Effect of Implementing Safety Education Program on the Exposure to Agricultural Work Hazards Among Preparatory School Pupils
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- Category: Vol. 78, September 2010
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Effect of Implementing Safety Education Program on the Exposure to Agricultural Work Hazards Among Preparatory School Pupils,NAGWA M. SALEM, HEND H. MITTWALY, MANAL A. AUEDA and AMEL I. AHMAD
Abstract
Farm labour is a major cause of morbidity and mortality among children, since they face a wide range of health and safety risks. Children have the right to be protected from unsafe or unhealthy work and work environments, and they require higher standards of protection than adults do. Personal protective equipment, when carefully selected, used and cared for, is a vital element of good practice in agricultural tasks and can minimize or eliminate a possible hazard. The study aimed to identify the Effect of implementing safety education program on the exposure to agricultural work hazards among preparatory school pupils. The study was carried out on three preparatory schools in El Mansoura rural areas where the agricultural work is the main occupation of their school pupils, all pupils who work in agriculture and enrolled in the second preparatory classes for the academic year 2006-2007 were listed and included in the study, the sample composed of 101 working pupils. Three tools were designed and used to collect the relevant data from the pupils. The first part includes; socio-demographic data such as; age, sex, and socioeconomic status, occupational data such as; age at start work, different types of hazards and safety measures used in the work place. Second tool is a knowledge test for pupils about child labor law, agricultural hazards, diseases, and safety measures used. The third tool is a field observation checklist, which was developed to assess the farm environment; nature of work performed by children, period of rest, availability and use of safety measures. Results of the present study revealed that working pupils who included in this study had insufficient knowledge, and practice regarding to child labor law, work hazards, and using of safety measures. The implemented safety education program showed a significant impact; as there was a remarkable increase in the pupils' knowledge about child labor law and rights, work hazards, and safety measures. After three months of implementation of the program the pupils knowledge was declined but still higher than before the program regarding the mentioned items. Furthermore; the pupils' practice, was improved regarding the exposure to work hazards, and using personal safety measures.