Authors: Aoife GIRVAN, Graeme MITCHELL*
Corresponding author: Graeme MITCHELL
Type of paper: Original scientific article
Issue: Volume 14 | number 1 – 2020
Abstract:
The agricultural sector is important to Northern Ireland (NI) as it accounts for almost 10% of all jobs and 75% of all land usage. Despite a reduction in fatalities in other sectors, the number of fatalities in the agricultural sector in NI has remained stubbornly consistent. This research looked to use qualitative data to explore the knowledge, attitudes, perceptions and factors that influence health and safety measures and controls. Using a snowball sampling technique, a number of semi structure interviews were undertaken with participants to explore these areas. The findings of these semi-structured interviews identified six key themes: the importance of health and safety; the impact of poor health and safety; different generational attitudes; fear; time management and finance. This revealed that although participants feel they have some level of knowledge around health and safety, they felt this was lacking. However, a lack of knowledge did not mean they were unaware of the importance of health and safety and its potential impacts, although they perceived that farmers of a different generation to themselves were more at risk. Participants also indicated they were willing to make value judgements, where the need for action and cost of health and safety outweighs the importance implementing appropriate measures and control. Therefore, despite understanding the importance of health and safety, until the cost benefit equation is rebalanced for farmers in NI they still face significant risks to their health and safety.
Key words: farming; health and safety; barriers; fear; compliance; attitudes towards health and safety
POVZETEK
Kmetijski sektor je za Severno Irsko pomemben glede na to, da zagotavlja skoraj 10 % vseh delovnih mest in obsega 75 % celotne rabe zemljišč. Kljub zmanjšanju števila smrtnih žrtev v drugih sektorjih, le-to v kmetijskem sektorju Severne Irske ostaja nespremenjeno. V okviru raziskave smo se z uporabo kvalitativne metodologije osredotočili na znanje, stališča, dojemanje in druge dejavnike, ki vplivajo na izvajanje ukrepov za zagotavljanje varnosti in zdravja pri delu. Udeleženci v raziskavi, s katerimi so bili opravljeni polstrukturirani intervjuji, so bili zajeti po metodi snežne kepe. Rezultati opravljenih intervjujev izpostavijo šest ključnih segmentov, in sicer: pomen varnosti in zdravja pri delu, posledice slabe varnosti in zdravja pri delu, različna stališča glede na generacijo, strah, upravljanje s časom in finance. Kljub temu, da udeleženci sicer menijo, da imajo določeno raven znanja o varnosti in zdravju pri delu, so mnenja, da ga še vedno nimajo dovolj. Slednje pa še ne pomeni, da se ne zavedajo, kako pomembna sta varnost in zdravje pri delu, čeprav so mnenja, da so kmetje bodočih generacij bolj ogroženi. Udeleženci so prav tako navedli, da so pripravljeni tehtati med potrebo po ukrepanju na področju varnosti in zdravja pri delu in stroški, ki zaradi tega nastanejo. Kljub zavedanju pomembnosti varnosti in zdravja pri delu se kmetje na Severnem Irskem še vedno soočajo z velikimi tveganji in bo tako tudi ostalo, dokler se enačba stroškov in koristi ne uravnoteži.
Ključne besede: kmetijstvo; varnost in zdravje; ovire; strah; skladnost; odnost do varnosti in zdravja
