a R. L. Neitzel is affiliated with the Department of Environmental Health Sciences and Risk Science Center , University of Michigan , Ann Arbor , Michigan , USA .
J Agromedicine. 2014;19(2):130-49. doi: 10.1080/1059924X.2014.886319.
Agricultural workers have a high risk of occupational injuries, illnesses, and fatalities. However, there are very few standardized tools available to assess safety and health in agricultural operations. Additionally, there are a number of groups of agricultural workers, including Hmong refugees and immigrants, for which virtually no information on safety and health conditions is available. This study developed an observation-based methodology for systematically evaluating occupational health and safety hazards in agriculture, and pilot-tested this on several small-scale Hmong farming operations. Each observation assessed of range of safety and health hazards (e.g., musculoskeletal hazards, dust and pollen, noise, and mechanical hazards), as well as on factors such as type of work area, presence of personal protective equipment, and weather conditions. Thirty-six observations were collected on nine farms. The most common hazards observed were bending at the back and lifting <50 pounds. Use of sharp tools without adequate guarding mechanisms, awkward postures, repetitive hand motions, and lifting >50 pounds were also common. The farming activities observed involved almost no power equipment, and no pesticide or chemical handling was observed. The use of personal protective equipment was uncommon. The results of this assessment agreed well with a parallel study of perceived safety and health hazards among Hmong agricultural workers. This study suggests that small-scale Hmong farming operations involve a variety of hazards, and that occupational health interventions may be warranted in this community. The study also demonstrates the utility of standardized assessment tools and mixed-method approaches to hazard evaluation.
农业工人面临着较高的职业伤害、疾病和死亡风险。然而，目前几乎没有可用的标准化工具来评估农业作业中的安全和健康状况。此外，还有许多群体的农业工人，包括苗族难民和移民，对于这些群体，几乎没有关于安全和健康状况的信息。本研究开发了一种基于观察的方法，用于系统地评估农业中的职业健康和安全危害，并在几个小规模的苗族农场进行了试点测试。每次观察都评估了一系列安全和健康危害（例如，肌肉骨骼危害、粉尘和花粉、噪音和机械危害），以及工作区域类型、个人防护设备的存在和天气条件等因素。在九个农场进行了 36 次观察。观察到的最常见危害是背部弯曲和提起<50 磅的重物。使用没有充分保护机制的锐器、不舒适的姿势、重复性手部动作和提起>50 磅的重物也很常见。观察到的农业活动几乎不涉及动力设备，也没有观察到农药或化学品处理。个人防护设备的使用并不常见。这项评估的结果与苗族农业工人对安全和健康危害的感知的平行研究非常吻合。这项研究表明，小规模的苗族农场涉及多种危害，在这个社区中可能需要进行职业健康干预。该研究还展示了标准化评估工具和混合方法在危害评估中的应用。
