Community Partners for Healthy Farming Intervention Research |
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Vineyard Harvest Ergonomics Intervention Partnership |
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: California Contact Information:John Miles, PhD University of California, Davis Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering 1 Shields Avenue 3078 Bainer Hall Davis, Ca. 95616 Phone: (530) 752-6210 Fax: (530) 752-2640 E-mail: jamiles@ucdavis.edu Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are rising in incidence and account for a majority of workers' compensation dollars. There is evidence that these injuries result, "from repeated biomechanical stress due to ergonomic hazards" (US Department of Labor). Participative interventions which were focused on engineering controls to eliminate or reduce hazards have been shown to be effective. Previous work with California wine-grape vineyard workers has indicated very high rates of incidence of MSDs (80/1000 workers/year). This is more than ten times the target rate stated in Healthy People 2000. Of the MSDs discovered in workers in cooperating companies, 70% were back injuries. Together with owner/operators and workers, we have determined that lifting and carrying cut grapes to trailers during harvest involves the most severe MSD back injury hazards. We propose to work with owner/operators, workers, and others to apply and assess the preventive efficacy of applications of previously validated approaches for handling cut grapes in wine-grape harvest. The goal is to demonstrably reduce or eliminate ergonomic risk factors for identified MSDs, reducing resulting injury. The project will be cooperatively planned, implemented, and evaluated with wine-grape workers, owner/operators, and other community members. Partners, including Clos du Bois, Domaine Chandon, Kenwood, and Walsh Vineyard Management in California's Napa and Sonoma Counties, have helped to develop this proposal and are committed to participation. Target beneficiaries are farm workers, an underserved population cited in the National Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Objectives (Healthy People 2000; 1991) as a Special Target Population. Evaluation will be based on comparative pre- and post-intervention ergonomic stress data, MSD pain & symptom data, and adoptability data. Priority will be on intervention via engineering controls involving handling of cut grapes. Objectives are:
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) |