Community Partners for Healthy Farming Intervention Research |
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Reduction of Musculoskeletal Injury Among Workers
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Community PartnersProject IndexCertified Safe Farm Prospective Research and Sustainability Vineyard Harvest Ergonomics Intervention Partnership Reducing Eye Injuries and Illnesses in Latino Farm Workers The Kentucky Roll-over Protective Structures (ROPS) for Tractors Program Electronic Tractor and Machinery Safety Training Material for Youth Reduction of Musculoskeletal Injury Among Workers in Small Tame Berry Production Related Resources |
Funding Period: 1999-2003 States involved in project: Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Iowa, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois Contact Information:Larry Chapman University of Wisconsin Biological Systems Engineering Department 460 Henry Mall Madison, WI 53706 Phone: (608)262-7408 E-mail: ljchapman@facstaff.wisc.edu We plan to pilot and evaluate an intervention and demonstration project at the community level that can reduce or prevent work-related injuries and diseases in farmworkers and their families. This proposal describes an effort to reduce musculoskeletal and traumatic injury and other job-related problems among small scale, labor-intensive, specialty crop growers. These growers raise a wide variety of crops including fresh market and organic vegetables, fruit, and horticultural specialty crops. We plan to accomplish the following specific aims:
We plan to have two project phases which will run concurrently. Phase I will involve the first three specific aims, and will include identifying, acquiring or developing, testing, observing, and evaluating each modification on a number of our 24 pilot farms. We will study the work, the work hazards, and ways to reduce hazard exposures and improve work efficiency. We expect to begin this work immediately, since all project staff are named and available October 1, 1996. We also have identified, enlisted, and in some cases already visited, over two dozen pilot farms located within one hour's driving distance of our offices. Phase II will consist of promoting the modifications among both small and large scale agriculture, labor-intensive, specialty crop producers throughout the state and region. We plan to utilize the agricultural newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals read most often by our target group, and have already established working arrangements with relevant producer publications staff. We also plan to involve county extension agents and will prepare them to field inquiries about modifications. We will also evaluate the success of the promotion effort among a well-defined group of 700-800 Wisconsin operations. One of our named co-investigators (Delahaut-Schneider) has developed a database of 700-800 fresh market vegetable operations in Wisconsin, using grant funding from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection. We have also formed partnerships with local public health agencies, personnel in various research organizations, and with community-based groups serving agriculture production. This research will be adaptable on a wider scale in the North Central states region and the nation, since the crops and tasks involved are largely generic with respect to labor-intensive crop production. The modifications should be easy for farmers to adopt since we are including consideration of the economic and organizational factors influencing adoption, by focusing on modifications that create a safer, and at the same time, more profitable and efficient workplace.
NOTE: This document is provided for historical purposes only. Page last updated: April 1, 2003
Page last reviewed: April 1, 2003 Content Source: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) - Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, And Field Studies (DSHEFS) |