Agricultural dust exposures and health and safety practices among western australian wheatbelt farmers during harvest
Background: Agricultural farmworkers are routinely exposed to high levels of airborne dust particles that have been linked to adverse health outcomes. Methods: This study measured personal and environmental exposures to dust particulates by farmworkers during harvesting activities. Farmers compl...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI
2019
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/86230 |
| _version_ | 1848764795998699520 |
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| author | Rumchev, Krassi Gilbey, Suzanne Mead-Hunter, Ryan Selvey, Linda Netto, Kevin Mullins, Ben |
| author_facet | Rumchev, Krassi Gilbey, Suzanne Mead-Hunter, Ryan Selvey, Linda Netto, Kevin Mullins, Ben |
| author_sort | Rumchev, Krassi |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Background: Agricultural farmworkers are routinely exposed to high levels of airborne dust particles that have been linked to adverse health outcomes.
Methods: This study measured personal and environmental exposures to dust particulates by farmworkers during harvesting activities. Farmers completed a workplace survey with regards to their health and safety awareness and practices and researchers observed general farm safety practices on selected farms using a checklist.
Results: In this study, farmers were noted to commonly work extended hours and shifts during harvest due to rigid timing deadlines. Results showed that 40% of farmers were exposed to concentrations of inhalable particles greater than SafeWork Australia’s workplace exposure standards for grain dusts, assuming a 16 h working day over 5 shifts. Twenty-two percent were exposed to concentrations that were above the adjusted standard for 12 h shifts. Survey results showed that three-quarters of farm owners provided new workers with some type of induction related to farm safety, however this was mostly undertaken in an arbitrary manner. Despite noting that farming was a dusty occupation and reporting to use protective measures to reduce harmful dust exposures, no workers were observed to wear respiratory protection when working outside of the protection of a vehicle cabin.
Conclusion: This study identified substantial gaps in health and safety knowledge among farm managers and workers, and improved education and training are highly recommended. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T11:25:02Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-86230 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T11:25:02Z |
| publishDate | 2019 |
| publisher | MDPI |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-862302021-11-04T05:51:47Z Agricultural dust exposures and health and safety practices among western australian wheatbelt farmers during harvest Rumchev, Krassi Gilbey, Suzanne Mead-Hunter, Ryan Selvey, Linda Netto, Kevin Mullins, Ben Science & Technology Life Sciences & Biomedicine Environmental Sciences Public, Environmental & Occupational Health Environmental Sciences & Ecology particulate matter agriculture exposure health and safety farming control measures Australia RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS OCCUPATIONAL-EXPOSURE OPERATIONS KNOWLEDGE BEHAVIOR ILLNESS HAZARDS WORKERS Background: Agricultural farmworkers are routinely exposed to high levels of airborne dust particles that have been linked to adverse health outcomes. Methods: This study measured personal and environmental exposures to dust particulates by farmworkers during harvesting activities. Farmers completed a workplace survey with regards to their health and safety awareness and practices and researchers observed general farm safety practices on selected farms using a checklist. Results: In this study, farmers were noted to commonly work extended hours and shifts during harvest due to rigid timing deadlines. Results showed that 40% of farmers were exposed to concentrations of inhalable particles greater than SafeWork Australia’s workplace exposure standards for grain dusts, assuming a 16 h working day over 5 shifts. Twenty-two percent were exposed to concentrations that were above the adjusted standard for 12 h shifts. Survey results showed that three-quarters of farm owners provided new workers with some type of induction related to farm safety, however this was mostly undertaken in an arbitrary manner. Despite noting that farming was a dusty occupation and reporting to use protective measures to reduce harmful dust exposures, no workers were observed to wear respiratory protection when working outside of the protection of a vehicle cabin. Conclusion: This study identified substantial gaps in health and safety knowledge among farm managers and workers, and improved education and training are highly recommended. 2019 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/86230 10.3390/ijerph16245009 English http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ MDPI fulltext |
| spellingShingle | Science & Technology Life Sciences & Biomedicine Environmental Sciences Public, Environmental & Occupational Health Environmental Sciences & Ecology particulate matter agriculture exposure health and safety farming control measures Australia RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS OCCUPATIONAL-EXPOSURE OPERATIONS KNOWLEDGE BEHAVIOR ILLNESS HAZARDS WORKERS Rumchev, Krassi Gilbey, Suzanne Mead-Hunter, Ryan Selvey, Linda Netto, Kevin Mullins, Ben Agricultural dust exposures and health and safety practices among western australian wheatbelt farmers during harvest |
| title | Agricultural dust exposures and health and safety practices among western australian wheatbelt farmers during harvest |
| title_full | Agricultural dust exposures and health and safety practices among western australian wheatbelt farmers during harvest |
| title_fullStr | Agricultural dust exposures and health and safety practices among western australian wheatbelt farmers during harvest |
| title_full_unstemmed | Agricultural dust exposures and health and safety practices among western australian wheatbelt farmers during harvest |
| title_short | Agricultural dust exposures and health and safety practices among western australian wheatbelt farmers during harvest |
| title_sort | agricultural dust exposures and health and safety practices among western australian wheatbelt farmers during harvest |
| topic | Science & Technology Life Sciences & Biomedicine Environmental Sciences Public, Environmental & Occupational Health Environmental Sciences & Ecology particulate matter agriculture exposure health and safety farming control measures Australia RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS OCCUPATIONAL-EXPOSURE OPERATIONS KNOWLEDGE BEHAVIOR ILLNESS HAZARDS WORKERS |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/86230 |