Electrical Hazards on Australian Farms: A Rapid Review of Electrical Perceptions in Agriculture.

Objective: Electrical hazards on farms are one of the occupational risks that contributes to farm injury and fatality. Whilst electricity accounts for a low number of farm injuries each year, it is disproportionately fatal. The aim of this study is to raise the awareness of electrical safety on farms by providing an overview of the literature that explores the evidence of farmers' perception of electrical risk.

A rapid review of leading indicators to measure Australian farm safety culture.

Agriculture accounts for over half of Australia's land use therefore the farmers managing this land need to be safe at work. This paper offers measuring farm safety culture as a way to overcome the stagnation in the trend of fatal farm injury burden. To work towards achieving a way to measure farm safety culture, this research reviewed the leading indicators of safety.

Modelling the risk of Japanese encephalitis virus in Victoria, Australia, using an expert-systems approach.

Predictive models for vector-borne diseases (VBDs) are instrumental to understanding the potential geographic spread of VBDs and therefore serve as useful tools for public health decision-making. However, predicting the emergence of VBDs at the micro-, local, and regional levels presents challenges, as the importance of risk factors can vary spatially and temporally depending on climatic factors and vector and host abundance and preferences. We propose an expert-systems-based approach that uses an analytical hierarchy process (AHP) deployed within a geographic information system (GIS), to predict areas susceptible to the risk of Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) emergence.

Some differences but all at risk: Improving farm safety for young people-An Australian experience.

A significant portion of on-farm deaths and injuries in Australia occur among young people working on the farm. Since most Australian farms are still family owned and operated, young people are an integral part of everyday operations and the farm is a place where these young people live, work and play. This paper describes how the international Gear Up for Ag Health and Safety™ program, originally developed in North America, was further developed for a younger Australian audience (ages 12-19) enrolled in agricultural programs at secondary or vocational schools.

Child Farm-Related Injury in Australia: A Review of the Literature.

Children on farms have been identified as a population vulnerable to injury. This review seeks to identify child farm-related injury rates in Australia and to determine the key hazards and contributing risk factors. This critical review utilised the PRISMA guidelines for database searching.

Agricultural health and medicine education-Engaging rural professionals to make a difference to farmers' lives.

Objective: Despite continued higher rates of workplace injuries, earlier morbidity and mortality and challenging climatic environments, few formal programs focus on the health, well-being and safety of farmers. The agricultural health and medicine unit, developed in 2010, was designed to increase cultural competence and empower rural professionals to improve the health, well-being and safety outcomes of farming populations in Australia. This study aimed to understand the extent to which graduates (2010-2018) use the knowledge and skills gained in their current occupations and identify barriers and enablers faced in implementing them.

Organophosphate exposure and the chronic effects on farmers: a narrative review.

Introduction: Organophosphates are a class of insecticides used globally by the agricultural industry for insect control. Acute consequences of organophosphate exposures are well known, while there has been limited research on their long-term effects. The objective of this review was to discuss the health effects of chronic organophosphate exposure in farmers.

A Pest to Mental Health? Exploring the Link between Exposure to Agrichemicals in Farmers and Mental Health.

The current literature acknowledges that occupational exposures can adversely affect mental health. This review seeks to elucidate the current understanding of the effect of agrichemical exposure on mental health in the agricultural sector, including low-dose, chronic pesticide exposure. This scoping review adopted a snowballing and saturation approach.

Cholinesterase research outreach project (CROP): point of care cholinesterase measurement in an Australian agricultural community.

Background: Australian farmers are routinely exposed to a wide variety of agrichemicals, including herbicides and insecticides. Organophosphate (OP) insecticides are widely used for agricultural production, horticulture and animal husbandry practices. Symptoms of OP toxicity are the results of inhibition of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE) which is found in many types of conducting tissue in human bodies such as nerve and muscle, central and peripheral tissues, motor and sensory fibres.

Cholinesterase Research Outreach Project (CROP): measuring cholinesterase activity and pesticide use in an agricultural community.

Background: Australian farmers and their workers are exposed to a wide variety of pesticides. Organophosphate (OP) insecticides are a widely used class of pesticide used for animal husbandry practices (Naphthalophos for sheep dipping, jetting and drench), crop production for pest control (Dimethoate) and in public health (Maldison for head lice). Acute poisonings with this class of insecticide are reported among agricultural workers and children around the globe, due to the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE).