Farmer survey a snapshot of occupational health

Thursday 2 August 2007

Farmer survey a snapshot of occupational health in agriculture

A wide cross-section of New Zealand’s farming community is to be surveyed by University of Otago researchers keen to find out more about ill health and injury in agriculture.

Dr Kirsten Lovelock, research fellow at the Injury Prevention Research Unit (IPRU) says farmers will be randomly selected and sent a letter inviting them to take part in a national telephone survey.

“This survey, unlike previous surveys, addresses a wide and comprehensive range of occupational health issues and concerns.

“Our aim is to document not only occupational injury and disease amongst farmers, farm workers and their families, but also workplace practices, risks and hazards that they are exposed to,” Dr Lovelock says.

“We will also examine existing interventions on farms and explore what new interventions might assist in reducing occupational ill health for those in the agricultural sector.”

The survey will begin early next month and run over the course of a year so researchers can identify seasonal variations in the types and incidence of illness and injury.

Dr Lovelock says they aim to survey up to 500 farmers, farm workers and their families from all farming sectors and all types of farming operations.

“We want to understand not only what is happening for different farming types - say dairying, mixed or sheep farming - but also what is happening on family owned and operated farms, corporate farms managed by managers and worked by farm workers, etcetera.

“We also want to be able to identify regional differences and similarities, and to move away from assumptions that what might be the case in the south will be the case in the north, or that what is true of one operational type is true for all.”

Dr Lovelock says participation is anonymous and the people who took part will be identified in any publications or materials.

The researchers are working closely with a cross-section of stakeholders in the sector, including Federated Farmers, Rural Women, dairy, meat and wool groups and agricultural training organisations.

The project is being funded through the Health Research Council of New Zealand Partnership Programme, the Department of Labour and the Accident Compensation Corporation.

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