AN INVESTIGATION OF THE AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION BACKGROUND FOR ACCIDENT INVOLVED AND NON-INVOLVED FARM TRACTOR AND MACHINERY OPERATORS IN MINNESOTA

The study was concerned with answering three basic questions. (1) Was the distribution of work injuries of the 1978 Minnesota Farm Accident Survey significantly different from the distribution of work injuries compiled by the National Safety Council? (2) What was the participation of farm tractor and machinery operators in the ongoing agricultural education programs? (3) Was there a difference in the participation in these ongoing agricultural education programs between accident involved and non-involved operators?;The differences as indicated by the results of this study were: (1) Significantly more farm youth under 15 were involved in work accidents in Minnesota than youth nationally. (2) The involvement of farm employees in accidents was significantly less in Minnesota than employees on a national basis. (3) Farms other than beef, dairy and grain had a significantly higher accident involvement in Minnesota than similar farms nationally. (4) Minnesota's farmers had fewer accidents in the field and significantly more around the farmstead. (5) Minnesota farmers had significantly fewer vehicle accidents than the national study group. (6) Minnesota farmers were less involved in field work accidents and more involved in machine maintenance, building maintenance and yard work accidents. (7) The type of injury and part of the body involved in accidents as identified by the National Safety Council as major categories did not agree with those of this study. Too many of Minnesota's accidents fell in the other category.;Minnesota farm tractor and machinery operator's involvement in ongoing agricultural education programs where accident prevention programs may exist was low. Of the 4417 operators surveyed, 1853 or 42 percent had been exposed to some form of vocational agriculture. 350 or 8 percent had participated in the 4-H power program and 349 or 8 percent had experienced the Tractor and Machinery Safety Training program.;When the chi-square test of independence was applied, a significant association was found between vocational agriculture participation and accident involvement; however, the strength of association as measured by Cramer's V was only .07. No significant association was found between accident involvement and participation in the 4-H power program or the Tractor and Machinery Safety Training program. A significant association was found between accident involvement and amount of operator experience, but the strength of association was only .07.;Using the procedures of the Standardized Farm Accident Reporting Program, a stratified random sample of farms grouped in clusters in 19 counties of Minnesota were surveyed four times during 1978 by volunteer interviewers. The survey in each county was coordinated by the county extension staff with the training of the interviewers done by the state staff.;Based on the findings of this study, the following recommendations are made. (1) Continue the Minnesota Farm Accident Survey as part of the Standardized Farm Accident Reporting Program. (2) Refine the instrument to better reflect Minnesota conditions. (3) Reduce the number of items on the instrument. (4) Investigate alternatives to the use of volunteer interviewers. (5) Devise a better classification system for farmstead accidents to determine the specific causes. (6) Develop an educational program for the reduction of farmstead accidents. (7) Review the educational delivery system to identify a more viable method for contacting the under 15 age group. (8) Further investigate the relationship of accident involvement and participation in vocational agriculture. (9) Identify the mass media techniques most useful for promotion of safety on Minnesota farms.