Safety culture, occupational health and accidents in Norwegian agriculture – analysis of state and future challenges – Ulykker i landbruket

Agriculture is a high-risk sector, but research regarding Norwegian agriculture and the frequency of disabling and fatal injuries and related risk factors in this sector has been almost absent in Norway the last 20 years. This project is divided into four work packages, with independent research questions for each work package. These four WP’s will be targeted specifically towards describing the situation within Norwegian agriculture, exploring aspects related to safety culture and to establish knowledge about causes of accidents in agriculture and efficient ways to prevent them. WP 1 consists of a questionnaire survey in combination with two registers from the Norwegian Agricultural Authority and a social security events database. WP 2 will be an explorative study of HSE-culture within the Norwegian agriculture using both qualitative methods and quantitative methods utilizing data from the same questionnaire survey as used in WP 1. Work package 3 will have a special focus on farmers’ own experience of safety behaviour, safety regulations and laws, and on how education may impact their knowledge and safety practice. Interviews will be conducted with farmers who are taking part in an introductory course to HSE. This course is provided by LHMS (Landbrukets HMS-tjeneste). WP 4 will be based on the analysis performed in work package 1-3. Further analysis and comparisons with other sectors like construction and petroleum industry will enable us to give advices concerning the prevention of accidents, and will also enable us to make specific recommendations towards different outcomes and groups of farmers. The project is collaboration between three Norwegian research institutes and three international institutes, and includes a PhD scholarship. Key stakeholders/target group representatives will be invited in order to safeguard a good grounding of the project and ensure early responses to the design and approach