ISHS Acta Horticulturae 295: Horticultural Economics and Marketing, XXIII IHC
HEALTH RISKS CONCERNING THE LOW BACK IN AGRICULTURAL WORK |
| Authors: | J.H. van Dieën, V.H. Hildebrandt |
| Abstract:
Statistical data of insurance companies (Agrarian Social Funds (ASF) and Joined Medical Service (GMD) show that there is a tendency towards an increase in the occurrence of muscle and joint complaints, in particular in the lower back, of people working in the agricultural sector. It is assumed that there is a relationship between complaints and the type of operations performed. With a view to this assumption and because the WAGW (Labour for Handicapped Workers Act) has become operative, which places the responsibility for incapacity for work on the employer, the STIGAS (Centre for Health Care in the Farming Sector) has commissioned the IMAG (Institute of Agricultural Engineering) and the NIPG-TNO (Institute for Preventive Health Care) to perform a research project. The aim of this project is to elaborate a programme to prevent such complaints. The present paper provides a brief report on the results of the first phase of the research project. Phase 1 of the survey is to lead to a list of priorities concerning the risk groups within the agricultural sector to be further examined. The occurrence of complaints within the various branches was surveyed by means of an enquiry (health status analysis). The occurrence of high-risk work characteristics in the branches was measured with the use of data collected by IMAG to determine incapacity for work (ergonomic analysis). Complaints of the back appear to occur frequently in the entire sector, although in various branches the situation is more serious than in others (as regards these complaints). The ergonomic analysis has shown that various types of enterprises and working methods within these branches justify more detailed research. On the basis of the two afore mentioned analyses, a first priority for further research has to be given to arboriculture. | |
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