Our partners at Teasagc have released findings from a study investigating the effects of farm stress, financial worries and social support on farmers’ expected injuries. The study has been published in Frontiers in Public Health, Occupational Health and Safety, an online open access journal.
Farming is one of the most dangerous occupations both in Ireland and worldwide, with the highest rate of fatalities in any industry. Farmers often work alone, work long hours, sometimes with unreliable equipment in difficult weather conditions with hazardous chemicals and unpredictable livestock. Stress is the normal human response to difficult circumstance, but prolonged stress can undermine mental health and reduce the farmer’s ability to deal with dangerous situations. Increased stress predicts farm injury and reduced safety behaviours. The main stressors identified among farmers internationally are: their evaluation of the state of the household economy, presence of unsafe working conditions, injury, ill health or disability.
See pages 12 & 13 for findings: tresearch-autumn-16-digital
