Tiina Mattila

Farmers’ Perceptions of Necessary Management Skills in Finland

Abstract The main aim of this pre-study was to provide a preliminary overview of Finnish farmers’ motivation and capacity prerequisites for adopting and improving their management skills. Motivation was studied by asking farmers what farm management tasks and skills they consider important. Capacity was evaluated by asking farmers to rank management tasks and skills according to their perceived difficulty. Data (n=130) were collected by means of a questionnaire that was sent to a selected group of insured of the Finnish Farmers’ Social Insurance Institution. The most challenging management tasks and topics, that is, those to which most farmers gave high ratings in terms of both importance and difficulty, consisted of applying for subsidies and getting information on them, of the investment decision process, and of maintaining safety, health, and the ability and motivation to work. These are the main areas that should receive more attention in full-time education curriculums and extension initiatives.

Slip, trip and fall injuries in potato, sugar beet and open field vegetable production in Finland

STF injuries are common in agriculture. The purposes of this study were to assess the magnitude of STF injuries, to identify contributing factors and to propose preventive actions to reduce injuries in potato, sugar beet and open field vegetable production in Finland. The material consisted of 1648 injury claim records and 22 interviews. The analysis showed 45% (n = 740) of the non-fatal injuries were STFs or jumps. Phrase analysis of injury descriptions provided further insight into the characteristics of STF injuries. The current findings suggest interventions should focus on making access paths (e.g. stairs, ladders, platforms) safer, minimising the need for mounting and dismounting equipment, decreasing manual material handling, improving contamination control and housekeeping in working areas and improving the safety of traffic areas and farmyards.

Barriers and enabling factors for safety improvements on farms in Finland.

Systematic reviews of agricultural safety and health interventions have shown little evidence of effectiveness. In this study, we used a self-documentation and collaborative interpretation method (cultural probes, n = 9) as well as farm interviews (n = 11) to identify factors affecting the adoption and implementation of safety information. The three main barrier groups found were (1) personal characteristics of the farmer, (2) limited resources to make safety improvements, and (3) the slow incremental evolution of the physical farm environment where old, hazardous environments remain along with new, safer improvements. The enabling factors included good examples or alarming (and thus activating) examples from peers, ease of implementation of the promoted safety measures, and enforcement of regulations. The findings suggest that a user-centered approach could facilitate the development of more effective safety and health interventions. A conceptual model of the safety intervention context created in this study can be used as a framework to examine specific barriers and enabling factors in planning and implementing safety and health interventions.

Safety Performance of Animal Confinement Floors: Slip, Trip, and Fall Injuries in Finland

Slip, trip, and fall (STF) injuries are common in agriculture. The aims of this study were to characterize STF injuries and to identify floor-related safety problems that can be reduced or eliminated through building design. Our material consisted of Finnish agricultural injury claim records for the period 1992-2002. The material included 6,414 slip, trip, and fall injuries that occurred in dairy, beef and swine production and were caused by floor structures. We examined coded information and injury descriptions to identify causes and contributing factors. The performance approach (PA) was used as a framework for discussing findings and their application to building design. PA provides a logic model for building design that considers the needs of workers, animals, and production processes. Nearly half (42%) of agricultural injuries occurred in dairy, beef, and swine production work. Fourteen percent of these injuries were slips, trips, and falls (STF) related to floor structures. More than 450 work years were lost due to disability resulting from these injuries. Many STF injuries occurred in milking (n = 1135), moving feeds (n = 962), and animal transport and care (n = 880). More than half (59%) of STF injuries occurred while carrying or moving a load. STF injury causes included floors, door sills, gutters, curbs, steps, ramps, grates, and contaminants like water, ice, snow, manure, detergent, forage, and hay. Men had a lower STF injury risk compared to women (RR = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.61-0.67). The magnitude and nature of STF injuries suggest that there is a need for improving the safety performance of floors and related structures. Key areas include slip-resistant floorings, effective contamination control, macro structures (elevations, entrances, access ways), and logistics for materials handling and storage spaces.

Predictors for occupational injuries and diseases among commercial fishers in Finland 1996–2015

Fishing is a hazardous occupation worldwide. Commercial fishers in Finland are an aging and diminishing population with a high injury rate. Insurance claims data for self-employed Finnish commercial fishers during the years 1996 through 2015 (n = 1951) were analysed to assess predictors for occupational injuries and diseases. Out of the available variables, fishery location, career length, and participation in the voluntary occupational health service programme were not significant predictors. Male gender (OR 2.02; 95% CI 1.37-2.99), Finnish mother tongue vs. Swedish (OR 1.98, 95% CI 1.53-2.55), and higher income levels from fishing (four income categories, OR range: 1.71-3.53) were associated with higher odds for a compensated occupational injury or disease claim among commercial fishers in the final multivariate model. The identified risk groups could be targeted for interventions, and the content of the occupational health service programme should be developed to gain protective effect.

Finland: Occupational accidents and safety work in the Finnish fishery - Developments and preventive measures

The study is based on a combination of previous research and historical initiatives taken by authorities in the respective Nordic countries to promote safety in fisheries. So far there has been limited knowledge about what has worked and has positively influenced the rate and severity of occupational accidents, and fishermens own experiences with prevention has not been studied. Therefore, the project has been supplemented with a joint Nordic investigation of fishermen, focusing on the accumulation of the fishermen’s experience regarding actions that have played a preventive role in terms of occupational accidents in fisheries. On this basis, the results of the study have been summarised. Possible explanations for the significant reduction in the work accidents highlighted by the report, and recommendations for dissemination of the results of the project have been outlined.

Finland: The fishermen's view - Measures taken to prevent accidents in the Finnish fishery

The study is based on a combination of previous research and historical initiatives taken by authorities in the respective Nordic countries to promote safety in fisheries. So far there has been limited knowledge about what has worked and has positively influenced the rate and severity of occupational accidents, and fishermens own experiences with prevention has not been studied. Therefore, the project has been supplemented with a joint Nordic investigation of fishermen, focusing on the accumulation of the fishermen’s experience regarding actions that have played a preventive role in terms of occupational accidents in fisheries. On this basis, the results of the study have been summarised. Possible explanations for the significant reduction in the work accidents highlighted by the report, and recommendations for dissemination of the results of the project have been outlined.

Analysis of Safety Intervention Bottlenecks in Maintenance and Repair of Farm Machinery and Buildings

Previous systematic reviews have shown little evidence of safety interventions on farms being effective. In this study we reviewed completed intervention projects, and conducted cultural probes and farm interviews to analyze potential factors affecting the adoption and implementation of safety information. As a result, a list of barriers and catalysts in the adoption and implementation of safety information was identified. These findings aim to provide guidance for future safety interventions.