Study finds agricultural science students have a low farm injury risk perception

Dr David Meredith, Dr Mohammad Mohammadrezaei, and Dr John McNamara, Teagasc; Dr Sinead Flannery UCD; and Martin Heldon TD, Minister for State with special responsibility for Farm Safety at the Dept. of Agriculture, Food and the Marine; at the launch of Student Safety Perceptions, ‘Be Safe Project’ at UCD Lyons Farm.

A major study has found that just over half of agricultural science students think that the level of risk they face whilst doing farm work is low.

The study, which was part of the BeSafe Project which is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, was conducted among 417 first and second-year Agricultural Science students in University College Dublin (UCD).

The study sought to understand if experience, awareness, and social influences increase, or decrease risk perception.

Overall, the results found that the level of work experience has little influence on risk perception.

Awareness of someone who had a serious injury, or of someone killed on a farm, substantially increased students’ risk perception. 

The study found that 34% knew someone killed in a farm incident, 14% knew someone who suffered a severe injury, defined as being out of work or study for more than a day, while 25% experienced a near miss.

'Social influencers' - in case referring to family members and farmers known to the students - were found to have the largest impact on students’ risk perception. 

However, worryingly, the research found that these social influencers often had a negative impact on the students’ risk perception.

The study also found that students’ level of farm injury risk perception was highest where a family member experienced a severe injury, followed by a near miss; followed thereafter by hearing about someone who died and lastly by hearing about someone injured.

These findings indicate that direct personal experience has the strongest influence on student risk perception.

Interestingly, Teagasc researchers say the findings tally with recent research in Canada, which indicates the strong influence of farm parents on safety behaviours of their family members.

Minister of State Martin Heydon, visited UCD Lyons Farm, County Kildare to launch the research and to discuss the importance of farm health and safety with students.

Speaking to students, Minister Heydon said: “Agricultural science students are the future leaders of our industry. This study, conducted by Teagasc and UCD, found the perception of farm risks is low amongst a significant proportion of agricultural students in Ireland. 

“Farms right now are the most dangerous workplace in Ireland. Our young farmers and graduates have the ability to change the culture around farm safety, and it is important we support them to make our farms every better places to work and live.”

Dean of the School of Agriculture and Food Science at UCD, Professor Frank Monahan, explained health and safety education is a central component of the school’s focus on the Total Health Model, with the health of farmers being crucial to the social sustainability of the agricultural sector.

Teagasc researcher Dr Mohammad Mohammdrezaei, who was the lead author of the study, said the findings are similar to those of another BeSafe paper, which found that if agricultural advisors perceive that ‘leading farmers’ do not see farm health and safety as important, they are unlikely to raise the issue with farmers.