Epsilon Open Archive

Agriculture and forestry is still one of the sectors with the highest rate of work-related
injuries, and it is essential that future farmers and employees in the agricultural sector, at
an early stage gain knowledge and insight into the importance of the work environment for
safe, secure and good working conditions in order to create an improved safety culture.

The purpose of this study was to survey and analyze the occupational health and safety
education provided at Swedish agricultural high schools (natural resources management
schools with a program focusing on agriculture, at senior high school level).

All 29 schools with agricultural programs received surveys, with slightly different content
for principals, operating managers, teachers and instructors with questions about
education, teaching materials, communication and related issues.

The results (response rate 33%) showed that the agricultural high schools had a high
standard of safety awareness and well-established procedures for accidents and incidents,
and this was well known and perceived as a well-functioning by the staff in this study, with
a tendency for the instructors to be less satisfied with follow-ups and actions taken.

The basic work environment education, placed within the general course “Natural
resources management”, showed a varying amount of lesson time due to the lack of
specified minimum teaching time, and also difficulties in finding adequate teaching
materials, with the risk that the students' knowledge will not be equivalent but will depend
on the interest and time scheduled for the respective teachers. The widely differing
backgrounds of the teachers involved, gives further arguments to the need for relevant and
coherent literature.

Altogether , the results also indicated that teaching in the subject courses (such as “Farm
animals” and “Agricultural mechanization”) generally did not take into account the evolving
role to be played regarding the work environment issues, according to the syllabus's
objective description and central content. Probable explanations can be teaching materials
lacking connection and updating to current course objectives, individual teachers' interest
in the matter and/or ambiguities about what is to be taught in the actual course.

The insight into how important the instructors or trainers in the practical farming at schools
are as role models, should lead to increased focus on training them further in work
environment issues.