptance. To increase the safety of quad bike use, recommendations to organizations and authorities are presented, such as an age limit for drivers of all adult-size quad bikes and safety labeling of quad bikes, with information clarifying the rules for specific vehicles.

Highlights: Survey participants had high levels of concern about being injured or killed in a grain bin entry incident. Most survey participants were aware of grain bin entry hazards. Education and training efforts should focus on safe grain bin entry practices as well as rescue procedures.

Abstract: Agricultural injury data have shown that grain bin hazards cause many injuries and fatalities every year. To develop effective safety measures, it is necessary to understand farmers' perceptions of grain bin entry hazards. This survey study was developed and performed to determine farmers' perceptions of the hazards associated with grain bin entry. The survey was administered both online and at face-to-face agricultural safety events. A total of 162 participants completed surveys, with the majority in New York and Pennsylvania. Most participants were concerned about being injured (77%) or killed (66%) when entering a grain bin. Seventy percent of the participants indicated that they had entered a grain bin alone without an observer, and 60% indicated that they had no written emergency response plan. The participants perceived safety equipment (e.g., gas monitors, lifeline and harness systems, anchor points, respirators, and grain rescue tubes) as valuable, and they were mostly familiar with some of these devices. The participants reported a need for training and short educational videos related to safe grain bin entry. Recommendations for safe grain bin entry should focus on entering bins with an observer present and using lifeline and harness systems, gas monitors, and respirators.

Highlights: Cultural factors and acculturative stressors affect the health and safety behaviors of Hispanic/Latino farmworkers. Cultural factors and stressors also increase their risk of heat-related illnesses (HRIs). Interventions targeting HRIs in this population should account for cultural factors.

Abstract: Hispanic/Latino farmworkers have been widely recognized as a particularly vulnerable population in the U.S., with among the lowest levels of income and education in the country. Existing research has identified and explored factors, including cultural and demographic characteristics, that increase the vulnerability of these workers to adverse occupational health and safety outcomes. This review assesses Hispanic/Latino farmworkers' vulnerability to increasing temperatures and intense heat events, focusing on the role of demographic and cultural factors in heat-related health outcomes. A systematic literature search was conducted using the search terms "heat" and "(Hispanic or Latino) farmworkers" and "health" over the years 2000 to 2020. A total of 348 articles were screened through a title review. The articles included in this review focused on heat-related illnesses (HRIs) and related symptoms among the population of interest. Hispanic/Latino workers were at heightened risk of HRI symptoms as a result of their work environments, working conditions, acculturative stressors, and other cultural factors.