Larry J. Chapman

Differences in frequency of finger tremor in otherwise asymptomatic mercury workers.

Tremor was measured from the index finger during low force, position holding in 18 control subjects and 18 battery workers with low level exposure to mercury. All workers were asymptomatic on clinical neurological examination. No differences were found in average tremor amplitudes between the groups, but statistically significant abnormalities in tremor frequency distribution existed. Tremor power spectra in the group of mercury workers were shifted toward the higher frequencies and compressed into narrow frequency peaks. These results suggest that measurements of finger tremor that evaluate the frequency distribution can produce a higher diagnostic yield than traditional visual clinical judgement. The findings also confirm other reports that currently permitted exposures to mercury are associated with subtle but distinctive differences in tremor accompanying voluntary movement.

Factors Affecting Concession Rate and Threat Usage in Bilateral Conflict

To test the reciprocity and level of aspiration hypotheses with respect to concession rate, this study utilized a bilateral negotiation paradigm involving coercive power capabilities. Subjects bargained against a confederate who followed a programmed strategy. Three independent variables (the confederates concession rate, the subjects relative power position, and the confederates punishment frequency) were manipulated in a 2 X 2 X 2 factorial design. When subjects occupied the strong power

Evaluation of an Occupational Injury Intervention Among Wisconsin Dairy Farmers

OBJECTIVES Dairy farming injury rates are high. Previous agricultural research has shown that better information flow can speed adoption of more profitable practices. We conducted and evaluated an intervention to increase voluntary adoption of three production practices that were safer and more profitable than typical practices: barn lights, bag silos, and a mixing site for calf feed. METHODS Print mass media, public events, university Extension, and dairy farmers already using the practices were all enlisted to disseminate information to 4,300 northeast district Wisconsin dairy farmers. Evaluation questionnaires were mailed to independent samples of farm managers before (n = 582) and after (n = 572) the 12 month long intervention. RESULTS After the intervention, more managers reported getting information about barn lights from public events (12% vs. 23%) and private consultants (8% vs. 17%) and about silo bags from print media (79% vs. 87%) and private consultants (9% vs. 14%). More managers were aware of barn lights (48% vs. 72%) and the calf feed mixing site (44% vs. 56%). There was a nonsignificant tendency for more managers to report adopting barn lights (12% vs. 23%). CONCLUSIONS Improving information flow to operation managers about safer, more profitable production practices may be a relatively easy way to supplement conventional injury control efforts in high-hazard industries.

Musculoskeletal discomfort, injuries, and tasks accomplished by children and adolescents in Wisconsin fresh market vegetable production

Little or no research is available about the tasks that children and adolescents perform in small scale, fresh market vegetable production. A mail questionnaire was administered in an exploratory study to an age-stratified, convenience sample of children and adolescents age 5 to 18 (n = 81) who were working on Wisconsin fresh market vegetable operations. Children and adolescents reported averaging 349 hours of farm work last year. Youths completed over 1/5 of all the tractor operation and produce loading and unloading that was completed by adults or children on their farms; 1/7 of the weeding, produce washing, and packing; and 1/12 of the hand harvesting during typical weeks when they worked. Fifty percent of 15-18 year olds reported experiencing low back discomfort in the last year, and 25% reported disabling discomfort. Children and adolescents performed the same range of tasks and often the same scope of work as adults. Further investigation with larger, more representative youth samples is needed to confirm these findings.

Agriculture, forestry, and fishing sector.

The Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing sector comprises establishments primarily engaged in growing crops, raising animals, harvesting timber, and harvesting fish and other animals on a farm, ranch, or from their natural habitats. About 2.1 million workers were employed in agriculture, forestry, and fishing in the United States in 2004, making it one of the largest economic sectors in the nation. The workforce total consisted of about 1% in forestry, 5.9% in logging, 2.6% in fishing, hunting, and trapping, and 9% in support activities for agriculture and forestry. The balance, over 81% of the workforce, was engaged in crop or animal production. This sector is unusual in a number of respects; nearly half of its workforce, almost 1 million individuals, are self-employed, many as farmers and fishers. Over the last 50 years, crop and animal production, and forestry and fishing in the U.S. have all achieved dramatic increases in the mechanization of production and in production efficiency. With better technology, many firms have consolidated and increased the size of their operations and output per employee (United States Department of Labor, 2007). Individuals who work in these industries may feel strong ties to their job, as they often live in nearby rural communities close to the involved land, forest, or sea. However, they may pay a high price in terms of work-related risks of injury and disease. For example, an average of 700 individuals from the farming and ranching workforce lose their lives annually, and another 120,000 are temporarily or permanently disabled (National Safety Council, 2007). Among work-related injuries, tractors cause the most worker fatalities in agriculture, while other farm equipment and animals contribute to the most injuries overall. Hands are the part of the body most often injured and disabled. Small farms, and family farms with fewer than 11 employees, are exempt from enforcement of most federal workplace health and safety policies. Language: en

Case example of wrist trauma in keyboard use.

Evidence of injury to the pisiform and dorsal sensory branch of the ulnar nerve in a video display terminal (VDT) operator is presented. The subject has performed data entry work via keyboard for 20 years and has the common habit of resting her wrist against the leading edge of the keyboard. Skin lesions have been observed in other keyboard operators who similarly support their limbs. The opportunity for this type of trauma has gone unreported (and apparently unrecognised) in the ergonomics literature, which generally advocates wrist support to reduce upper extremity fatigue and improve wrist-hand posture. The present case study indicates a need for further evaluation of the dynamics of wrist rest use and of the design of support systems such that forces acting upon the wrist or palm can be controlled. Suggestions are offered in this regard.

Barriers to the adoption of ergonomic innovations to control musculoskeletal disorders and improve performance

Despite a growing number of published articles describing studies of ergonomic interventions, little is known about the barriers potential adopters face when deciding whether or not to adopt such innovations. To this end, the purpose of this paper is to examine the barriers identified by potential adopters of ergonomic innovations and compare barriers identified by individuals not interested in adopting to those identified by individuals planning to adopt. Eight hundred forty-eight fresh market vegetable farmers were mailed surveys measuring the adoption of and barriers to the adoption of several ergonomic innovations as part of a multi-year intervention study. Barriers such as cost, lack of information, never having seen the innovation used and not being able to try out the innovation were among the barriers identified. The barriers identified were moderated by whether or not the respondents were likely to adopt. Implications for diffusing ergonomic and safety innovations are discussed.

Evaluation of a four year intervention to reduce musculoskeletal hazards among berry growers

PROBLEM Fresh market berry production workers are exposed to physical risk factors for musculoskeletal injury. METHOD We disseminated information through trade publications and other sources to berry managers in seven U.S. states about five prevention through design practices that were both safer and more profitable than traditional methods. We administered mail evaluation questionnaires prior to the intervention and after each of four intervention years to rolling, independent U.S. samples and to comparison New Zealand berry farm manager samples after years one through three. RESULTS U.S. manager self-reports of reading trade publication information increased compared to baseline values for two of five practices and self-reported awareness increased for four of five practices. There were no increases in adoption. More U.S. than New Zealand managers reported getting information about two practices from trade publications and about four practices from public events. No U.S. versus New Zealand differences were observed in reported awareness or adoption for any practice. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY This study showed that even a modest campaign can build awareness of safer practices fairly quickly in three to four years among small agricultural firms but that increasing adoption apparently requires more time. Widespread adoption of safer practices could help keep operators in business longer as they age by reducing the workload and musculoskeletal strain associated with labor intensive crop production for them and their workforce. Adoption of practices that also improve profits, like the five practices featured in this study, could also help managers stay in business.

Work exposures, injuries, and musculoskeletal discomfort among children and adolescents in dairy farming.

ABSTRACT Little research is available about the specifics of child or adolescent work on dairy farm operations. The objective of this study was to investigate work performed by children and adolescents on these operations. The authors administered mail questionnaires to a community-based, age- and operation size-stratified sample of individuals aged 6 to 18 (n = 240) who worked on dairy operations in Wisconsin. Data were collected in 1999. The 197 children and adolescents reported averaging 567 hours of dairy farm work in the last year (10.9 hours/week) and completed over 1/3 of all calf feeding, 1/5 of the milking, 1/5 of cow feeding, and 1/10 of tractor operation hours on their farm during the weeks they worked. Some of these young workers reported accomplishing duties also judged by some experts as hazardous work, including nearly half of the 9- to 11-year-olds driving tractors. Six nonfatal injuries were reported that required stopping work (14.6 per 100 full time equivalents per year), including those that required medical attention. Musculoskeletal discomfort and disability reports were unremarkable compared to existing studies of general and working populations. Wisconsin dairy farm youth appeared to be working no more hours per week than their peers in other studies of agricultural populations. Adolescents and some children largely performed the same range of tasks and often the same scope of work as adults, including some performing hazardous work. There is a need for further investigations with larger samples of dairy youth to confirm these findings. The exposures of very young workers to hazardous tractor driving and tower silo tasks suggest that there is an urgent need for improved and validated interventions to reduce these exposures.

Rapporteur's Report Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing Sector

The Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing sector comprises establishments primarily engaged in growing crops, raising animals, harvesting timber, and harvesting fish and other animals on a farm, ranch, or from their natural habitats. About 2.1 million workers were employed in agriculture, forestry, and fishing in the United States in 2004, making it one of the largest economic sectors in the nation. The workforce total consisted of about 1% in forestry, 5.9% in logging, 2.6% in fishing, hunting, and trapping, and 9% in support activities for agriculture and forestry. The balance, over 81% of the workforce, was engaged in crop or animal production. This sector is unusual in a number of respects; nearly half of its workforce, almost 1 million individuals, are self-employed, many as farmers and fishers. Over the last 50 years, crop and animal production, and forestry and fishing in the U.S. have all achieved dramatic increases in the mechanization of production and in production efficiency. With better technology, many firms have consolidated and increased the size of their operations and output per employee (United States Department of Labor, 2007). Individuals who work in these industries may feel strong ties to their job, as they often live in nearby rural communities close to the involved land, forest, or sea. However, they may pay a high price in terms of work-related risks of injury and disease. For example, an average of 700 individuals from the farming and ranching workforce lose their lives annually, and another 120,000 are temporarily or permanently disabled (National Safety Council, 2007). Among work-related injuries, tractors cause the most worker fatalities in agriculture, while other farm equipment and animals contribute to the most injuries overall. Hands are the part of the body most often injured and disabled. Small farms, and family farms with fewer than 11 employees, are exempt from enforcement of most federal workplace health and safety policies. Language: en