Near-Accidents in Agriculture: A Survey of Swedish Studies

AUTHOR ABSTRACT

The incidence of accidents in Swedish agriculture is much higher than in many other industries, stressing the importance of accident prevention in agriculture. One method of collecting data for prevention work is near-accident reporting. Up to now, most Swedish near-accident studies in agriculture have been published only in Swedish. The present article summarizes the results of five Swedish near-accident investigations, comprising studies on field work, livestock handling and greenhouse cultivation.

In the investigations reported here, the interviewers have made personal visits, every day or every other day for a fortnight, to the farms or enterprises involved in the studies.

The investigation involving experiences tractor drivers found that mounting and alighting, as well as coupling and uncoupling implements are activities in which near-accidents are more common than in other work operations. Near-accidents were also common when mounting and alighting from combine- harvesters. In two investigations of livestock handling, milking and moving the animals proved to be the work operations where most near-accidents were recorded, often a consequence of two small space when performing the work operations. A study of greenhouse workers showed that the common causes of near-accidents were slippery surfaces, uneven surfaces and obstacles in the gangways between the plant beds.

The studies illustrate that the near-accident technique can be very useful for demonstrating the distribution of accidents according to work operations more quickly than an analysis of accident statistics. This technique also discloses which equipment details should be modified or exchanged in order to prevent accidents.

JOURNAL AND NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE ID#

JOURNAL: Swed J Agric Res. 1991; 21: 85-93. ISSN: 1.

Note: Swedish Journal of Agricultural Research.

NLOM ID#: No ID #.

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