Farmer Health eNews May 2018
Find out all the latest from the National Centre for Farmer Health
- Now is the time to be part of the future and lead the way in Agricultural Health in your community – SCHOLARSHIPS ARE NOW OPEN for HMF702 Healthy & Sustainable Agricultural Communities!
- We’re heading to Agfest Tasmania!
- 2018 NCFH Conference (12 September) ‘Good health, wellbeing and safety: Making a difference to farmers’ lives’ – Abstracts are now invited from health professionals.
- Wellness Wednesday Topics
Do you want to receive our eNews?
2018-04-27: Deakin study shows farmers not properly supported after workplace injuries – Media release
Farmers should have access to tailored rehabilitation programs after serious workplace injuries, according to a first-of-its-kind study from Deakin University which has found their unique needs are being ignored.
The study, carried out in collaboration with Monash University, interviewed 31 Victorian farm workers who had experienced a serious injury on-farm between 2007 and 2013.
The results, recently published in the Journal of Agromedicine, showed many had been forced to sell their farms, lose months of income, or work through their injuries, due to a lack of support in their recovery process.
Lead author Jessica Beattie, a lecturer in Deakin’s School of Medicine, said this was the first qualitative study asking Australian farmers to recount the ramifications of serious workplace injury.
“Farm injury related research has often focused on the incidence of injury rather than farmers’ perspective of their recovery,” Ms Beattie said.
“But we know recovery from a serious injury is difficult, as is life on the land.”
Australian farmers are significantly overrepresented in injury statistics compared to other occupations, and farm injuries account for 17 per cent of all worker fatalities.
Injuries sustained by farmers interviewed in the Deakin study included major fractures, spinal injuries and head trauma, with most of the injuries sustained in quad bike accidents or livestock related incidents.
Ms Beattie said farmers were older compared to other Australian workers and often worked alone for longer hours.
“This places farmers at an increased risk of injury and then provides a unique set of challenges for their recovery,” she said.
“Once discharged from either a hospital or a rehabilitation setting, farmers are potentially returning to recover both at their place of work, and frequently where the injury occurred.
“The farmers we interviewed felt this had a negative impact on their recovery, with many describing they had no other option but to return to work before they were adequately recovered, putting themselves at increased risk of further injury and delaying the recovery process.
“Their reasons for returning to work, despite medical advice to the contrary, were because of the need to ensure farming production continued.”
Ms Beattie said it was clear that farmers needed support tailored to their unique work environment, and taking into account the fact many lived in rural and remote areas, far from rehabilitation services.
“We need to be providing health professionals with appropriate discharge practices for farm workers,” she said.
“So that might be about understanding that they will probably do some farm work on their return, but working out how they can do that in a way that’s going to still let them heal appropriately.
“Ultimately education and training for health professionals who care for farmers post injury needs to be enhanced so they can understand the realities of working and living on a farm.”
As part of addressing this need, the National Centre of Farmer Health – a collaboration between Deakin and the Western District Health Service – offers Australia’s only Graduate Certificate in Agricultural Health and Medicine to assist rural professionals to understand the unique health, wellbeing and safety demands of farming.
The course focuses on common injuries and illnesses in farming populations, including trauma, and since its inception in 2010 more than 135 students have taken part.
Ms Beattie said there also needed to be more education around the financial implications of farm injuries.
“Half of the workers in this industry are not covered by workers compensation because they are self-employed,” she said.
“That’s where personal income protection insurance should come in, but despite the benefits, many farmers remain uninsured as they feel it’s not a priority expense, especially during periods of economic uncertainty.
“The problem is that the health of the farm is often more of priority to them than their own health.”
View this publication: Beattie, J., McLeod, C., Murray, M., Pedler, D., Brumby, S., & Gabbe, B. (2018). What Happens to the Farm? Australian Farmers’ Experiences after a Serious Farm Injury. Journal of Agromedicine, 23(2), 134-143. doi:10.1080/1059924X.2017.1422836
Read more NCFH Publications: HERE
Deakin University Media contacts:
Elise Snashall-Woodhams
Senior Media Coordinator, Deakin University P: 03 9246 8593
M: 0436 409 659
E: e.snashallwoodhams@deakin.edu.au
T: @DeakinMedia
2018.04.25 – International Farm Safety Experts coming to Ireland – Media Release
Two leading International Experts on Farm Safety will share their knowledge at a public seminar on Friday, 4 May from 2.30pm to 4.30pm. The seminar will take place at the Teagasc, College of Amenity Horticulture, National Botanic Gardens, Dublin 9 ( DO9 VY63). The seminar is open to the public and is free of charge.
Professor Susan Brumby, Director of the Australian National Centre for Farmer Health will discuss, both the successes and challenges, of promoting farm health and safety among farming families in Australia. Australia has one of the advanced cultures for safety and health adoption worldwide.
Professor Brumby will talk, in particular, about some Australian initiatives to prevent death and serious injury with quad bikes (ATV’s). She will also speak about methods for engaging farmers about their health, wellbeing and safety, including preventing skin cancer from UV (sun) exposure and noise induced hearing loss.
Dr Barbara Lee is Director of the USA National Children’s Centre for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety, located in Marshfield, Wisconsin. The focus of Dr Lee’s professional career has been advocating for the safety of children who live, visit and work on farms in the USA.
Dr Lee has led the national initiative to develop an action plan for childhood agricultural injury prevention that was funded through the United States Congress. Dr Lee will outline research on using the The North American Guidelines for Children’s Agricultural Tasks (NAGCAT). These are a safety resource created to assist parents in selecting safe work for their children 7-16 years of age.
Professor Brumby and Dr Lee are both in Ireland to participate in the International Congress on Occupational Health (ICOH) taking place in Dublin with over 3,000 delegates from around the World.
Booking is required to attend the seminar. Please contact Dr John McNamara, Teagasc Health and Safety Specialist at: john.g.mcnamara@teagasc.ie
Sustainable farm families across the globe– the most important part of any farm is a healthy farm family
Background Farmers across the globe have increased risks – accident, injury, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, suicide and zoonosis. They also face difficulties accessing expertise exacerbated by large distances and lack of transport. The Sustainable Farm Families (SFF) program commenced in Australia in 2003 and has delivered 151 programs to over 2500 Australian farm men and women. In 2014, SFF commenced in Alberta, Canada and over 400 farmers have participated including 17 Hutterite communities. Each SFF program consists of 3 workshops, over 4 days, approximately 6–12 months apart. Methods SFF is a multifaceted health program, developed specifically for the agricultural context. Each workshop is facilitated by trained SFF nurses and an agricultural facilitator. At the beginning of each workshop a full health assessment is gathered—anthropometric measures, lipid studies, glucose, blood pressure, psychosocial distress, waist measurement and% body fat. Health and safety behaviours are also reviewed. Education sessions on CVD, diabetes, stress, farm safety, anxiety, depression, diet and nutrition, respiratory conditions, pesticides, physical activity, men’s health and women’s health are devliered. Participants were >18 years, spoke English and were farming. Diabetes risk was assessed by the validated AUSDRISK or CANRISK tool and psychosocial distress using the Kessler K10. Results More men than women participated showing that farmers are interested in their health, wellbeing and safety. ‘Can’t take care of the farm if you don’t take care of yourself.’ This presentation will discuss the baseline results from Australia and Canada. Where longitudinal data is available it will be discussed. In Australia, the results showed that the more risk factors you had when you began the SFF program the better you did, including reducing your risk factors. Conclusion Both the Australian and Canadian program have been positively and extensively independently evaluated. The SFF program has been successfully repeated and transferred to Alberta, Canada, saving lives and saving money across the globe.
Agrichemical exposure in Australian farmers – monitoring, measuring and making a difference
Exposure to organophosphates at low levels over time has been associated with neurological conditions. In-field Personalised Cholinesterase Assessment Project (PCAP) is identifying the effect on cholinesterase (ChE) inhibition in Victorian (Australia) farmers caused by the application of organophosphates (OPs) and ChE inhibiting insecticides. Accurate field assessment is particularly important for remote rural communities and current available measurement does not accurately estimate individual risk. Funded by the Shepherd Foundation and commencing in April 2016 this work trials an innovative, transportable assessment tool, identifying farmers with reduced ChE activity, who are at risk of neurological symptoms and/or unknown chronic low level exposure. Using oxime regeneration to stimulate recovery ChE in vitro—a more accurate and meaningful estimate of the percentage inhibition of cholinesterase—is generated for the farmer. This new approach will provide farmers with instant results from a measurement tool using their own ChE inhibition range. Validated across 10 time points in 5 Victorian farming locations, the study involves 61 farmers and agricultural workers (crop and/or livestock) aged between 20–75 years. This presentation will discuss the results generated using this novel, objective and portable field test including post participation behavioural changes. This research is providing farmers with fast evidence of personal exposure with individual results, resulting in practice change, attitude shift, prevention of further exposures and possible reduction or change of pesticide use.
Farmer Health eNews April 2018
Find out all the latest from the National Centre for Farmer Health
- From Inside the Farm Gate – Stories of rural women thriving and surviving now live
- 2018 National Photography Competition ‘Farmer Health in a Changing World’ is now open
- Our new partnership with Metalcorp will see the launch of new ‘soap box’ style presentations at field days nationally, our first being Farm World Lardner Park
- Wellness Wednesday Topics
Do you want to receive our eNews?
2018-04-05: Rural depression story told by Emma, John Tanner – The Northern Daily Leader
A former Upper Hunter resident has told the story of her Quirindi-born husband’s struggle with depression, in a powerful series of rural stories launched by the National Centre for Farmer Health (NCFH).
Emma Tanner said she hoped her video How are you travelling? would inspire people to check in with each other – and themselves.
After young Emma and John met and wed, they began their married life at Wingen and Aberdeen, starting a family and working towards buying land at Murrurundi.
Their happy lives were interrupted by “destructive and consuming” drought.
They moved back to western Victoria, but then Mr Tanner lost his job on a sheep property there.
“We had nowhere to live, no income and two frightened children,” she said.
View all our Video Stories here: From Inside the Farm Gate
Read the full article here: 2018-04-05: Rural depression story told by Emma, John Tanner – The Northern Daily Leader
2018-04-01: Don’t get sprung by Farmer’s Lung – How Now Gippy Cow Newsletter NCFH Contribution
Source: Phillips, T., Hatherell, T. & Brumby, S. (2018), Managing
Health on the Farm, National Centre for Farmer Health. Western
District Health Service, Hamilton.
2018-03-16: Surviving and thriving: Storytelling initiative gives new platform to women in the bush – ABC News Rural
By Jess Davis
When Lyn Kelson was 26, her husband Phil died by suicide — and she still had two small kids and a farm to look after.
“You didn’t come home so I went to find you, and find you I did, hanging so high,” Ms Kelson said, in a quote from her online short film.
Lyn made the short digital film to tell her story as part of a project led by the National Centre for Farmer Health.
They invited 24 rural women to take part in a digital story telling workshop, to share their stories of survival through times of hardship.
Ms Kelson said she made the film to show others that may be experiencing hardship, that things do get better.
“I think showing people that resilience comes over time, there is no silver bullet, you just have to keep going and life improves,” she said.
Her story has moved many of its viewers to tears, a reaction that surprised Ms Kelson.
“I guess because it’s my story, I’ve lived it,” she said.
“But for people who see it for the first time, they actually get very emotional about it.
“I’m always quite surprised that that’s the reaction, because I hoped it would be a story of not quite triumph, but I guess success.”
2018-03-15: Sharing the Journey – The Hamilton Spectator
by Tara Fry
To view the ‘From Inside the Farm Gate’ Digital Stories Online CLICK HERE
2018-03-18: PRESS RELEASE: National Centre for Farmer Health to partner with Metalcorp
The National Centre for Farmer Health (NCFH) is pleased to announce a new sponsorship agreement with Metalcorp, supporting our mission to “make a difference to farmers’ lives” by striving to improve the health, wellbeing and safety of farmers, farm workers and their families.
Dr Susan Brumby, Director of the National Centre for Farmer Health said, “As the rural brand for the land, Metalcorp’s corporate support of the NCFH makes sense and provides vital funding to aid our research and support our ongoing activities to improve farmer health.”
In a recent report by Grains Research Development Corporation (GRDC) it was revealed that, “farmers were half as likely to visit a general practitioner (GP) or a mental health professional as non-farm workers.”
The NCFH has been operating since November 2008, as a partnership between Western District Health Service and Deakin University’s School of Medicine. It is unique in Australia in its capacity to undertake clinical activities, academic research and education and training within the specialist field of agricultural health and medicine.
“Our new association with Metalcorp, will enable us to extend the reach of our service delivery across rural Australia as well as enhance our research capabilities. Better positioning the NCFH to close the existing gap between the health, wellbeing and safety status of Australian farmers and agricultural workers and their urban cousins.” Dr Brumby said.
Dr Brumby explained, “The NCFH researches ways to reduce illness and injury among agricultural workers and corporate support, that does not compromise the integrity of our research, is greatly appreciated,” she said.
“One of the important research projects we have recently undertaken is the Ripple Effect, which is an online intervention program, designed to reduce the stigma around the experience of suicide among males from the farming community aged 30-64 years. Developing an association with corporate partners such as Metalcorp will enable us to expand the reach of established programs such as these,” Dr Brumby said.
National Sales and Marketing Manager for Metalcorp Lester Kirkwood said, “Metalcorp will help raise awareness of programs such as these by providing space at our Field Day sites to enable customers access to free presentations by agrihealth professionals from the NCFH.”
“As many of the Metalcorp customers are active on the land this partnership makes good sense. With a safety focus in the design and manufacturing of all Metalcorp’s products, we will take a further step to have our livestock handling equipment reviewed by NCFH to enable a tick of approval indicating it can be operated effectively and safely by both women and men, that work in the rural sector,” Mr Kirkwood said.
To identify that this safety review has been completed, look for the NCFH “tick of approval” sticker located on the Metalcorp livestock handling equipment.
This is a first for the rural sector and lifts the bar on safe use of equipment for handling rural livestock.
Metalcorp provides a percentage of every sale to help fund the NCFH’s research programs and field work, which is designed to deliver better health, wellbeing and safety outcomes for farmers.
For further information please contact: Prof Susan Brumby susan.brumby@wdhs.net
2018-3-10 – Finding common ground at NCFH – Hamilton Spectator
