S.D.
Jepsen, T.L.
Bean, J.R.
Wilkins III, G.L.
Mitchell, L.A.
Jones, L.C. Eicher and J.M.
Crawford
NIOSH Education and Information Division
Funded
by CDC/NIOSH as part of their Farm Family Health and Hazard
Surveillance Cooperative Agreement Program, researchers from
The Ohio State University have conducted a mixed-mode survey
(i.e., a self-administered, mailed questionnaire, with telephone
follow-up of mail non-respondents) to obtain health and safety
data on 4,860 Ohio cash grain operators. While the questionnaire
collectively focuses on demographics, farm characteristics
and farming practices, work-related risk factors, occupational
history, and health history, this paper will concentrate on
a subset of the questionnaire specific to occupational safety
and health and its relevance to the farm operator. The predominate
areas of regard include:
- the
operators' training in the prevention of occupational injuries
or illnesses,
- any
changes of equipment and/or process for reasons of health
protection or injury prevention,
- the
substitution of agricultural chemicals for reasons of health
protection, and
- the
necessity of personal protective equipment for farm tasks.
Descriptive
information pertaining to the farm operators' age, educational
level and size of operation (both in acreage and labor force)
is compared to each of these four concerns. From these data,
an understanding of farm safety and health attitudes can be
attained and future health, safety and educational strategies
can be better directed.
Disclaimer
and Reproduction Information: Information in NASD does not represent
NIOSH policy. Information included in NASD appears by permission
of the author and/or copyright holder. More
NASD Review: 04/2002
This
research abstract was extracted from a portion of the proceedings
of "Agricultural Safety and Health: Detection, Prevention and
Intervention," a conference presented by the Ohio State University
and the Ohio Department of Health, sponsored by the Centers
for Disease Control/National Institute for Occupational Safety
and Health.
The
authors noted above are from: All at The Ohio State University,
Columbus, OH.
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