The document summarizes discussions from the 2008 Nordic Meeting on Agricultural Occupational Health held in Aarhus, Denmark. It notes that agriculture remains a dangerous industry with high injury rates. Initiatives have been started in Nordic countries to reduce injuries. Meeting participants discussed showing the consequences of injuries, developing farmer safety attitudes, identifying at-risk groups, and motivating safety-focused behavior. EU funding was cited as a valuable resource for injury prevention actions.

1. Zero fatal injuries in agriculture
- a commitment for Sweden ?!
Peter Lundqvist
PhD, Professor, Head of Department
Department of Work Science,
Business Economy and Environmental Psychology
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Alnarp, Sweden
Rome, September 25, 2008

2. The farm – the best place to grow up
- if you survive!

3. Number of fatal injuries at work in Swedish
agriculture and forestry, 1998-2008
Year Agriculture Forestry Total
2000 8 6 14
2001 7 3 10
2002 4 7 11
2003 2 3 5
2004 10 3 13
2005 2 16 18
2006 9 4 13
2007 8 11 19
2008 3 4 7

4. Number of fatal work related injuries per
100 000 employed in Sweden 1999-2007
25 Agric. /
Forestry
Manufacture
20
Construction
15 Transport
10
5
0
1999 2001 2003 2005 2007

5. Injuries in Swedish agriculture
• 400 in official statistics – no problem!
• 5000 real injuries – big problem !*
* Pinzke & Lundqvist, 2005

6. Occupational accidents in Swedish farming and forestry in 2004
Accidents by type of farming
45
40
35
30
25
%
20
15
10
5
0
Crop husbandry Dairy cattles Other livestock Mixed farming Small farm units
• More than 70% of the injuries occurred on farms with animal
production
• 15% of all farms with dairy cattle had at least one injury

7. Occupational accidents in Swedish farming and forestry in 2004, 1987
Accidents per million man-hours and type of farming
250
225
200
175
150
125 2004
100 1987
75
50
25
0
Crop husbandry Dairy cattles Other livestock Mixed farming Small farm units Total
• The injury frequency was highest for the small farm units (< 400 work hours/year)

8. Occupational accidents in Swedish farming and forestry in 2004
Accidents by age
60
50
40
%
30
20
10
0
18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65- Missing
Age (years)
• Almost half of the injured were 55 years or older
• Worked 28 years in the branch (mean)
• 72% had worked 10 years and more

9. Results
• 63% sought medical service
– 61% at hospital
– 21% at health centre
– 9% called for ambulance
• 14 days absence from work (total, in average)
– 32 days absence >1 day
• 16% sick listed
• 9 days sick listed (total, in average)
– 56 days sick listed >1 day
• 11% reported as a work injury

10. Conclusions
• High frequency of accidents and injuries in
agriculture
• The level of un-reported injuries is very high!
• Powerful measures is needed!

11. Powerful measures is needed!
What is done & what is needed
- in Sweden?
- in the Nordic countries?

12. Legislation (Enforcement)
• The Swedish Work Environment Authority is the
administrative authority for questions relating to the
working environment
• Renewal, amendment and amalgamation of
Provisions New knowledge concerning risks and
changes in working life, as well as new EU
Directives, make the development of Provisions an
ongoing task

13. Legislation (Enforcement)
• Examples of provisions with a focus on agriculture:
”Use of chainsaws and brush saws”, ”Pesticides”
…..
• A new provision is on it´s way: ”Working with
animals”

14. Engineering
Machine-safety is a question of liability
• The manufacturer is liable for delivered
products being CE-marked and also the
products fulfilling all safety requirements laid
down in EC-directives and standards
• Machines and production lines that are used
in the production process must also fulfil
high safety requirements

15. Engineering
Working with the industry is essential in order
to speed up the process:
An example: adjustable working height in parlours

16. Education in farm safety & health
• The agricultural colleges (16-19 years of
age)
• The Swedish University of Agricultural
Sciences
• Training and advice for farmers and farm
workers

17. Education in farm safety & health
Examples from SLU (Ag university) courses
• Safety & health in agriculture (web based)
• Working with animals (safety, ergonomics &
leadership)
• Work psychology & leadership
• Leadership & organisation
• Health & safety along the food chain

18. Research on farm safety & health
Funding resources in Sweden
• The Swedish Farmers’ Foundation for Agricultural
Research
– is the Swedish agricultural industry’s organization for funding
research and development. The purpose of the foundation is to
strengthen the competitive ability of Swedish agriculture
• The Swedish Research Council for Environment,
Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning (Formas)
• The Royal Swedish Academy of Agriculture and Forestry
• Insurance companies, EU ! …………

19. Research on farm safety & health
Injury
prevention
Ergonomics
Work Science
at SLU Alnarp
Work Working life
organization development
&
psychosocial
factors

20. Research on farm safety & health
Examples from SLU (Ag university)
• Safe handling of large farm animals
• ATV use & handling
• Milking ergonomics
• Stress & Psychosocial aspects of farming
• Injuries among farm children & teenagers
• Slow-moving vehicles in the traffic
• Working with horses (ergonomics & safety
aspects)

21. Collaboration & partners
The Swedish Committee on Health and Safety in Agriculture (LAMK)
• The Farm Workers Union (Kommunal)
• The Farmer Employers Organisation (SLA)
• The Federation of Swedish Farmers (LRF)
• The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU)
• The Swedish Institute of Agricultural and Environmental
Engineering (JTI)
• The Swedish Trade Association for Suppliers of Mobile
Machines (ML)

22. These measures did not solve the
problems with injuries in agriculture!
We need some new initiatives

23. The Kuopio declaration against fatal
injuries in agriculture
During the Nordic Meeting on Agricultural
Occupational Health in Kuopio, Finland
(NMAOH 2006), the participants declared a
number of suggested actions directed towards
the authorities and stakeholders to join in the
effort and work towards achieving the vision
of zero fatal injuries in agriculture

24. The Kuopio declaration against fatal
injuries in agriculture
By the year 2012 – there should be no fatal injuries
in Nordic agriculture
• Develop national action plans against injuries in
agriculture involving all relevant stakeholders in the
agriculture sector
• Establish and enhance national resource /
information and coordination centres for
agricultural health and safety

25. The Kuopio declaration against fatal
injuries in agriculture
• Comprehensive occupational health services should be
available to everyone working in the agricultural sector
• Detailed and reliable statistics on injuries in agriculture
should be presented at a yearly basis
• Information and education about health and safety needs
to be further developed and implemented for farmers and
others working in agriculture
• Education about health, safety & leadership should be
implemented in the whole education system from pre-
school to university

26. A Swedish Commission
As a consequence of:
• the Kuopio declaration
• the study on injury statistics
• the media attention
….and the alarming total situation of injuries
in agriculture, the Swedish Government
initiated a Commission to develop an action
program against injuries on farms

27. A Swedish Commission
The results from the Commission included
calculations on the economical consequences of
injuries in agriculture for the whole Swedish society
based on the results presented in this paper.
According to these calculations the economical
consequences reaches a yearly level of 2 – 3 billion
SEK (200 – 300 million Euro).
This is also compared with similar calculations in
Norway: 1, 45 billion NKR per year (200 million Euro)

28. Report to the Swedish Government
Main Recommendations:
• Farm safety instructors
• A National Competence &
Resource Centre
• Voluntary ”driver license” for
chain-saw users

29. Report to the Swedish Government
Special attention to:
• Child injury prevention
• Injury prevention among
the older population

30. Report to the Swedish Government
Further suggestions:
• Increase the demands on the dealers of agricultural
tractors and machinery
• Improved statistics
• Improved actions for seasonal workers
• Improved education
•Further research

31. Response from the Swedish Government
Mission to Swedish University of Agricultural
Sciences (SLU), The Swedish Institute of Agricultural
and Environmental Engineering (JTI) and The
Federation of Swedish Farmers (LRF):
• Develop a system of farm advisors / educators
• Provide training for these persons during 2008-09
• Plan for a first action period (2009-2013), related to
the EU Rural Development Programme

32. The current process
Workshops T
in A
steps
R
Koncept
Training Training G
Advisors E E
of of Individual
Supervision U T
trainers trainers
on the farm
Farmers G
Step I Step II Koncept R
O
Material Material Supervision
Others in groups
U
”Farmwalks” P
S
Koncept

33. A recent headline from Land Lantbruk
The number of injuries will be reduced by half
The Swedish Board of Agriculture wants to spend
40 million SEK (4,1 million Euro) per year (2009-
2013) in order to reduce the number of injuries in
agriculture and forestry
…………but that was too optimistic!...we are still
waiting to know the final amount………..

34. The current process
Discussing three concepts:
1. Farm visits - a trained ”person” visiting the
farms in order to give on site safety & health
discussions & advice
2. Farm walks – organized group activities on
private farms

35. The current process
3. Workshops; The farmer driven approach ”the
safe farmer attitude” with trained farmers as the
driving force (inspired by ”FarmSafe NZ”):
a) Awareness (workshop)
b) Farmsafe Plans for your own farm
(workshop)
c) Skills (Training - increasing the practical
skills)

36. What I would like to discuss further!
• An EU-based network / organisation for safety
and health in agriculture
• An annual or bi-annual EU-based meeting on
safety and health in agriculture
• A joint EU-project with a focus on strategies
for
injury prevention in agriculture
• Could we link EU-support & working
conditions
on farms?!

37. Thank you!
We need to work together & sharing
experiences in order to create a safe
& healthy industry – to be proud of!

38. The 2008 Nordic Meeting on Agricultural Occupational
Health (NMAOH) Aarhus, Denmark, September 1-3, 2008
Two years after the Kuopio declaration was adapted
during the Nordic Meeting in Finland it was time to meet
again to present, share and discuss studies, research
and actions related to the health and safety in the
agricultural sector.

39. The 2008 Nordic Meeting on Agricultural Occupational
Health (NMAOH) Aarhus, Denmark, September 1-3, 2008
Agriculture remain one of the most dangerous industries.
The high level of fatal and non fatal injuries is alarming
– and it is not yet improving in the Nordic countries.
On the other hand - we can also conclude that there has
been initiated a number of promising initiatives and action
programs in the Nordic countries in order to reduce the
number of injuries.

40. The 2008 Nordic Meeting on Agricultural Occupational
Health (NMAOH) Aarhus, Denmark, September 1-3, 2008
We, the participants who took part in the Nordic Meeting
on Agricultural Occupational Health (58 participants),
held here in Aarhus, Denmark, from September 1-3
2008, discussed the present situation and suggests
further actions in order to reduce the number of injuries in
agriculture:

41. The 2008 Nordic Meeting on Agricultural Occupational
Health (NMAOH) Aarhus, Denmark, September 1-3, 2008
• Important to show the consequences (economical &
personal) of injuries on farm level
• The individual farmer ought to have a zero-vision of
injuries on his/her farm
• Knowledge, skills and understanding of personal
responsibilities are key issues to develop for all people
active in the agricultural sector

42. The 2008 Nordic Meeting on Agricultural Occupational
Health (NMAOH) Aarhus, Denmark, September 1-3, 2008
• It would be positive if authorities and others regulating
the farms and the farmers could focus and further
develop their roles as advisors and supporters of
farmers health & safety
• Important to identify risk groups and target special
actions towards these groups
• Important to focus on farmers attitudes & behaviour
and how to motivate them to think and act with safety
in mind

43. The 2008 Nordic Meeting on Agricultural Occupational
Health (NMAOH) Aarhus, Denmark, September 1-3, 2008
• There is still a demand for financial resources in order
to fulfil national and Nordic / international action
programs against injuries in agriculture
• EU-funding such as the Rural Development Program
are valuable resources that ought to be further adapted
to this area of actions