Safety and Injury of US-Certified Organic Crop Producers in the Southwest Region

ABSTRACT

Objectives

Literature on occupational risks among organic farmers is scarce. This study explored safety practices and non-fatal injuries among organic producers, and the role of sociodemographic, work, and farm characteristics on safety and injury.

Methods

Cross sectional survey of certified organic crop producers in the Southwest (SW) region of the United States (US). The Organic Integrity Database was used for recruitment. Data were collected through an electronic and paper survey.

Results

Analyses were conducted on 115 cases; response rate was estimated at 25%. A high majority of respondents owned their operation and were younger than 65 years, male, educated beyond high-school, and non-Hispanic whites. Less than half had more than 10 years of experience in organic farming; one-third worked off the farm year-round. Safety practices were very basic despite the widespread use of equipment and machinery, and limited to wearing normal clothing and apparel such hats and glasses. About half of respondents (52.6%) reported non-fatal injuries in the past year; and one-third (32.7%) time lost due to injuries. The overall cumulative incidence rate was estimated at 5.3 injuries per 10 workers within the last year. The injury rate decreased with hours worked. Significant differences were found on gender and education level and safety practices, with female respondents and the more educated being more proactive in practicing safety. Those working less than 40 h/week, in farms smaller than 50 acres, using light machinery or compact utility tractors, and tractors without roll-over protection reported significantly higher injury frequency compared to their counterparts.

Conclusion

This study contributes unique data on an essential workforce not captured by current occupational injury and illness surveillance systems. It identifies important personal and contextual factors that may contribute to safety and injury in this population. The findings indicate the need to promote safety and prevent injuries that result in work time lost. This study may also inform future occupational safety and health research and practice, including surveillance, injury prevention programs that target certain workers and production practices, and policies that support and protect the organic farmer.

KEYWORDS:

• Organic producers
• occupational injury
• safety
• sociodemographic characteristics

Acknowledgments

The authors want to thank all farmers who participated in the study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This project was supported by 1) The Southwest Center for Agricultural Health, Injury Prevention, and Education through Cooperative Agreement # U54-0H007541 from CDC/NIOSH; and 2) Grant No. 2U540H007541-16 from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of The University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Tyler or the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health