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Introduction: Occupational safety and health (OSH) have a remarkable impact on the sustainability of firms and organizations. However, the sustainability perspective has often focused primarily on environmental and economic concerns, leaving key social and workplace aspects, such as OSH, underemphasized. The link between all these aspects is particularly relevant in agriculture., Method: In the present study we analyzed the paths by which the worker's age, participation in safety training, and previous history of accidents and near misses can influence the adoption of safety behaviors in agriculture through the mediation of attitudes towards safety and perceived behavioral control. Three hundred and ten Italian agricultural operators were administered an ad-hoc questionnaire., Results: Having attended safety training courses, having been exposed to previous accidents and near misses, and age showed a positive association with the adoption of on-farm safety behaviors, through the mediation of perceived behavioral control. In more detail, participation in training courses and age showed a positive association with perceived behavioral control, while the previous history of accidents and near misses showed a negative association with behavioral control. In turn, perceived behavioral control was positively associated with the adoption of safety behaviors., Conclusions: The present study focused on the chain of events leading to the adoption of on-farm safety behaviors, which can prevent an accidents, pointing out the more critical variables and the level at which they intervene, identifying possible areas of targeted interventions. Practical applications: Implications for the development of targeted interventions may deal with: (a) training activities increasing farm operators' sense of control over their safety, (b) older farmers involvement in mentoring initiatives, and (c) systematic recording and use of previous history of accidents and near misses as inputs for training activities to discuss their implications for on-farm safety., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 National Safety Council and Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objectives : Safety pictograms are important graphic elements that are useful for rapidly conveying messages in workplaces. The purpose of this study was to investigate the comprehension of safety pictograms affixed to agricultural machinery among a group of Pakistani migrant farmworkers employed in Italy. Methods : Interviews about the meanings attributed to four standardized safety pictograms affixed to agricultural machinery depicting the most frequent causes of farm accidents were administered to 29 Pakistani migrant farmworkers employed on Italian farms. Results : There was high variability in pictogram comprehension. None of the participants interpreted all the pictograms in accordance with the definitions provided by the international standards. Higher comprehension rates were reported for pictograms related to the risks of tractor rollover and foot injury, while pictograms referring to the need to consult a technical manual and the risk of entanglement yielded lower comprehension scores. Previous farming experience in the country of origin and the number of years of education were significantly associated with comprehension scores. Conclusion : A discussion of pictogram features that may be critical for comprehension is provided, and (re)design suggestions are given to improve the cross-cultural comprehension of these safety signs.

Lectures are the most commonly used training method but may not be effective in communicating safety information among migrant workers because of language and cultural barriers. The comprehension of safety information is particularly urgent in highly hazardous sectors such as agriculture, which has a high migrant workforce rate. In this study, an ergonomic user-centred approach was adopted to develop and evaluate safety training material targeting migrants employed on Italian farms. Focus groups with both trainers and migrants were carried out to collect information on critical issues in traditional training material, the most and least comprehended topics and suggestions for training improvement. Based on the focus group analysis, the training material was developed considering several visual factors and more engaging interaction between trainers and migrant trainees. The usability of the developed material was then evaluated in a group of 20 migrant farmworkers through a questionnaire assessing the knowledge of safety information before (T0) and after (T1) the training (effectiveness), perceived effort in learning (efficiency) and user satisfaction after training. The results showed improved knowledge, low perceived effort and high satisfaction, pointing to the positive effects of active user involvement when designing targeted training materials.

Objective: To identify the critical behaviors that may hinder the correct use of foldable rollover protective structures (FROPS) on tractors and to explore the influence of user factors and FROPS technical characteristics., Background: FROPS are effective in preventing fatal injuries in rollover accidents if they are in the upright position. However, many farmers leave FROPS folded down., Method: Twenty farmers and sixteen models of tractors were involved in the study. Operators were observed while raising the FROPS, and the observed behaviors were correlated with user factors and FROPS technical features., Results: In the initial rotation of the FROPS, higher lowered roll-bar to ground distance and FROPS pivot-pin to ground distance required more awkward and unbalanced postures ( p = .02 and p = .01, respectively). When rotating the FROPS in upright position, smaller stature of the participants and higher FROPS pivot-pin to ground distance were significantly correlated with using the tractor's rear 3-point lower links as a supporting surface ( p = .01 and p = .02, respectively)., Conclusion: FROPS might be revised considering users' comfort in use and anthropometric variability, to improve reachability, avoid risky behaviors, and enhance FROPS operation., Application: Technical solutions to enhance FROPS accessibility may be developed, particularly by providing safe surfaces to support operators and highlighting the grasping points. Further best practices and information on correct gestures to handle the FROPS should be included in the tractor manual.

The comprehension of safety signs affixed to agricultural machinery is fundamental to warning users about the residual risks which cannot be eliminated with machinery design and the adoption of protections. This is particularly relevant for the migrant workforce, which may encounter some language barriers with written safety communication. The present study aimed to investigate the comprehension of safety signs affixed to agricultural machinery in a group of migrants from both European and non-European countries employed in Italian agriculture. Thirty-seven migrant farmworkers (12 Indians, 17 Pakistanis, and eight Romanians) were individually interviewed to test the comprehension of four safety signs referring to the main causes of fatal and non-fatal injuries caused by interactions with farm machinery. Romanians obtained the highest comprehension performance (68.8% of correct answers), followed by Indians (35.4%), with Pakistanis being last (32.4%). The nationality and the previous experience as a farmworker significantly affected the comprehension of safety signs. The results pointed out the importance of adequately training migrants on the meaning of safety signs. Beside this, the study suggests a redesign of the signs, considering some signs' features to enhance pictorials' cross-cultural comprehension., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Objectives: We aimed at testing a model of the direct and indirect effects of being a part-time farmer on the probability of being involved in an agricultural machinery-related accident, considering the role played by unsafe beliefs and the frequency of use of machinery., Methods: Two-hundred and fifty-two Italian men, regular users of agricultural machinery (age: Mean = 45.1 years, standard Deviation = 17.5), were administered a paper-and-pencil questionnaire addressing their relation with work, unsafe beliefs, and previous experience of machinery-related accidents., Results: Being a part-time farmer showed a positive association with unsafe beliefs only among occasional machinery users. Unsafe beliefs in turn showed a positive association with accidents., Conclusions: The study gave a novel contribution to the knowledge of the chain of events connecting part-time farmers with machinery-related accidents. Preventive training interventions targeting part-timer farmers using agricultural machinery just occasionally should be developed.

Objectives: To perform an ergonomic analysis of work and machinery-related risks in a group of Swedish older farmers, investigating farmers' attitudes and perceptions about: 1) health status and work motivation, 2) physical and cognitive workload and difficulties in the interaction with machinery and technological innovations, and 3) risks and safety practices., Methods: Nine Swedish male farmers aged 65+ were administered a semi-structured interview and a questionnaire., Results: Participants perceived themselves as being in good health and considered farming as a good proxy of their health status. They reported an increased physical workload but did not describe any cognitive workload. Technology was reported to have low usability, and thus its benefits cannot be fully exploited. Older farmers acknowledged the existence of "new risks" related to the aging process and mainly referred to the common sense and previous experience as the best safety practices., Conclusion: Multilevel interventions focused on the capabilities and limits of the older farmers should be developed, involving both training activities and design solutions for the machinery that can support older farmers' health and safety.

Agriculture is among the most hazardous productive sectors, and farm machinery is a major source of injury. In the present study, a mediated model was used to test the role played by workers' characteristics, work environment factors, and near misses in predicting agricultural machinery-related accidents in a sample of Italian users (n = 290). Hours worked per week (via the mediation of an adverse work environment) showed a positive association and years of work experience (via the mediation of risk perception) showed a negative association with the probability of being involved in a near miss, which in turn showed a positive association with the probability of being involved in a machinery-related accident. Implications for tailored preventive interventions are discussed.

Smart Farming Technologies (SFTs) can improve production output while minimising costs and preserving resources; however, they are scarcely adopted by farmers. In the present study, the factors affecting farmers' intentions to adopt two types of SFTs (Type 1: drones, sensors for data acquisition and automatic download, and agricultural apps; Type 2: agricultural robots and autonomous machines) were investigated within the framework of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), considering the role played by different sources of information, Perceived Ease of Use (PEU), and Perceived Usefulness (PU). A questionnaire assessing the PEU and PU of the two types of SFTs, farmers' previous exposure to different impersonal and personal (formal and informal) sources of information, and farmers' intentions to adopt SFTs was administered to a sample of Italian farmers (n = 314). A mediated model, built on the TAM, showed that the PU affected farmers' intention to adopt a technology and that personal sources of information, both formal and informal, affected the PU; however, while formal sources increased the PU, informal sources decreased the PU. The model was invariant across the two types of SFTs considered. The implications for the proposal of new technologies are discussed. • Factors driving the intention to adopt Smart Farming Technologies were assessed in a group of Italian farmers. • The role of sources of information, perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use was considered. • Formal personal sources of information were the most effective lever for change in the SFTs domain. • This effect was mediated by perceived usefulness. • Advisory systems providing knowledge and access to innovation resources for different types of farmers are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed at exploring the frequency of use and perceived benefits of application of organic matter to the soil in a group of Italian farmers, investigating also the preferred sources of information, to identify potential interventions to promote the improvement of the soil organic matter. The study has been carried out administering a 21-item paper-and-pencil questionnaire to 44 farmers. The results of the study highlighted that the main perceived benefit linked to soil organic matter application is related to its capacity of increasing productivity, while the aspects related to work pace, production costs, and implications with the climate change appeared to be less relevant. According to the results of the study, web targeted information campaigns for the smaller farms operators and training activities for the bigger farms operators are the most effective solutions to make farmers aware of the importance of increasing soil organic matter content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smart Farming Technologies (SFTs) have a real potential to deliver more productive and sustainable agricultural production. However, limited empirical research is available on the role played by objective and subjective factors in the adoption of such disruptive innovations, especially in the Italian context. This study investigated the role of education, farm size, being a sole farmer, and perceived barriers in affecting the use of SFTs in a sample of Italian farmers from the Piedmont region (North-West Italy). Three hundred and ten farming operators were questioned via a paper-and-pencil questionnaire. The analyses showed that low levels of education and working on-farm alone were positively associated with perceived economic barriers, which in turn were negatively associated with the adoption of SFTs. Farm size had a positive direct effect on SFT adoption. The results pointed out the need for targeted policies and training interventions to encourage the use of SFTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]