Bailey Jannine, Dutton Tegan, Payne Kristy, Wilson Ross, Brew Bronwyn K
a Bathurst Rural Clinical School , Western Sydney University , Bathurst , New South Wales , Australia.
b Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics , Karolinska Institute , Stockholm , Sweden.
J Agromedicine. 2017;22(3):229-234. doi: 10.1080/1059924X.2017.1318101.
There is some evidence to suggest that safety on small-area farms may not be high priority due to economic constraints and lack of knowledge. This has important ramifications for injury and economic burden. The objective of this research was to conduct a pilot study to investigate whether small- to medium-area farms implement fewer safety practices than large-area farms.
Farmers were recruited from farm safety training days, field days, and produce stores in rural New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Small- and medium-area farms less than 500 ha (1235 acres) in size were aggregated for analysis and compared with large-area farms (≥500 ha) for survey items, including safety equipment owned and used, safety practices protecting children, barriers to improving safety, and causes of injury.
Overall, small/medium-area farms were found to own less safety equipment and to employ less safety practices than large-area farms. In particular, fewer tractors were fitted with rollover protection structures, there was less signage, less hearing protection, and fewer machinery guides. Injury rates were slightly less for small/medium-area farms, particularly involving vehicles. Small- and medium-area farmers were more likely to report lack of skills as barriers to making safety improvements.
This pilot study found some evidence that small/medium-area farms implement fewer safety practices than large-area farms. A larger study is warranted to investigate this further, with particular focus on barriers and ways to overcome them. This could have important ramifications for government policies supporting struggling farmers on small/medium-area farms.
有证据表明，由于经济限制和知识匮乏，小面积农场的安全可能并非优先事项。这对伤害和经济负担具有重要影响。本研究的目的是开展一项试点研究，以调查中小面积农场实施的安全措施是否比大面积农场少。
从澳大利亚新南威尔士州（NSW）农村的农场安全培训日、田间日和农产品商店招募农民。将面积小于500公顷（1235英亩）的中小面积农场汇总进行分析，并与大面积农场（≥500公顷）在以下调查项目上进行比较，包括拥有和使用的安全设备、保护儿童的安全措施、改善安全的障碍以及伤害原因。
总体而言，发现中小面积农场拥有的安全设备较少，实施的安全措施也比大面积农场少。特别是，配备翻车保护结构的拖拉机较少，标识较少，听力保护设备较少，机械操作指南也较少。中小面积农场的伤害率略低，尤其是涉及车辆的伤害。中小面积农场主更有可能报告缺乏技能是安全改善的障碍。
这项试点研究发现了一些证据，表明中小面积农场实施的安全措施比大面积农场少。有必要开展更大规模的研究进一步调查此事，尤其关注障碍及克服障碍的方法。这可能对支持中小面积农场中处境艰难的农民的政府政策产生重要影响。
