Falls From Agricultural Machinery: Risk Factors Related to Work Experience, Worked Hours, and Operators’ Behavior

Objective We investigated the risk factors for falls when egressing from agricultural tractors, analyzing the role played by worked hours, work experience, operators’ behavior, and near misses. Background Many accidents occur within the agricultural sector each year. Among them, falls while dismounting the tractor represent a major source of injuries. Previous studies pointed out frequent hazardous movements and incorrect behaviors adopted by operators to exit the tractor cab. However, less is known about the determinants of such behaviors. In addition, near misses are known to be important predictors of accidents, but they have been under-investigated in the agricultural sector in general and as concerns falls in particular. Method A questionnaire assessing dismounting behaviors, previous accidents and near misses, and participants’ relation with work was administered to a sample of Italian tractor operators (n = 286). Results A mediated model showed that worked hours increase unsafe behaviors, whereas work experience decreases them. Unsafe behaviors in turn show a positive association with accidents, via the mediation of near misses. Conclusions We gave a novel contribution to the knowledge of the chain of events leading to fall accidents in the agricultural sector, which is one of the most hazardous industries. Applications Besides tractor design improvements, preventive training interventions may focus on the redesign of the actual working strategies and the adoption of engaging training methods in the use of machinery to optimize the learning of safety practices and safe behaviors.

[1]  Keith F Widaman,et al.  Confirmatory factor analysis and item response theory: two approaches for exploring measurement invariance. , 1993, Psychological bulletin.

[2]  Tingru Zhang,et al.  The association between driving anger and driving outcomes: A meta-analysis of evidence from the past twenty years. , 2016, Accident; analysis and prevention.

[3]  Eugenio Cavallo,et al.  Machinery-Related Perceived Risks and Safety Attitudes in Senior Swedish Farmers , 2017, Journal of agromedicine.

[4]  D L Nordstrom,et al.  Fall-related occupational injuries on farms. , 1996, American journal of industrial medicine.

[5]  J D Langley,et al.  Comparison of work related fatal injuries in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand: method and overall findings , 2001, Injury prevention : journal of the International Society for Child and Adolescent Injury Prevention.

[6]  Carl Wilmsen,et al.  Evaluation of a pilot promotora program for Latino forest workers in southern Oregon. , 2014, American journal of industrial medicine.

[7]  R H Rautiainen,et al.  Barriers and enabling factors for safety improvements on farms in Finland. , 2011, Journal of agricultural safety and health.

[8]  Alistair G.F. Gibb,et al.  Accident precursors and near misses on construction sites: An investigative tool to derive information from accident databases , 2010 .

[9]  Andrew Merryweather,et al.  Self-Reported Tractor Operator Falls, Ergonomics and Musculoskeletal Pain , 2011 .

[10]  P. Bentler,et al.  Comparative fit indexes in structural models. , 1990, Psychological bulletin.

[11]  Daniela Haluza,et al.  Effects of Rest-Break Intention on Rest-Break Frequency and Work-Related Fatigue , 2017, Hum. Factors.

[12]  Kim O. Kaustell,et al.  Slip, trip and fall injuries in potato, sugar beet and open field vegetable production in Finland , 2008, Ergonomics.

[13]  J. Boxberger,et al.  Near accidents with agricultural vehicles , machinery and equipment in Austria in the year 2013 , 2015 .

[14]  D. Mohan,et al.  Equipment-related injuries in agriculture: an international perspective , 2000 .

[15]  Kristin Smith-Crowe,et al.  Relative effectiveness of worker safety and health training methods. , 2006, American journal of public health.

[16]  N. and D. Mann Kleban.  Position analysis of tractor ingress and egress , 2013 .

[17]  William E. Field,et al.  Assessing Senior Farmers' Perceptions of Tractor and Machinery-Related Hazards , 1995 .

[18]  Anne-Marie Feyer,et al.  A survey of forest workers in New Zealand. Do hours of work, rest, and recovery play a role in accidents and injury? , 2002, Journal of safety research.

[19]  Scot Burton,et al.  TASK CONDITIONS, RESPONSE FORMULATION PROCESSES, AND RESPONSE ACCURACY FOR BEHAVIORAL FREQUENCY QUESTIONS IN SURVEYS , 1991 .

[20]  Pamela Dee Elkind,et al.  Perceptions of Risk, Stressors, and Locus of Control Influence Intentions to Practice Safety Behaviors in Agriculture , 2008, Journal of agromedicine.

[21]  G McGwin,et al.  Increased risk of agricultural injury among African-American farm workers from Alabama and Mississippi. , 2000, American journal of epidemiology.

[22]  Eugenio Cavallo,et al.  Safety signs on agricultural machinery: Pictorials do not always successfully convey their messages to target users. , 2017, Applied ergonomics.

[23]  J. H. Steiger.  Structural Model Evaluation and Modification: An Interval Estimation Approach. , 1990, Multivariate behavioral research.

[24]  Hannu Haapala,et al.  A pilot study on safety of movement practices on access paths of mobile machinery , 2002 .

[25]  Christopher B. Mayhorn,et al.  Avoiding harm on the farm: Human factors , 2011 .

[26]  L. Tucker,et al.  A reliability coefficient for maximum likelihood factor analysis , 1973 .

[27]  Wendy A. Rogers,et al.  Warning Research: An Integrative Perspective , 2000, Hum. Factors.

[28]  Fadi A. Fathallah,et al.  Estimated slip potential on icy surfaces during various methods of exiting commercial tractors, trailers, and trucks , 2000 .

[29]  Cheryl Fairfield Estill,et al.  Simple solutions; ergonomics for farm workers , 2001 .

[30]  Friedhelm Nachreiner,et al.  The validity of the risk index for comparing the accident risk associated with different work schedules. , 2013, Accident; analysis and prevention.

[31]  Gordon S. Smith,et al.  DAILY SLEEP, WEEKLY WORKING HOURS, AND RISK OF WORK-RELATED INJURY: US NATIONAL HEALTH INTERVIEW SURVEY (2004–2008) , 2010, Chronobiology international.

[32]  Peter Lundqvist,et al.  Accidents and accident prevention in agriculture a review of selected studies , 1992 .

[33]  Eugenio Cavallo,et al.  Perceptions of Tilt Angles of an Agricultural Tractor , 2014, Journal of agromedicine.

[34]  Linda Wright,et al.  Accident versus near miss causation: a critical review of the literature, an empirical test in the UK railway domain, and their implications for other sectors. , 2004, Journal of hazardous materials.

[35]  Andrew Martin,et al.  Techno-economic assessment of municipal solid waste gasification for electricity generation: a case study of Kampala City, Uganda , 2015 .

[36]  Francesca Marras,et al.  Italian agriculture in figures - 2010. , 2009 .

[37]  D. D. A. Hesketh and J.B. Morrison. Mann.  Comparison of forward-facing and backward-facing tractor egress. , 2017 .

[38]  Mark A. Purschwitz.  Personal Protective Equipment and Safety Engineering of Machinery , 2006 .

[39]  Mario Coccia,et al.  Likely Technological Trajectories in Agricultural Tractors by Analysing Innovative Attitudes of Farmers , 2015 .

[40]  M. Coccia,et al.  Attitudes and Behaviour of Adopters of Technological Innovations in Agricultural Tractors: A Case Study in Italian Agricultural System , 2014 .

[41]  Eugenio Cavallo,et al.  Comprehension of safety pictograms affixed to agricultural machinery: A survey of users. , 2015, Journal of safety research.

[42]  WestOne,et al.  Using tractors safely , 2004 .

[43]  Mary E Aitken,et al.  Video intervention changes parent perception of all-terrain vehicle (ATV) safety for children , 2016, Injury Prevention.

[44]  A Torén,et al.  Tractor-driving hours and their relation to self-reported low-back and hip symptoms. , 2002, Applied ergonomics.

[45]  Giulia Earle-Richardson,et al.  Ergonomic Risks and Musculoskeletal Disorders in Production Agriculture: Recommendations for Effective Research to Practice , 2010, Journal of agromedicine.

[46]  Wilfried Hammer.  Safe access to farm tractors and trailers , 1991 .

[47]  G. Smith,et al.  Public health approaches to occupational injury prevention: do they work? , 2001, Injury prevention : journal of the International Society for Child and Adolescent Injury Prevention.

[48]  A. Järvenpää.  Safety and Health at Work , 1974, Sairaanhoitaja. Sjukskoterskan.

[49]  M. Key.  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; occupational exposure to inorganic lead: request for comments and information; republication--NIOSH. Request for comments and information relevant to occupational exposure to inorganic lead. , 1997, Federal register.

[50]  Krister Wolff,et al.  A Review of Near-Collision Driver Behavior Models , 2012, Hum. Factors.

[51]  David J. Glasscock,et al.  Psychosocial factors and safety behaviour as predictors of accidental work injuries in farming , 2006 .

[52]  Fadi A Fathallah,et al.  Musculoskeletal disorders in labor-intensive agriculture. , 2010, Applied ergonomics.

[53]  G Rechnitzer,et al.  Safe tractor access platforms: from guidance material to implementation. , 2004, Journal of agricultural safety and health.

[54]  T. Arbuckle,et al.  Injuries in Ontario farm children: a population based study , 2000, Injury prevention : journal of the International Society for Child and Adolescent Injury Prevention.