Crouchman E, Ding K, Hagel L, Dosman J, Pickett W
Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
J Agric Saf Health. 2011 Oct;17(4):343-54. doi: 10.13031/2013.39806.
Children on farms perform hazardous work that exposes them to risks for injury. Hazards include operation of heavy machinery, working with limited supervision, working at heights, and performing work prohibited by law in other industries. Incidence rates and patterns of injury are known to differ between boys and girls on farms. Farm adherence to occupational health and safety practices, and whether such practices vary by gender, has received limited study in this occupational setting. The objective of this study was to evaluate associations between gender and work practices, and required occupational health and safety practices, within a sample of adolescent children age 12 to 18 years living on Saskatchewan farms. A cross-sectional study was performed. Measures were obtained by self-report. We compared requirements for boys and girls on the following: (1) use of personal protective equipment (PPE), (2) conduct of specific hazardous jobs, (3) training and supervision for equipment work, and (4) training and supervision for large animal work. A total of 434 children were identified, and 297 (68%) met the eligibility criteria. Of these, 170 were boys (57%) with a mean age of 14.5 years (SD 1.9). Occupational health and safety requirements varied by gender; girls were less likely to be required to use PPE (adjusted OR 2.39; 95% CI: 1.16, 4.94). There was no evidence of an association between gender and the conduct of hazardous work. Gender patterns in required training and supervision for work suggested disadvantages for girls, but were not significant. Adolescent girls and boys both performed hazardous jobs on the farm. Girls were as likely to conduct hazardous jobs but not to be required to use PPE. This gender disparity may indicate a need for a public health approach that recognizes gender as a determinant of work assignment and of health and safety practices on farms.
农场里的儿童从事危险工作，这使他们面临受伤风险。危险包括操作重型机械、在监管有限的情况下工作、高空作业以及从事其他行业法律禁止的工作。已知农场中男孩和女孩的受伤发生率及模式有所不同。在这种职业环境中，农场对职业健康与安全规范的遵守情况以及这些规范是否因性别而异，相关研究较少。本研究的目的是评估12至18岁居住在萨斯喀彻温省农场的青少年儿童样本中，性别与工作规范以及所需职业健康与安全规范之间的关联。进行了一项横断面研究。通过自我报告获取数据。我们比较了男孩和女孩在以下方面的要求：（1）个人防护装备（PPE）的使用，（2）特定危险工作的开展，（3）设备操作的培训与监管，以及（4）大型动物工作的培训与监管。共识别出434名儿童，其中297名（68%）符合入选标准。其中，170名是男孩（57%），平均年龄为14.5岁（标准差1.9）。职业健康与安全要求因性别而异；女孩被要求使用PPE的可能性较小（调整后的比值比为2.39；95%置信区间：1.16，4.94）。没有证据表明性别与危险工作的开展之间存在关联。工作所需培训和监管方面的性别模式表明女孩处于劣势，但不显著。青少年男孩和女孩都在农场从事危险工作。女孩从事危险工作的可能性相同，但不被要求使用PPE。这种性别差异可能表明需要一种公共卫生方法，将性别视为农场工作分配以及健康与安全规范的一个决定因素。
