title: Comparing Occupational Health and Safety Management System Programming with Injury Rates in Poultry Production.
abstract: Effective methods to reduce work-related injuries and illnesses in animal production agriculture are sorely needed. One approach that may be helpful for agriculture producers is the adoption of occupational health and safety management systems. In this replication study, the authors compared the injury rates on 32 poultry growing operations with the level of occupational health and safety management system programming at each farm. Overall correlations between injury rates and programming level were determined, as were correlations between individual management system subcomponents to ascertain which parts might be the most useful for poultry producers. It was found that, in general, higher levels of occupational health and safety management system programming were associated with lower rates of workplace injuries and illnesses, and that Management Leadership was the system subcomponent with the strongest correlation. The strength and significance of the observed associations were greater on poultry farms with more complete management system assessments. These findings are similar to those from a previous study of the dairy production industry, suggesting that occupational health and safety management systems may hold promise as a comprehensive way for producers to improve occupational health and safety performance. Further research is needed to determine the effectiveness of such systems to reduce farm work injuries and illnesses. These results are timely given the increasing focus on occupational safety and health management systems.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Safety, Health, and Industrial Hygiene , Montana Tech of the University of Montana , Butte , Montana , USA.
authors.forename: Daniel A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Autenrieth
authors.affiliation: b Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences , Colorado State University , Fort Collins , Colorado , USA.
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Brazile
authors.affiliation: c Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics, and Environmental Sciences , University of Texas School of Public Health , San Antonio Regional Campus, San Antonio , Texas , USA.
authors.forename: David I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Douphrate
authors.affiliation: d Department of Animal Sciences , Colorado State University , Fort Collins , Colorado , USA.
authors.forename: Ivette N
authors.initials: IN
authors.lastname: Román-Muñiz
authors.affiliation: b Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences , Colorado State University , Fort Collins , Colorado , USA.
authors.forename: Stephen J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Reynolds
mesh_terms: D000382:Agricultural Workers' Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000818:Animals; D000072480:Farms; D006801:Humans; D016272:Occupational Health; D060051:Occupational Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011200:Poultry; D017751:Safety Management / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Farm safety; Form 33; OSHA; SHARP; injury and illness prevention program