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Youth Farm Safety: Identification of Common Tasks and Availability of Safety and Health Teaching Resources

Whipp, Alexander R
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu152414759731944

Abstract Details

2018, Master of Science, Ohio State University, Agricultural and Extension Education.
Even though agriculture is one of the most hazardous industries in the nation, children of any age legally perform tasks on their resident farm that would be prohibited in other industries. This is not just a problem on the family farm, there are also exemptions for children not working on their parents’ farm that allow them to work in capacities otherwise deemed too hazardous for children in nonagricultural industries. It is difficult to know the scale of this problem as information related to the number of children working in agriculture is not reported. The purpose of this research is to determine the types of tasks youth are engaged in on the farm or ranch and the agricultural safety and health resources that are available to them. To this end a cross-sectional, non-experimental research design that was quantitative in nature was employed. By obtaining this knowledge, a baseline can be created for educators and policy makers to move forward. Two surveys were developed for participants of the target population. One population was parents and employers of youth aged 12-15 (n = 246). Another population was adults 18-25 who worked on a farm or ranch while aged 12-15 (n = 83). The 12-15 age range was selected due to legal parameters and cognitive and physical development. Electronic data collection using Qualtrics software was selected based on its ease of distribution and data collection capabilities. Data collected from respondents using the software iii was coded into both a Microsoft Office Excel spreadsheet and an IBM SPSS Statistics Data Editor to be analyzed using descriptive statistics. A convenient sample was used, that reached the nationwide target audience. Over half (50.8%, n = 246) of respondents of the parent/employer survey indicated they were parents of children who were employed on their resident farm while aged 12-15. A quarter reported they employed youth ((25.2%, n = 246). Well over half (60.2%, n = 83) of the young adult survey reported they worked on their family farm while aged 12-15, and over a quarter reported having worked on a non-resident farm (27.7%, n = 83). In both surveys, the most common broad agricultural areas youth were engaged in were reported as livestock production (41.9% for parent/employer, 43.4% for young adult) and crop production (41.5% for parent/employer, 43.4% for young adult). Agricultural mechanics was another broad area in which youth were reported to be engaged (15.4% for parent/employer 24.1% for young adult). Regarding specific tasks associated with the Ag. H.O.s, respondents to the parent/employer survey reported tractor operation most frequently (44.3%, n = 246). Young adult survey respondents noted working in a pen with an animal most frequently (45%, n = 83). On a national level, machinery and animals are the most common causes of injury among working agricultural youth (CDC, 2001, 2004, 2006, 2012, and 2014 Table I-27). In terms of resource awareness and utilization, 4-H and FFA were recognized most often as agricultural safety and health resources that respondents from both populations were aware of iv and utilized. These two organizations are leaders in bridging the gap between research at the university level and practical application on the farm. Informal resources parents and employers considered most often accessed were magazines. Newsletters were reported as most often accessed by young adults, with slight distinction between brochures (21.7%, television (21.7%), and magazines (20.4%). Perceptions of availability of resources, changes in attitudes, and changes in behaviors were only slightly positive. However, availability of resources was perceived to be very important to respondents of both the parent/employer survey (M = 4.53 out of 5, SD = .63) and the young adult survey (M = 4.53, SD = .73). While these findings cannot be generalized to a wider population, the conclusions provide supportive documentation that youth continue to work in tasks deemed hazardous by the U.S. Department of Labor. Having updated training resources available to youth was an important finding of the surveyed parents, employers, and young adults who worked on farms and ranches. Using established programs like 4-H and FFA to deliver safety and health interventions is one way to gain accessibility to youth workers. A recommendation is for the Safety in Agriculture for Youth (SAY) initiative to provide comprehensive, developmentally appropriate, accessible, and effective safety education programs to youth as an opportunity to reduce workplace injuries.
shelly dee jepsen (Advisor)
emily buck (Committee Member)
115 p.
Agricultural Education
youth agricultural safety; Agricultural hazardous occupations orders; farm and ranch tasks; agricultural safety and health resources for youth

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Whipp, A. R. (2018). Youth Farm Safety: Identification of Common Tasks and Availability of Safety and Health Teaching Resources [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu152414759731944

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Whipp, Alexander. Youth Farm Safety: Identification of Common Tasks and Availability of Safety and Health Teaching Resources. 2018. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu152414759731944.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Whipp, Alexander. "Youth Farm Safety: Identification of Common Tasks and Availability of Safety and Health Teaching Resources." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 2018. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu152414759731944

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu152414759731944
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© 2018, some rights reserved.Creative Commons License Youth Farm Safety: Identification of Common Tasks and Availability of Safety and Health Teaching Resources by Alexander R Whipp is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at etd.ohiolink.edu.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.