Musculoskeletal disorders in labor-intensive agriculture

Evaluation of Biomechanical and Mental Workload During Human-Robot Collaborative Pollination Task

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study is to identify the potential biomechanical and cognitive workload effects induced by human robot collaborative pollination task, how additional cues and reliability of the robot influence these effects and whether interacting with the robot influences the participant's anxiety and attitude towards robots.

BACKGROUND

Human-Robot Collaboration (HRC) could be used to alleviate pollinator shortages and robot performance issues. However, the effects of HRC for this setting have not been investigated.

METHODS

Sixteen participants were recruited. Four HRC modes, no cue, with cue, unreliable, and manual control were included. Three categories of dependent variables were measured: (1) spine kinematics (L5/S1, L1/T12, and T1/C7), (2) pupillary activation data, and (3) subjective measures such as perceived workload, robot-related anxiety, and negative attitudes towards robotics.

RESULTS

HRC reduced anxiety towards the cobot, decreased joint angles and angular velocity for the L5/S1 and L1/T12 joints, and reduced pupil dilation, with the "with cue" mode producing the lowest values. However, unreliability was detrimental to these gains. In addition, HRC resulted in a higher flexion angle for the neck (i.e., T1/C7).

CONCLUSION

HRC reduced the physical and mental workload during the simulated pollination task. Benefits of the additional cue were minimal compared to no cues. The increased joint angle in the neck and unreliability affecting lower and mid back joint angles and workload requires further investigation.

APPLICATION

These findings could be used to inform design decisions for HRC frameworks for agricultural applications that are cognizant of the different effects induced by HRC.

Hearing Difficulties Among Farmworkers in the México-US Southwest Border Region

Migrant and seasonal farmworkers are a vulnerable population with a potentially high risk for hearing loss due to farm-related noise exposures. Occupational noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is permanent, and it is associated with an increased risk for injuries on the job, as well as communication difficulties, isolation, and depression. The México/US border region is one of the most productive agricultural regions in the country, however, no known studies have explored hearing loss among farmworkers in this area. This pilot study was a first step toward measuring and addressing hearing loss and noise exposure among this region's farmworkers. We conducted a cross-sectional survey to estimate the prevalence of subjective hearing difficulties among Yuma County, Arizona farmworkers. Survey interviews took place during a late-night farmworker health fair from 2 am to 6 am to accommodate local farms' labor schedules. Multivariable regression adjusted for demographic and work covariates estimated subjective hearing loss prevalence ratios. Among 132 farmworker participants, 36% reported they have or might have hearing loss, and 62% reported no hearing loss. Subjective hearing loss prevalence was lower in farmworkers who report not working in noise compared to prevalence in farmworkers who work in noise [prevalence ratio, 0.44 (95% CI 0.23-0.82)]. This report contributes to understanding the perception of hearing-related health and occupational exposures among farmworkers in the México-US Southwest border region. The information from this line of research will inform appropriate safety measures known to lower the risk of experiencing occupational NIHL.

Effects of a workplace-based exercise program on shoulder pain and function in fruit workers: A randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Shoulder pain affects millions of workers worldwide and is considered one of the leading causes of absenteeism and presenteeism. Therefore, using exercises in the work environment emerges as a strategy to prevent or reduce shoulder pain.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of a workplace-based exercise program on shoulder pain and function in fruit workers.

METHODS

This was an 8-week parallel two-arm randomized controlled trial. Forty-four fruit workers who reported chronic shoulder pain were randomized to an Experimental Group (EG) or Control Group (CG). The EG was submitted to a program of resistance and stretching exercises for eight weeks, twice a week. The CG received a booklet with muscle stretching and mobility exercises. The primary outcome was shoulder pain intensity; the secondary outcomes were Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI) and perceived global effect.

RESULTS

Both groups showed reductions in pain intensity EG: 4.26 (95% CI 2.78-5.74) and CG: 3.74 (95% CI 1.98-5.50) points. The SPADI results showed an average reduction of 17.76 (CI 95% 3.10-32.43) for the EG and 18.39 (CI 95% 3.66-33.13) for the CG. The mean value of the perceived global effect for the CG was 3.45±2.01, and for the EG, the mean was 4.13±1.24. No differences were observed between groups in any outcome analyzed.

CONCLUSION

Both groups showed significant changes in the analyzed outcomes. However, the workplace-based exercise program was not superior to the exercise booklet.

Injury, Musculoskeletal Symptoms, and Stress as a Function of Aging in Agricultural Operators in the Central United States

BACKGROUND

Studies show conflicting evidence on the association of age and occupational injury in agriculture, and few studies have addressed the effect of age on work-related chronic conditions or preventive practices among farmers.

METHODS

We examined the probability of injury, work-related stress, musculoskeletal symptoms (MSS), and preventive practices for MSS as a function of aging using surveillance data of 7,711 farm and ranch operators in the central United States.

FINDINGS

Segmented regression analyses of men (85% of sample) indicated that the probability of all four outcomes increased up to a certain age and then decreased; the changepoints in years of age being 59.6 for injury, 55.4 for work-related stress, 59.6 for MSS, and 67.9 for MSS preventive practices. Female operators had an increasing trend for stress up to age 29.7, while they showed no changepoints across their age spectrum in the proportion of injury, MSS, and prevention techniques.

CONCLUSION/APPLICATION TO PRACTICE

These findings emphasize the need for preventive efforts particularly among younger and middle-aged farmers and ranchers, and the need to modify work duties to match work abilities at older ages.

Addressing Exoskeleton Implementation Challenges: Case Studies of Non-Acceptance in Agriculture

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study was to detect success and failure factors for the implementation of passive exoskeletons in agriculture. Exoskeletons have been shown to reduce musculoskeletal loads during lab-based manual tasks, but long-term implementation experiences in agriculture are lacking.

METHODS

We analyzed four intervention studies in agriculture focusing on methodological and contextual reasons why the trials were successful or unsuccessful. The study context, attempted intervention, and data collection of each field trial is compared. In the absence of long-term studies investigating the implementation and effectiveness of exoskeletons in agriculture, a set of multi-week pilot trials were initiated among German market vegetable farms and French vineyards from 2019 to 2022. Participant ratings, farm characteristics (e.g. employment duration and payment scheme) and intervention implementation characteristics (e.g. participation in implementation or language barriers) were analyzed using a mixed-methods approach to identify success and failure factors.

RESULTS

The comparison of the studies showed that despite the organizational issues, there were several practical issues that limit the success of exoskeleton use in agriculture. We observed that participant rejection of the intervention is a major barrier to successfully conducting long-term field trials in agriculture. Factors like pain, discomfort, heat stress, or a lack of perceived benefits have been identified as failure factors but also the implementation process itself.

CONCLUSION

In addition to careful targeting of trial sites and inclusion of participatory elements in the implementation plan, successful implementation of exoskeletons in agriculture requires fundamental human factors development of the exoskeletons themselves. This will require better matching the physical needs of the workers, the production needs of the tasks, and compatibility with the environment.

Comparative ergonomic assessment of manual harvesting of un-lodged and lodged paddy crops post-tropical cyclone in India

OBJECTIVE

In recent times, increased rainfall from tropical cyclones due to climate change affects the agricultural sector, mainly the paddy fields. High windspeed with excessive rain causes lodging of paddy crops, which is difficult to harvest. Mechanized harvesting systems are ineffective in this situation due to waterlogging in the fields. Manual harvesting with a traditional sickle is the only way to harvest lodged crops to save food security crises and economic losses. Collecting the lodged paddy stems lying on the ground for harvesting manually is time-consuming and harvesters need to maintain an awkward posture for a prolonged period compared to harvesting un-lodged crops.

METHODS

Seventy-five female harvesters aged 35-75 years were selected for the study from both lodged and un-lodged small-scale farming lands of Kerala, a southwestern coastal state of India. A comparative ergonomic assessment was conducted to measure body pain, perceived exertion, postural risks, and rate of production under both harvesting conditions.

RESULTS

The harvesters reported significant higher rates of body pain, perceived exertion, high postural risks, and low productivity in lodged conditions compared to un-lodged condition.

CONCLUSION

Harvesting lodged crops involves high risks with low productivity and needs immediate ergonomic design intervention for the well-being of the harvesters.

Using deep learning for pruning region detection and plant organ segmentation in dormant spur-pruned grapevines

Even though mechanization has dramatically decreased labor requirements, vineyard management costs are still affected by selective operations such as winter pruning. Robotic solutions are becoming more common in agriculture, however, few studies have focused on grapevines. This work aims at fine-tuning and testing two different deep neural networks for: (i) detecting pruning regions (PRs), and (ii) performing organ segmentation of spur-pruned dormant grapevines. The Faster R-CNN network was fine-tuned using 1215 RGB images collected in different vineyards and annotated through bounding boxes. The network was tested on 232 RGB images, PRs were categorized by wood type (W), orientation (Or) and visibility (V), and performance metrics were calculated. PR detection was dramatically affected by visibility. Highest detection was associated with visible intermediate complex spurs in Merlot (0.97), while most represented coplanar simple spurs allowed a 74% detection rate. The Mask R-CNN network was trained for grapevine organs (GOs) segmentation by using 119 RGB images annotated by distinguishing 5 classes (cordon, arm, spur, cane and node). The network was tested on 60 RGB images of light pruned (LP), shoot-thinned (ST) and unthinned control (C) grapevines. Nodes were the best segmented GOs (0.88) and general recall was higher for ST (0.85) compared to C (0.80) confirming the role of canopy management in improving performances of hi-tech solutions based on artificial intelligence. The two fine-tuned and tested networks are part of a larger control framework that is under development for autonomous winter pruning of grapevines.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11119-023-10006-y.

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders in agriculture: Ergonomics risk assessment and its prevention among Indian farmers

BACKGROUND

Indian farmers have musculoskeletal disorders as agriculture is a physically demanding occupation.

OBJECTIVES

The main aim of this study is to identify ergonomic and psychosocial risk factors associated with musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among different groups of farmers. The other objective is to investigate how MSDs affect farmers' daily lives and interfere with their activities.

METHODS

Farmers were evaluated for the repetitiveness of work and MSDs using the standard Nordic questionnaire, ergonomic assessment tool (REBA), and ART tool.

RESULTS

Low back portions were the most affected body parts, followed by the knees (OR = 0.352; 95% CI = 0.280-0.598), shoulder (OR = 0.657; 95% CI = 0.405-1.066), neck (OR = 0.510; 95% CI = 0.350-0.743), ankle or foot (OR = 0.815; 95% CI = 0.556-1.196), and upper back region (OR = 0.681; 95% CI = 0.463-1.002). The REBA method found that most of the postures in farming are very dangerous. The ART tool showed that most of the activities are repetitive. Working long hours (90%) and monotony at work (87.5%) are the main psychosocial factors, followed by pressure to finish within a given timeframe (71.4%) and injuries related to MSDs.

CONCLUSION

Farmers suffer from musculoskeletal disorders in various body parts (lower back, knee, neck, shoulder, and upper back) due to squatting, stooping, and other constrained working postures during agricultural activities. rolonged working hours, repetitive movements, and MMH are ergonomic risk factors forFurthermore, p MSDs.

A Survey of Robotic Harvesting Systems and Enabling Technologies

This paper presents a comprehensive review of ground agricultural robotic systems and applications with special focus on harvesting that span research and commercial products and results, as well as their enabling technologies. The majority of literature concerns the development of crop detection, field navigation via vision and their related challenges. Health monitoring, yield estimation, water status inspection, seed planting and weed removal are frequently encountered tasks. Regarding robotic harvesting, apples, strawberries, tomatoes and sweet peppers are mainly the crops considered in publications, research projects and commercial products. The reported harvesting agricultural robotic solutions, typically consist of a mobile platform, a single robotic arm/manipulator and various navigation/vision systems. This paper reviews reported development of specific functionalities and hardware, typically required by an operating agricultural robot harvester; they include (a) vision systems, (b) motion planning/navigation methodologies (for the robotic platform and/or arm), (c) Human-Robot-Interaction (HRI) strategies with 3D visualization, (d) system operation planning & grasping strategies and (e) robotic end-effector/gripper design. Clearly, automated agriculture and specifically autonomous harvesting via robotic systems is a research area that remains wide open, offering several challenges where new contributions can be made.

Ergonomic Risk Factors for Musculoskeletal Disorders among Ethnic Lychee-Longan Harvesting Workers in Northern Thailand

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are one of the leading causes of occupational injuries and disabilities. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of MSDs and occupational factors affecting MSDs among ethnic lychee-longan harvesting workers in northern Thailand. A cross-sectional study was conducted in the areas of three upper northern provinces of Thailand. The study areas are located in the highlands and rural plains, where many ethnic minority groups live, including Indigenous, Mien, Karen, and Lua. The majority of them work in a farm of perennial fruit trees, mainly lychee and longan. During the harvest season, 404 participants were recruited for the study using the convenience sampling technique. Data were collected using questionnaires that included general information, an ergonomic risk assessment, and a standardized Nordic questionnaire for assessing MSDs in 10 body parts. The average age of lychee-longan harvesting workers was 48.8 years. Almost all (99.5%) reported MSDs in one or more body regions in the previous seven days of work. The prevalence of MSDs was highest in the hands (82.9%), followed by the shoulders (82.2%) and the neck (79.7%). The total ergonomic risk scores, which included awkward posture, heavy carrying and lifting, repetitive activity, land slope, and equipment, were found to be significantly associated with MSDs in part of the neck (AOR = 1.17, 95%CI = 1.11-1.23), shoulder (AOR = 1.15, 95%CI = 1.10-1.21), elbow (AOR = 1.18, 95%CI = 1.12-1.24), hand (AOR = 1.12, 95%CI = 1.07-1.18), finger (AOR = 1.33, 95%CI = 1.24-1.44), upper back (AOR = 1.14, 95%CI = 1.09-1.20), lower back (AOR = 1.16, 95%CI = 1.11-1.22), hip (AOR = 1.11, 95%CI = 1.06-1.15), knee (AOR = 1.18, 95%CI = 1.12-1.24), and feet (AOR = 1.21, 95%CI = 1.15-1.28) when adjusting for ethnicity, sex, age, BMI, and work experience. Many parts of ethnic workers' bodies have been affected by occupational injuries, with a high risk of upper extremity injury. As a result, using an ergonomic approach to improving the working environment and appropriate posture movement is very beneficial in preventing MSDs among ethnic harvesting workers.

Association between the time of physical laboral activities and leisure over shoulder pain in fruitculture workers: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Fruitculture workers are exposed to shoulder pain disorders due to long working times in overhead activities.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to analyze the association between the time of physical work and leisure activities over the perception of shoulder pain intensity in fruit growing workers.

METHODS

This is a descriptive and correlational cross-sectional study. The sample consisted of 180 fruit-growing workers. Multivariable logistic regression was used, with an estimate of the Odds Ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals. The dependent variable: Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) (0-10 points), was categorized as low and high, with cutoff points of NPRS > 3 and NPRS > 4, and was associated with the independent variables (level of physical activity, personal, labour and psychosocial).

RESULTS

Workers which are insufficiently active in leisure time are more likely to report high-intensity shoulder pain, NPRS > 3 (OR: 2.39; p = 0.049) and NPRS > 4 (OR: 2.85; p = 0.036). In addition, working time in overhead activities is a risk factor for high-intensity pain for NPRS > 3 and NPRS > 4 (OR = 1.01; p < 0.001). Underweight and normal-weight workers were less likely to report shoulder pain in NPRS > 3 (OR = 0.35; p = 0.020) and in NPRS > 4 (OR = 0.20; p = 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Fruit-growing workers had a high prevalence of severe shoulder pain. In addition, workers who are insufficiently active at leisure, overweight and obese are more likely to report severe pain. It was observed that overhead tasks increase the chances of reporting high-intensity shoulder pain among workers.

A novel risk assessment model for work-related musculoskeletal disorders in tea harvesting workers

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are the most common occupational health problems in agriculture workers due to repetitive and excessive force movement activities involved in their job processes. The Fine-Kinney method has been commonly used as a quantitative evaluation method in risk assessment studies. Classically, the risk value via Fine–Kinney is calculated by the mathematical multiplication irrespective of the degree of importance of each risk parameter (probability (P), exposure (E), and consequence (C)). Hence, a novel risk management model was proposed based on integrating Fine-Kinney and spherical fuzzy AHP-TOPSIS. First, each risk parameter is weighted using the spherical fuzzy AHP (SF-AHP). Second, the spherical fuzzy TOPSIS (SF-TOPSIS) method is used for hazard ranking. The proposed model is applied to evaluate risks in tea harvesting workers for work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Subsequently, a sensitivity analysis is carried out to test the proposed model. Finally, we compare the proposed model’s applicability and effectiveness with the spherical fuzzy COmbinative Distance-based ASsessment (SF-CODAS) method based on Fine-Kinney. The ranking similarity between the proposed Fine-Kinney-based SF-TOPSIS and SF-CODAS methods is checked by applying Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient, in which 92% of rankings are matched.

Prevalence, pattern and risk factors for work-related musculoskeletal disorders among Nigerian plumbers

Plumbing work is more manually driven in low-and-middle income countries (LMICs), and the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) among workers who engage in plumbing in LMICs may be worse than earlier reports from developed countries. This study aimed to assess the prevalence, pattern and risk factors for work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) among Nigerian plumbers. A total of 130 consenting plumber participated in this cross-sectional study. The Nordic Musculoskeletal questionnaire and the Job Factor Questionnaire were used to assess information on prevalence and pattern of WMSDs; and perceptions regarding work-related risks factors for WMSDs. Descriptive (mean, frequency, range, percentage and standard deviation) and inferential (Chi-square) statistics were used to analyze data. Alpha level was set at p<0.05. The mean age of the respondents is 36.56 ± 10.418 years. The mean years of experience and working hours per day are 14.15 ± 9.161 years and 8.28 ± 2.512 hours. Job characteristics were mostly installation of pipes and fixtures (99.2%), equipment and fixtures prior to installation (96.9%), and testing of plumbing system for leaks (88.5%). 12-month and 7-day prevalence of WMSDS were 84.6% and 50.8%. Low-back (63.8%), neck (55.4%) and knee (50%) were the most affected body sites. Having WMSDs limits normal activities involving the low-back (32.3%), knee (25.4%) and neck (23.8%). There was significant association between 12-month prevalence of WMSDs and use of saws and pipe cutters (χ² = 4.483; p = 0.034), while sites of affectation had significant association with 12-month and 7-day prevalence of WMSDs (p<0.05) respectively. Nigerian plumbers have a high prevalence of WMSDs affecting most commonly the low back, neck and knee. Plumbing job factors pose mild to moderate risk to developing WMSDs, and use of saws and pipe cutters significantly influence WMSDs.

Contribution of Home Gardens to Sustainable Development: Perspectives from A Supported Opinion Essay

Home gardening has a long history that started when humans became sedentary, being traditionally considered an accessible source of food and medicinal plants to treat common illnesses. With trends towards urbanization and industrialization, particularly in the post-World War II period, the importance of home gardens as important spaces for growing food and medicinal plants reduced and they began to be increasingly seen as decorative and leisure spaces. However, the growing awareness of the negative impacts of agricultural intensification and urbanization for human health, food quality, ecosystem resilience, and biodiversity conservation motivated the emergence of new approaches concerning home gardens. Societies began to question the potential of nearby green infrastructures to human wellbeing, food provisioning, and the conservation of traditional varieties, as well as providers of important services, such as ecological corridors for wild species and carbon sinks. In this context. and to foster adaptive and resilient social-ecological systems, our supported viewpoint intends to be more than an exhaustive set of perceptions, but a reflection of ideas about the important contribution of home gardens to sustainable development. We envision these humble spaces strengthening social and ecological components, by providing a set of diversified and intermingled goods and services for an increasingly urban population.

Evaluation of working conditions, work postures, musculoskeletal disorders and low back pain among sugar production workers

BACKGROUND: It is generally agreed that musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are a severe health concern, particularly for agricultural laborers. OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to identify risk factors and work-related disorders among agricultural workers at Amirkabir agro-industry company in Iran. METHOD: A total of 158 workers, of which 66 were manual harvesting workers (four postures), 40 were fertilizer transportation workers (three postures), and 52 were spraying workers (one posture), were included in the study. The research used questionnaires to collect data, and the postures were analyzed using 3DSSPP software. Related risk factors such as age, body mass index, work experience, working hours, and sports activity were analyzed. RESULTS: The incidence rate of lower back pain (94%), knee pain (82%), neck pain (69%), upper-back (63%), and shoulder (63%) were calculated. The logistic regression revealed that working hours and sports activities are significantly correlated to the wrist/hand and neck MSD with 5.62 and 6.38 times more likely among manual harvesting workers. The 3DSSPP software estimated that the lower back pain, especially in the first posture, for manure transportation workers was very high. Maximum L5-S1 compression, shear, and moment forces in the first posture among manure transportation workers were 7113 N and 472 N, -381 N-m, respectively. CONCLUSION: The 3DSSPP results also illustrated that compression, shear, and moment forces exceeded the NIOSH limit for the other postures. After interventions, compression, shear, and moment forces among all farm workers decreased. These findings emphasize that farm workers need to be under surveillance continuously at their workstations where interventions and improvement in specific tasks are required.

The Multiple Influences on the Future of Work in Agriculture: Global Perspectives

In this introductory paper, we discuss changes in work in agriculture arising from the influence of a wide variety of factors: global food chains and societal controversies about farming models, the status of agricultural work as a profession alongside others; the progress of rural development; issues of precariousness in work and in health. We summarize these influences and their implications to introduce the Special Issue “Work in agriculture: which perspectives?”, and outline the seven papers that contribute to understanding of the future trajectories for work in agriculture.

Older Female Farmers and Modeling of Occupational Hazards, Wellbeing, and Sleep-Related Problems on Musculoskeletal Pains

Musculoskeletal pains seem to be the most prevalent among occupational diseases in older female farmers. This study analyzes the relationships between exposure to ergonomic or environmental hazards, sleep-related problems, wellbeing, and musculoskeletal pains in older female farmers. In this study, older farmer means a farmer aged ≥60, and 2005 older female farmers were selected. A structural equation model (SEM) was used to investigate the relationships. In the results of SEM, musculoskeletal pains were more affected by the level of wellbeing (standardized path coefficient = −0.149) than the level of sleep-related problems (standardized path coefficient = 0.131) or the exposure level of ergonomic hazards (standardized path coefficient = 0.086). Among the ergonomic risk factors felt by elderly female farmers, the influence level of “awkward posture” (0.735), “repetitive motion” (0.718), or “standing posture” (0.693) was greater than that of “manual material handling” (0.661). “Vibration” (0.786) and “noise” (0.683) were influential variables of environmental hazards. In addition, “upper limb pain” (0.796) and “lower limb pain” (0.751) variables were more influential variables of musculoskeletal pains than the “backache” (0.472) variable. This study shows that strategies to improve wellbeing or sleep problems are important to alleviate or prevent musculoskeletal pains among older female farmers.

Prevalence and Factors Associated with Musculoskeletal Disorders among Thai Burley Tobacco Farmers

This cross-sectional analysis study aimed to identify the prevalence and factors associated with musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among Thai Burley tobacco farmers. Subjects included 603 burley tobacco farmers from Sukhothai province. Farmers were interviewed twice, (during planting and harvesting seasons), with a questionnaire consisting of demographic and health characteristics, musculoskeletal symptoms, and ergonomic exposure questions. The subjects average age was 49.5 years, more were female (58.5%), most had only a primary education (74.3%), 38% were overweight or obese. Farmers had a significantly higher prevalence of MSDs in the lower back (37.1%), knee (28.7%), shoulder (22.9%), wrist (19.9%), and hip (8.3%) during the harvesting season than in the planting season (p < 0.05). Models found that factors influencing MSDs prevalence during planting included long work hours in seedling, tasks such as topping tobacco plants, and using machine tools, after controlling for age, gender, and body mass index (BMI). While in the harvesting season, models found tasks conducted as a group had lower MSDs prevalence than individual work when carrying fresh tobacco to the barn, piercing/threading and curing the leaves, baling the bundles, and transporting the finished goods. We recommended working in groups to reduce workload and MSDs, especially during harvesting, in burley tobacco farming.

Latin American Agricultural Workers' Job Demands and Resources and the Association With Health Behaviors at Work and Overall Health

In the present study, we describe the job demands and job resources (JD-R) experienced by agricultural workers in three Latin American countries and their relationship to proactive health behaviors at work and overall health. Following previous research on the JD-R model, we hypothesized that job demands (H1) would be negatively related to agricultural workers' self-reported overall health. On the other hand, we hypothesized that job resources (H2) would be positively related to agricultural workers' overall health. Furthermore, we hypothesized (H3) that workers' engagement in jobsite health promotion practices via their proactive health behaviors at work would partially mediate the relationship between workers' job resources and job demands and overall health. We also had a research question (R1) about whether there were differences by type of job held. The sample of workers who participated in this study (N = 1,861) worked in Mexico, Guatemala, and Nicaragua for one large agribusiness that produces sugar cane. They worked in two distinct areas: company administration and agricultural operations. We administered employee health and safety culture surveys using survey methods tailored to meet the needs of both types of workers. Stratified path analysis models were used to test study hypotheses. In general, we found support for hypotheses 1 and 2. For example, operations workers reported more physically demanding jobs and administrative workers reported more work-related stress. Regardless, the existence of high job demands was associated with poorer overall health amongst both types of workers. We found that workers in more health-supportive work environments perform more proactive health behaviors at work, regardless of their role within the organization. However, hypothesis 3 was not supported as proactive health behaviors at work was not associated with overall health. We discuss future research needs in terms of evaluating these hypotheses amongst workers employed by small- and medium-sized agribusinesses as well as those in the informal economy in Latin America. We also discuss important implications for agribusinesses seeking to develop health promotion programs that meet the needs of all workers.

Factors Associated with Musculoskeletal Discomfort in Farmers and Ranchers in the U.S. Central States

Agricultural work involves ergonomic and psychosocial strain, which contribute to musculoskeletal conditions. The aim of this study was to assess if specific ergonomic, psychosocial, and preventive factors are linked to musculoskeletal pain or discomfort symptoms (MSS) in farmers and ranchers. We analyzed data from the Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health survey that was conducted in 2018 in a seven-state region of the central United States. MSS were assessed with questions from the Standardized Nordic Questionnaire. The survey included questions on demographic, ergonomic, psychosocial and preventive factors. Farm production variables were added from the Farm Market iD database. We analyzed the data using Generalized Estimating Equations. The overall prevalence of MSS for all body sites combined was 59% among 4,354 farmers and ranchers who responded (19% response rate). After controlling for age, sex, and operator status, three factors (high stress level, sleep deprivation, and exhaustion/fatigue) showed the strongest associations with MSS in any body site, with adjusted odds ratios (OR) ranging from 4.8 to 5.6. Forceful exertions, repetitive tasks, awkward postures, frequent manual labor, and vibration were also significantly associated with MSS, with adjusted ORs ranging from 1.8 to 3.3. Recommended preventive techniques were not protective for MSS. New effective strategies are needed to reduce the high burden of musculoskeletal outcomes among farmers and agricultural workers.

Participatory Ergonomic Interventions for Improving Agricultural Work Environment: A Case Study in a Farming Organization of Korea

Farmers are often exposed to risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders through lifting, carrying heavy loads, and sustained or repeated full-body bending. Several relevant studies on ergonomic interventions have been conducted for specific agricultural tasks, such as harvesting and pruning, by experts without involving farmers. This study introduces ergonomic interventions to mitigate risk factors in a farming organization that cultivates peaches as the main crop based on ergonomic analysis of the entire peach farming cycle; subjective and objective evaluations of the proposed interventions are also performed. The ergonomic analysis and interventions were established based on consultations provided by an ergonomist, the government, and the organization members. Engineering controls were introduced for powered carts, sorters, and stools to reduce load carrying and awkward postures; moreover, thermal or cooling vests, winter shoes and gloves, and farmer hats were provided to alleviate cold or heat stresses. Administrative controls such as education/training and adjusting work–rest cycles were also recommended after considering the characteristics of the risk factors identified. The scores of the questionnaire survey from the organization members were high (>4.1 out of 5 for five questions), and postural loads for unstable postures by RULA were significantly reduced so as to avoid fast or immediate changes for the postures or working methods assessed. The study results are expected to help promote farmers’ health and enhance farming efficiency.

The Health of Migrant Agricultural Workers in Europe: A Scoping Review

Agriculture is a niche market for migrant workers, and one of the sectors with the highest rates of accidents, deaths and work-related health problems. To review and synthesize existing literature on the health conditions of international migrant agricultural workers in Europe. A scoping review of scientific literature published until March 2021 was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, WoS and OpenGrey, following Arksey & O'Malley's theoretical framework where 5894 references were retrieved and screened. Nineteen articles were selected, reviewed and synthetized. The country with the highest number of studies published (n = 9) was Spain. The design of the studies was mainly cross-sectional (n = 13). The main health problems identified were: lower back pain and other musculoskeletal problems, dermatitis, gastrointestinal and respiratory infections, anxiety, stress, depression and barriers to access healthcare services. Migrant agricultural workers are a neglected population with conditions of vulnerability and precariousness, physical and mental health problems and poor working conditions. Interventions to reduce or eliminate language, cultural and administrative barriers to ensure access to healthcare services are needed, as well as designing a common European framework to protect the rights of migrant agricultural workers and their families.

Work exposures and mental and musculoskeletal symptoms in organic farming

This study focussed on harmful exposures and mental and musculoskeletal symptoms in organic and conventional farming using interview data of Finnish farmers over the winter of 2014-2015. The data consisted of 2,169 full-time farmers, out of whom 231 (11%) practiced organic farming and 1,938 (89%) conventional farming. Exposure to poisonous and irritating substances was less frequent while exposures to vibration and mould ('smell of root cellar') were more frequent on organic farms. Mental and musculoskeletal symptoms were slightly more common among organic farmers, but the associations were not statistically significant in regression modelling. Risk factors for mental symptoms included animal production, hired labour, female gender, constant hurry, working alone, economic uncertainty, and inadequate recovery from workdays. Risk factors for musculoskeletal symptoms included older age, female gender, constant hurry, economic uncertainty, difficult working postures, heavy lifting and carrying, and inadequate recovery. Workload and recovery, managing the transition period and better follow-up of the occupational well-being were identified as concerns among organic farmers. Practitioner summary: Converting from conventional to organic farming has become increasingly common. Farmer interviews indicated that exposure to poisonous and irritating substances was less frequent while exposures to vibration and mould were more frequent on organic farms. Mental and musculoskeletal symptoms and risk factors were similar in both types of farming.

Ergonomic Task Analysis for Prioritization of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders among Mango-Harvesting Farmers

This paper proposes a mixed ergonomic tool analysis algorithm to prioritize work-related musculoskeletal problems. This study is a cross-sectional study assessing the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) with associated risk factors among 14 male mango-harvesting farmers (all right-handed) with the mean age of 52.28 ± 7.75 years. Four tasks following mango-harvesting processes were analyzed: (1) mango harvesting, (2) mango transporting, (3) mango size sorting, and (4) mango weighing and transporting to the truck. The perceived physical exertion while working on a mango-harvesting farm was based on the Borg CR-10 with a modified Standardized Nordic Questionnaire. Physical risk level due to awkward posture was evaluated by the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA), and risk due to whole-body posture in association with the level of WMSDs risk was evaluated by the Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) score sheets. The subjective feelings of fatigue and posture analysis were normalized and combined using the theorem of power superposition to establish the fatigue effective index (FEI) for determining priorities to solve ergonomics-based task problems. This study indicated clearly that WMSDs are highly prevalent in mango-harvesting farmers, whereas the highest prevalence of WMSDs was reported in the right shoulder, right upper arm and lower back. The result provided the FEI of mango-harvesting farmers, ranked as follows: (1) size-sorting task, (2) weight-lifting task, (3) harvesting task, and (4) transporting task. The authors concluded that mango size sorting should be the first task to be improved to resolve the muscle fatigue problems among male mango-harvesting farmers.

Development and evaluation of attachable anti-vibration handle

Blueberry production has skyrocketed in the past two decades due to an exponential increase in consumer demand around the world. Hand harvesters are used, avoiding damage to the fruit and increasing harvesting efficiency multifold when compared with that of hand-picking. The downside of these hand harvesters is their high Hand Arm Vibration (HAV), which is very dangerous for the worker and can cause hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS). The aim of this study is to propose a spring-based anti-vibration handle that can be attached to vibrating equipment (blueberry hand harvester). Four different parameters were measured for the developed spring-based handles: hand arm vibration, wrist posture, muscle activity, and subjective discomfort rating. Results have shown that the use of a spring-based handle can reduce HAV by 61.1%, which is within the exposure limit values (ELV) defined by the European Union.

Machine learning methods for electromyography error detection in field research: An application in full-shift field assessment of shoulder muscle activity in apple harvesting workers

This study presented an alternative technique for processing electromyography (EMG) data with sporadic errors due to challenges associated with the field collection of EMG data. The application of this technique was used to detect errors, clean and optimize EMG data in order characterize and compare shoulder muscular load in farmworkers during apple harvesting in a trellised orchard. Surface EMG was used to take measurements from twenty-four participants in an actual field work environment. Anomalies in the EMG data were detected and removed with a customized algorithm using principal component analysis, interquartile range cut-off and unsupervised cluster analysis. This study found significantly greater upper trapezius muscle activity in farmworkers who used a ladder as compared to the alternative platform-based method where a team of mobile platform workers harvested apples from the tree tops and a second separate team of ground workers harvested apples from the tree bottoms. By comparing the unprocessed and the processed, anomaly-free EMG data, the robustness of our proposed method was demonstrated.

[The influence of occupational activity on diseases of the musculoskeletal system of the upper extremity]

Einleitung

Erkrankungen des Bewegungsapparates der oberen Extremität sind Grund für zunehmende krankheitsbedingte Fehlzeiten bei Erwerbspersonen.

Zielsetzung

Ziel dieser Studie ist es, den Einfluss der Berufsabhängigkeit auf die Entstehung von Erkrankungen des Bewegungsapparates der oberen Extremität zu untersuchen und neben berufsspezifischen Faktoren, gesundheitsbezogene Risiken darzustellen.

Material und Methoden

Es wurden 1070 Patienten eingeschlossen, bei denen zwischen 2016 und 2019 bei einer Läsion der Rotatorenmanschette (RM) eine operative RM-Rekonstruktion durchgeführt wurde. Die relevanten Daten wurden retrospektiv aus dem Krankenhausinformationssystem dokumentiert. Die Berufszweige der Patienten wurden nach der Klassifikation der Berufe 2010 (KldB 2010) eingeteilt und mit routinemäßig erfassten und anonymisierten, frei verfügbaren Daten (Statistisches Bundesamt, Bundesagentur für Arbeit) verglichen.

Ergebnisse

Von den 1070 Patienten waren 844 Patienten im arbeitsfähigen Alter. Die Altersstruktur der einzelnen Bereiche zeigten keine signifikanten Unterschiede. Anhand der Vergleiche der Patientendaten mit der Bevölkerung ergaben sich signifikant höhere RM-Erkrankungsraten in den Bereichen Land‑, Forst- und Tierwirtschaft sowie Gartenbau (p = 0,003); Bau, Architektur, Vermessung und Gebäudetechnik (p < 0,001); Verkehr, Logistik, Schutz und Sicherheit (p < 0,001) und Unternehmensorganisation, Buchhaltung, Recht und Verwaltung (p < 0,001). Ein signifikant reduziertes Risiko bestand in Naturwissenshaft, Geografie und Informatik (p = 0,015); kaufmännische Dienstleistungen, Warenhandel, Vertrieb, Hotel und Tourismus (p < 0,001); Gesundheit, Soziales, Lehre und Erziehung (p < 0,001).

Schlussfolgerung

Die Prävalenz von RM-Läsionen zeigt einen statistischen Zusammenhang zur ausgeführten Berufstätigkeit in Abhängigkeit von den Berufszweigen. Neben der Berufsabhängigkeit spielen geschlechtsspezifische Arbeitsfaktoren eine Rolle. Schulterschmerzen bei Erwerbstätigkeiten sollten differenzierter betrachtet werden. Dadurch sollen gezielt Präventivmaßnahmen eingeleitet werden können, um vorzubeugen.

Prevalence of Low Back Pain and Associated Risk Factors among Farmers in Jeju

Background

We aimed to investigate the prevalence of low back pain (LBP) and its associated agricultural work-related, biomechanical factors among this population.

Methods

We analyzed initial survey data from the Safety for Agricultural Injury of Farmers cohort study involving adult farmers in Jeju Island. The prevalence of LBP was calculated with associated factors.

Results

In total, 1,209 participants were included in the analysis. The overall prevalence of LBP was 23.7%. Significant associations for LBP were the type of farming activity, length of farming career, prior agricultural injury within 1 year, and stress levels. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed three biomechanical factors significantly related to LBP: repetitive use of particular body parts; the inappropriate posture of the lower back and neck.

Conclusions

Some occupational, and biomechanical risk factors contribute to LBP. Therefore, postural education, injury prevention education, and psychological support will be needed to prevent LBP.

A preliminary investigation on upper limb exoskeleton assistance for simulated agricultural tasks

Manual harvesting is still prevalent in the agricultural industry. Accordingly, it is one of the largest contributors toward work-related musculoskeletal disorder. The cutting task in oil palm harvesting uses a long pole and involves repetitive and forceful motion of the upper limbs. Exoskeleton technology is increasingly explored to assist manual tasks performance in manufacturing and heavy industries, mainly for reducing discomfort and injuries, and improving productivity. This paper reports an initial investigation on the feasibility of using an upper limb exoskeleton to assist oil palm harvesting tasks. Previous studies highlighted that exoskeletons for agricultural activities should be adaptable to changing field tasks, tools and equipment. The immediate difference in the activity of three muscles were analyzed for a range of harvesting-simulated tasks. Lower activities were observed for tasks involving overhead work when using the prototype. Nevertheless, users' feedback highlighted that its design should be optimized for better acceptance.

Socio-Demography, Working Conditions, and Musculoskeletal Ailments among Pineapple Farmers in Northeast India

This study was conducted to examine the socio-demography, working conditions, and consequential musculoskeletal ailments of pineapple farmers in northeast India. A total of 152 pineapple farmers (92 males and 60 females) participated in the study. Data were collected using a pre-tested structured schedule and a standard Nordic questionnaire through personal interviews followed by direct observation. Chi-square (χ²) analysis and multiple logistic regression were conducted using SPSS software 16.0 to explore the association of various independent factors and their influences on the musculoskeletal symptoms (MSS) scores. The study revealed that a majority (>85%) of the pineapple farmers in northeast India had low to medium annual income, with more than 95% of the farmers belonging to small and marginal categories. Moreover, MSS were highly prevalent among the farmers (79.61%), and the low-back (76.32%) was the most affected body part. The results of the Chi-square (χ²) analysis highlighted that age, education level, and farming experience were significantly associated (p < 0.05) with the prevalence of overall MSS among the pineapple farmers. Among the factors, only age and gender significantly influenced the risk of complaints for the farmers' neck (OR = 6.62, 95% CI: 1.29-34.02, p ≤ 0.05) and low back (OR = 2.54, 95% CI: 1.00-6.47, p ≤ 0.05). This study's findings demonstrated the need for the urgent exploration of sustainable and innovative interventions to reduce the occurrence of MSS and improve the working conditions of the pineapple farmers in northeast India.

REDECA: A Novel Framework to Review Artificial Intelligence and Its Applications in Occupational Safety and Health

Introduction: The field of artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly expanding, with many applications seen routinely in health care, industry, and education, and increasingly in workplaces. Although there is growing evidence of applications of AI in workplaces across all industries to simplify and/or automate tasks there is a limited understanding of the role that AI contributes in addressing occupational safety and health (OSH) concerns. Methods: This paper introduces a new framework called Risk Evolution, Detection, Evaluation, and Control of Accidents (REDECA) that highlights the role that AI plays in the anticipation and control of exposure risks in a worker’s immediate environment. Two hundred and sixty AI papers across five sectors (oil and gas, mining, transportation, construction, and agriculture) were reviewed using the REDECA framework to highlight current applications and gaps in OSH and AI fields. Results: The REDECA framework highlighted the unique attributes and research focus of each of the five industrial sectors. The majority of evidence of AI in OSH research within the oil/gas and transportation sectors focused on the development of sensors to detect hazardous situations. In construction the focus was on the use of sensors to detect incidents. The research in the agriculture sector focused on sensors and actuators that removed workers from hazardous conditions. Application of the REDECA framework highlighted AI/OSH strengths and opportunities in various industries and potential areas for collaboration. Conclusions: As AI applications across industries continue to increase, further exploration of the benefits and challenges of AI applications in OSH is needed to optimally protect worker health, safety and well-being.

Risk of musculoskeletal disorders in pepper cultivation workers

Agricultural workers have an increased risk of musculoskeletal disorders, mainly due to the manual nature of the work. This study assesses the level of physical well-being in pepper cultivation workers in Almería (Spain). The objective was to analyze pepper cultivation tasks performed in the Almería-type greenhouse, using the OWAS (Ovako Working Posture Assessment System) and RULA (Rapid Upper Limb Assessment) methods. The OWAS results showed a normal posture percentage of 53 %, a medium risk of 30 %, a high risk of 16 %, and a very high risk of 1 %. The body areas most affected were the back and legs. The RULA assessment found high risk/action levels, with 50 % of the postures corresponding to level 3, 35 % to level 4, and 15 % to level 2. Improvements are therefore proposed; these include: redesigning tasks, mechanization, training, team development, and improving the workers' physical condition. The OWAS and RULA data may have overestimated the results, as workers do not appear to be limited in performing tasks and do not normally request sick leave.

The Prevalence of and Risk Factors Associated with Musculoskeletal Disorders in Thai Oil Palm Harvesting Workers: A Cross-Sectional Study

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are common in various occupations. However, there is still limited research about the prevalence of, and risk factors associated with, MSDs among oil palm harvesting workers in Thailand. To investigate the prevalence of MSDs and risk factors associated with MSDs in Thai oil palm harvesting workers, face-to-face interviews were conducted with Thai oil palm harvesting workers in Krabi Province, Thailand, using a questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of four sections which included information on demographic characteristics, work-related characteristics, job stress, and MSDs. A total of 334 oil palm harvesting workers participated in the current study. The prevalence of MSDs during the past 12 months was 88.0%. Lower back MSDs had the highest (59.0%) 12-month prevalence among oil palm harvesting workers, followed by shoulder (37.1%) and neck (27.2%). Factors associated with lower back MSDs included type of task, heavy lifting, and job stress. Moreover, type of task, repetitive movement, and job stress were associated with shoulder and neck MSDs. The cutters had a higher risk of having shoulder and neck MSDs, primarily due to the fact that their work involved cutting the fresh fruit bunches from high up in the trees. The collectors had more back issues due to the heavy lifting. These findings showed the need to raise awareness, and to design guidelines and interventions to prevent MSDs in oil palm harvesting workers.

Human Activity Recognition through Recurrent Neural Networks for Human–Robot Interaction in Agriculture

The present study deals with human awareness, which is a very important aspect of human–robot interaction. This feature is particularly essential in agricultural environments, owing to the information-rich setup that they provide. The objective of this investigation was to recognize human activities associated with an envisioned synergistic task. In order to attain this goal, a data collection field experiment was designed that derived data from twenty healthy participants using five wearable sensors (embedded with tri-axial accelerometers, gyroscopes, and magnetometers) attached to them. The above task involved several sub-activities, which were carried out by agricultural workers in real field conditions, concerning load lifting and carrying. Subsequently, the obtained signals from on-body sensors were processed for noise-removal purposes and fed into a Long Short-Term Memory neural network, which is widely used in deep learning for feature recognition in time-dependent data sequences. The proposed methodology demonstrated considerable efficacy in predicting the defined sub-activities with an average accuracy of 85.6%. Moreover, the trained model properly classified the defined sub-activities in a range of 74.1–90.4% for precision and 71.0–96.9% for recall. It can be inferred that the combination of all sensors can achieve the highest accuracy in human activity recognition, as concluded from a comparative analysis for each sensor’s impact on the model’s performance. These results confirm the applicability of the proposed methodology for human awareness purposes in agricultural environments, while the dataset was made publicly available for future research.

Effects of corrective insole on leg muscle activation and lower extremity alignment in rice farmers with pronated foot: a preliminary report

BACKGROUND

Execution of strenuous activities in conjunction with slippery and viscous muddy working terrain in rice cultivation leads to a high prevalence of farmer musculoskeletal disorders and malalignments. Recommended intervention strategies originally designed for congenitally disabled individuals may also be applicable to farmers, including simple corrective wedges to reduce foot eversion. The objective of the present study was to conduct a preliminary investigation of the effects of corrective wedges on lower extremity muscle activity and alignment when subjects stood on flat rigid ground or muddy terrain, simulating typical work conditions encountered by the unique but populous Thai rice farming workforce.

METHODS

Nine healthy farmers with pronated feet were recruited to participate and wedges were custom fabricated for each farmer based on physical therapy assessment and use of rapid prototyping techniques. Participants were asked to stand barefoot or with wedges on the two surface types.

RESULTS

Results revealed foot pronation and knee valgus to improve (ranging, on average between 5.5 and 16.1 degrees) when participants were equipped with corrective wedges. The muscle activity of the peroneus longus and the tibialis anterior increased for muddy terrain, as compared with the rigid surface. In general, the wedges induced less tibialis anterior activity and greater peroneus longus activity, compared to when participants were standing barefoot. An elevation in evertor muscle activity may reflect stretching of the shortened muscle as a result of the reduced degree of foot pronation.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings demonstrate potential benefits of corrective insole usage for farmers with pronated feet, including improved lower extremity alignment and invertor muscle activity reduction for both rigid and muddy terrains.

Design-in-use applied to Brazilian agriculture: The case of citrus and sugarcane harvesting

BACKGROUND

Harvesting is one of the most critical phases in any crop once it determines the quality of raw material obtained and future production for the next seasons. Sugarcane crops are more uniform allowing the complete mechanization of harvesting. Citrus crops, on the other hand, present variability and require special handling to preserve quality so the harvesting process remains manual preponderantly.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this research was to explore how the distinct characteristics of sugarcane and citrus crops influence the design of respective instruments, promoting a discussion about design-in-use in Brazilian fields and its role to improve productivity and safety.

METHODS

Multiple case studies were conducted at 9 sites: 3 sites of sugarcane crops and 6 sites of citrus crops. Task analysis, observations, interviews, questionnaires and video footage were undertaken at each site.

RESULTS

The modifications made by the harvesting teams in all studied sites aimed the appropriateness of objects to local conditions and real needs, transforming them in instruments, improving reliability, safety, health and productivity.

CONCLUSIONS

In agriculture, a sector where working conditions still need to be significantly improved especially in developing countries, design-in-use appears as a solution for the problems faced by workers in the field, as an essential mean to maintain health and productivity at work.

Occupational Hazards and Health and Safety Risks for Latino Tree Trimmers in the Pine Forest Industry

A pilot project was conducted to evaluate the working conditions and work-related body pain among Latino immigrant tree trimmers (n = 57) in the commercial pine forest service industry. Participants were interviewed about personal and work characteristics, job-related occupational hazards, and body pain. A structured questionnaire and a body pain diagram were used as measures for evaluating associations between personal and work characteristics and body pain. The most common health complaints were physical exhaustion (80.7 percent) and headache (33.9 percent). The reported percent of work-related body pain was 54.4 percent. Statistically significant associations were identified between experiencing body pain in knees, working more than two years, and working more than six hours per day (p < .05) as a tree trimmer. Thorough clinical evaluations are needed to confirm these findings. Future research including a larger sample size and more in-depth evaluations are needed to better evaluate worker tasks, musculoskeletal risk factors, and safety climate issues among this highly vulnerable occupational group.

Agricultural Risk Factors Related Musculoskeletal Disorders among Older Farmers in Pathum Thani Province, Thailand

Background Agriculture is one of the most hazardous jobs in terms of occupational illness, especially musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). This paper is a cross-sectional study designed to identify agricultural risk factors related to MSDs among older farmers.Methods A convenience sampling method was used to select 481 older farmers from the Nong Suea district in Pathum Thani province. A three-part questionnaire generated data that included demographics, work conditions, and environment, and self-reported MSDs. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to identify the risk factors for MSDs.Results The results indicated the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms in the past 7 days and 12 months were 87.9% and 88.9%, respectively. The three body parts with highest prevalence rates of MSDs were lower extremities (65.4%), lower back (42.6%), and shoulders (29.9%). Factors significantly associated with reporting MSDs during the past 12 months (p value <.05) were women (adjusted odds ratio = 2.52: 95% CI; 1.19-5.36), using agricultural tools (adjusted odds ratio = 4.40: 95% CI; 1.18-13.79), prolonged static postures (adjusted odds ratio = 3.81: 95% CI; 1.05-13.82), and lifting >10 kg (adjusted odds ratio = 2.87: 95% CI; 1.22-6.82).Conclusions Study results revealed older farmers had high prevalence of MSDs and various related risk factors. Occupational ergonomic issues for promoting safety awareness of agricultural risk factors among elderly farmers should be considered.

A Review on Ergonomics in Agriculture. Part II: Mechanized Operations

Background: Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) have long been recognized as the most common risks that operation of agricultural machineries poses, thus, undermining the ability to labor and quality of life. The purpose of this investigation was to thoroughly review the recent scholarly literature on ergonomics in agricultural mechanized operations; Methods: Electronic database research over the last ten years was conducted based on specific inclusion criteria. Furthermore, an assessment of the methodological quality and strength of evidence of potential risk factors causing MSDs was performed; Results: The results demonstrated that ergonomics in agriculture is an interdisciplinary topic and concerns both developed and developing countries. The machines with driving seats seem to be associated with painful disorders of the low back, while handheld machines with disorders of the upper extremities. The main roots of these disorders are the whole-body vibration (WBV) and hand-arm transmitted vibration (HATV). However, personal characteristics, awkward postures, mechanical shocks and seat discomfort were also recognized to cause MSDs; Conclusions: The present ergonomic interventions aim mainly at damping of vibrations and improving the comfort of operator. Nevertheless, more collaborative efforts among physicians, ergonomists, engineers and manufacturers are required in terms of both creating new ergonomic technologies and increasing the awareness of workers for the involved risk factors.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Among Male French Farmers and Agricultural Workers: Is It Only Associated With Physical Exposure?

Background

Exploratory study to investigate whether co-exposure to physical wrist stressors and chemicals is associated with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in French male farmers and agricultural workers.

Methods

Cross-sectional study of 711 men aged 30–65 years and working as either farmers or agricultural workers in 2009–2010 within a cohort covered by the French Agricultural Workers' and Farmers' Mutual Benefit Fund. CTS and exposure to physical wrist stressors and chemicals were assessed using a self-administered questionnaire. Associations between CTS and personal/medical factors, exposure to physical wrist stressors, exposure to chemicals, and co-exposure to physical wrist stressors and chemicals were studied using multivariate logistic regression models.

Results

Forty-four men {5.6% [95% confidence interval (CI) 4.0–7.7]} reported that they had suffered from unilateral/bilateral CTS during the last 12 months. CTS was associated with age, current smoking [odds ratio (OR) = 2.1 (1.0–4.5)], and exposure to physical wrist stressors [OR = 2.6 (1.1–5.9)]. An association was found between CTS and co-exposure to physical wrist stressors and chemicals [OR = 3.3 (0.8–14.3), p = 0.044] in comparison with the no-exposure group.

Conclusions

This exploratory study shows an association of CTS with exposure to biomechanical wrist stressors in male farmers and agricultural workers and suggests an association of CTS with co-exposure to physical wrist stressors and chemicals. Owing to the limitations of the study, this result must be confirmed by a prospective study with objective assessments of the outcome and exposure before drawing conclusions on the possible synergistic effects of mechanical stressors and chemicals on the impairment of the median nerve.

A Review on Ergonomics in Agriculture. Part I: Manual Operations

Background: Agriculture involves several harmful diseases. Among the non-fatal ones, musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are the most prevalent, as they have reached epidemic proportions. The main aim of this investigation is to systematically review the major risk factors regarding MSDs as well as evaluate the existing ergonomic interventions. Methods: The search engines of Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, and ScienceDirect were used to identify relevant articles during the last decade. The imposed exclusive criteria assured the accuracy and current progress in this field. Results: It was concluded that MSDs affect both developed and developing countries, thus justifying the existing global concern. Overall, the most commonly studied task was harvesting, followed by load carrying, pruning, planting, and other ordinary manual operations. Repetitive movements in awkward postures, such as stooping and kneeling; individual characteristics; as well as improper tool design were observed to contribute to the pathogenesis of MSDs. Furthermore, low back disorders were reported as the main disorder. Conclusions: The present ergonomic interventions seem to attenuate the MSDs to a great extent. However, international reprioritization of the safety and health measures is required in agriculture along with increase of the awareness of the risk factors related to MSDs.

"If We Don't Produce, Bring Another:" Work Organization and Tomato Worker Health

Objectives: Specific work processes and management structures that contribute to high rates of occupational illness and injury in agricultural industries are not well described in academic literature. This qualitative study of work organization in the U.S. fresh tomato industry investigates how work processes and management structures impact tomato workers' occupational health. Methods: After conducting literature review and key informant interviews, semi-structured interviews and focus groups were conducted with 36 individuals with experience working in the U.S. fresh tomato industry. Interviews and focus groups were audio-recorded, transcribed, coded, and analyzed using a modified grounded theory approach. Results: These data indicate that participants endured income insecurity and hazardous supervisory practices, including wage theft, retaliation, intimidation, and humiliation, that put them at risk of preventable illness and injury. Support from workers' organizations and health-conscious supervisory practices helped mitigate some of these occupational hazards. Conclusion: Participants' adverse work experiences may be considered sequelae of workers' lack of job control and positions of socioeconomic structural vulnerability. Other aspects of tomato work organization, including health-conscious supervisory practices and the involvement of workers' organizations, indicate that modifying work organization to better safeguard health is possible. Such modifications present compelling opportunities for employers, employees, organizations, community and government leaders, and health care professionals to help create healthier occupational environments for tomato workers.

Assessment of occupational safety, health, and ergonomics issues in agriculture in some cities of Iran

BACKGROUND

Iran has a variety of climates which support agriculture in different seasons. Hence, a significant proportion of people, especially in rural areas, are engaged in farming. Agriculture is considered one of the most insecure job sectors in developing and developed countries.

OBJECTIVE

Since there is no comprehensive study on safety, health, and ergonomics issues in Iran's agriculture, it is necessary to use checkpoints to assess occupational safety, health, and ergonomics issues in Iran's agriculture.

METHODS

In this study, 430 villages from seven provinces of Iran were selected to study safety, health, and ergonomics in agriculture using ergonomic checkpoints. The checkpoints were collected with the help of rural health centers.

RESULTS

The results of the study showed that the villages of Kurdistan Province had the best safety, health, and working conditions (66.12%); and Khuzestan province villages had the worst safety, health, and working conditions (38.16%). Among the ergonomic checkpoints in agriculture, the control of hazardous chemicals (CHC) index with 71.41% and work organization and work schedule (WOWS) index with 35.25% represented the best and worst ergonomic conditions of the study villages, respectively. Furthermore, the general index of ergonomics in agriculture for the study villages was 53.64%. Therefore, Khuzestan Province and the WOWS index top the priorities for corrective actions to improve the safety, health and working conditions in agriculture.

CONCLUSIONS

The ergonomics indices in Iranian agriculture are important, and should be prioritized for corrective actions.

Prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in agriculture workers in Korea and preventative interventions

BACKGROUND

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are estimated to be the most common and frequent of all occupational diseases in agriculture in Korea, but the full extent of the problem has yet to be surveyed.

OBJECTIVE

This paper presents the results of a survey investigating the extent of WMSDs among self-employed farmers in Korea. It also describes ergonomics based preventive interventions initiated by the Korean government.

METHOD

The prevalence of WMSDs was surveyed among 358 farmers using a questionnaire adapted from the Nordic questionnaires, employing three case definitions.

RESULTS

The results showed that the overall prevalence rates of WMSDs by case definition 1 (any symptoms), 2 (symptoms with a pain intensity of moderate or greater), and 3 (symptoms with a pain intensity of high or greater) were 97.2%, 83.2%, and 39.7% respectively and that the shoulder, knee and lower back disorder rates were higher than those of other body parts. Compared to the prevalence rates of WMSDs for workers in other industries in Korea as well as USA farmers, the overall rates for farmers in Korea were much higher. The interventions, which adopted a participatory approach involving government, farmers, ergonomics, technical and industrial hygiene experts, showed benefits in terms of work efficiency, safety and farmer satisfaction.

CONCLUSIONS

The high WMSD symptom prevalence showed that agriculture is one of the most hazardous industries in Korea, and the Korean government's interventions were effective and successful.

The impact of industry and body part injured on repeat workers' compensation claims

BACKGROUND

Few studies investigate the influence of body part injured and industry on future workers' compensation claims.

METHODS

Using claims incurred from 1 January 2005 to 31 July 2015 (n = 77 494) from the largest workers' compensation insurer in Colorado, we assessed associations between worker characteristics, second claims involving any body part and the same body part. We utilized Cox proportional hazards models to approximate the probability of a second claim.

RESULTS

First claims represented 74.9% (n = 58 007) and second claims 25.2% (n = 19 487) of total claims. Sex, age, industry, and body part of the first claim were associated with the probability of second claims and the body part affected. The 5-year probabilities of second claims and same body part second claims were 27.0% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 26.6%-27.5%) and 6.2% (95% CI: 5.9%-6.5%) in males and 26.5% (95% CI: 26.0%-27.0%) and 6.7% (95% CI: 6.5%-7.0%) in females. Most second claims occurred within 3 years.

CONCLUSIONS

Most second claims occur within 3 years. Body part and industry-specific injury patterns suggest missed opportunities for prevention.

Difference in Accidents, Health Symptoms, and Ergonomic Problems between Conventional Farmers Using Pesticides and Organic Farmers

Organic farming has been promoted in Thailand by King Rama the ninth. In addition to being healthier for consumers, organic farming is healthier for agricultural workers. The cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the frequency of chronic disease conditions, accidents, health symptoms, and ergonomic problems among 243 conventional (pesticide using) farmers and 235 organic farmers. Data were collected using questionnaires in face-to-face interviews. The results indicated symptoms that could be related to pesticide exposure (skin rashes, water blisters, headache, dizziness, and loss of appetite) were significantly higher among conventional farmers than organic farmers. The organic farmers reported significantly more health symptoms such as hives, chest pain, mild fever, flatulence, and frequent urination than the conventional farmers. The organic farmers reported significantly more pain, numbness, or weakness in the wrists/hands, fingers, upper back, hips, and ankles/feet than conventional farmers.