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| 2. |
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| 3. |
- Lindahl, Cecilia, et al.
(author)
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Occupational Health and Safety Aspects of Animal Handling in Dairy Production
- 2013
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In: Journal of Agromedicine. - 1059-924X .- 1545-0813. ; 18:3, s. 274-283
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Livestock handling in dairy production is associated with a number of health and safety issues. A large number of fatal and nonfatal injuries still occur when handling livestock. The many animal handling tasks on a dairy farm include moving cattle between different locations, vaccination, administration of medication, hoof care, artificial insemination, ear tagging, milking, and loading onto trucks. There are particular problems with bulls, which continue to cause considerable numbers of injuries and fatalities in dairy production. In order to reduce the number of injuries during animal handling on dairy farms, it is important to understand the key factors in human-animal interactions. These include handler attitudes and behavior, animal behavior, and fear in cows. Care when in close proximity to the animal is the key for safe handling, including knowledge of the flight zone, and use of the right types of tools and suitable restraint equipment. Thus, in order to create safe working conditions during livestock handling, it is important to provide handlers with adequate training and to establish sound safety management procedures on the farm.
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| 4. |
- Lunner Kolstrup, Christina, et al.
(author)
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Current status of the equine sector in the central Baltic region (Finland, Latvia and Sweden)
- 2013
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Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- This report covers basic descriptions and characteristics of the equine sector, including statistics on number of horses, horse farms, employment, current structure and recent dynamics in the horse sector in Finland, Latvia and Sweden and also the mobility (e.g. trade, import, export and tourism) within the Central Baltic Region. The information was gathered through literature reviews, round table discussions and interviews with equine organisations and stakeholders, and through visits to farms with equine business activities in each of the three countries. Horses in Finland, Latvia and Sweden At the moment the horse population in Finland is growing steadily. In 2010 there were about 75 000 horses. Most of these are warm-blooded trotting horses, but riding horses are becoming increasingly popular as riding as a hobby increases in popularity. Approximately 35 000 people own at least one horse and co-ownership is becoming a common way of owning a horse with relatively small costs and responsibilities, especially among trotting sports. There are approximately 16 000 stables, of which over 3 000 are business orientated. These numbers are still only estimates, because Finland is lacking a comprehensive register of stables and stable enterprises. Although statistical data on the number of horses, breeds, herds, stables etc. are being collected and are available in Latvia, there is still a lack of statistical data that characterise the sector in relation to employment, provide an idea of the financial results, and characterise horse uses for tourism or therapy purposes. For example, there are no data on the number of people working with horses. This is perhaps related to the perception of the sector as being located within the context of horse breeding. Statistical data show that the number of horses in Latvia in general has decreased, from 15 250 in 2005 to 11 476 in 2012, and the current trends indicate that it could decrease even more. The number of livestock has decreased correspondingly, from 9814 in 2005 to 5577 in 2012. More than 84% of all farms have 1 to 5 horses, and only a few farms have more than 100 horses. The number of horses in Sweden decreased in the early 1920s from about 700 000 to about 70 000 in the 1970s. During the past 30 years the number of horses has increased tremendously, but the trend seems to be stagnated the last few years. Today there are approximately 362 700 horses and about 20% of all horses in Sweden are within business establishments. The number of horses per 1 000 habitants is 39 for the whole country and Sweden is now estimated to have the second highest density of horses per capita in Europe. There are approximately 77 800 establishments involving horses in Sweden. The equine businesses have on average 4.7 horses and provide full-time or part-time work for a total of 25 000 people. About two-thirds of those working with horses are women. Horse related legislation in Finland, Latvia and Sweden Environmental legislation is one of the broadest judicial systems in Finland. It consists of a number of different laws and regulations, relating to waste disposal, water protection, environmental protection, land use and construction. After EU membership, environmental legislation in Finland was harmonised with EC (European Community) legislation, especially in the case of environmental protection and conservation. The main environmental legislation concerning the horse sector in Finland consists of following laws, directives and regulations: 1) Environmental protection law and regulation, 2) Waste law and regulation, 3) EU waste incineration directive, 4) By-product regulation, 5) Nitrate regulation, 6) Law concerning dead animals in remote areas, 7) The law on processing household water in remote areas, 8) Health protection law and regulation, 9) Fertilizer law, 10) Conservation law, 11) Land use and construction law and 12) Law about neighbourliness. According to the requirements of the Ministry of Agriculture, the policy of the horse breeding sector in Latvia is based on: a) Horse breeding is performed according to the targets stated in the breeding programme, which are based on production of high quality animals, preservation and improvement of the genotype through purposeful use of the breeding stock and improvement of horse monitoring, b) The importance of the development of horses and equestrian sports within the framework of the common agricultural policy is emphasised in order to encourage development of the rural environment, and c) Horse breeding is compliant with welfare regulations. National and European Union aid for the development of the agricultural sector is allocated to horse breeding too. Most of it consists of aid for breeding measures in the equine sector. Currently there are no specific regulations in Latvia which define requirements for keeping horses. Horse breeding is not distinguished separately within the field of animal welfare in Latvia and therefore the main document is the Animal Protection Law. Its norms are general, while Cabinet Regulation No 959 ´Welfare Requirements for the Keeping and Training of Sport, Work and Exhibition Animals and Use Thereof in Competitions, Work or Exhibitions´ does not specify actions with horses and can easily be interpreted in different ways. There is no measurable evaluation system to assess fulfilment of the requirements in the Cabinet Regulations. The law stipulates the actions and activities which may be undertaken with an animal and those which are strictly forbidden and lists the institutions that should supervise compliance with the law and the welfare requirements. Latvia lacks the basis of normative documents that would specifically regulate personal safety in the horse breeding sector and in businesses related to horse use. Therefore the common normative basis has to be considered, the foundation of which is the ´Labour Protection Law´. The foundation of Swedish environmental legislation is the Swedish Environmental Code. The purpose of the Swedish Environmental Code is to promote sustainable development which will assure a healthy and sound environment for present and future generations. The Code is a legislative framework based on a number of fundamental principles permeating international environmental protection and resource management. These include the "precautionary" principle, the "polluter pays" principle, the "product choice" principle and principles governing resource management, natural cycles and appropriate siting of industrial (and other) operations and remedial measures. The main environmental legislation in Sweden concerning the horse sector consists of the following laws, directives, ordinances and regulations: 1) Environmental Code, 2) Ordinance concerning environmentally hazardous activities and the protection of public health, 3) Ordinance on environmental consideration in agriculture, 4) Nitrate directive, 5) Water directive, 6) Swedish guidance on storage and spreading of manure, 7) Regulation on environmental consideration in agriculture as regards plant nutrients, 8) Ordinance on inspection and enforcement according to the Environmental Code, 9) Ordinance on self-inspection by operators, 10) Ordinance on animal by-products, 11) Ordinance on fees for examination and supervision under the Environmental Code and the fees ordinance, 12) Regulations on the protection of the environment, in particular the soil, when sewage sludge is used in agriculture, 13) Regulations on consideration for natural and cultural values in agriculture, 14) Ordinance on environmental penalty charge, 15) The Planning and Building Ordinance, 16) The Land Code. In Sweden the occupational safety and health issues in general are regulated in the Work Environmental Act (SFS 1977:1160), in the Work Environmental Ordinance (SFS 1977:1166) and in several provisions. There is no specific legislation regarding occupational health and safety in the horse sector. However, these issues are included in the provision Working with animals (SFS 2008:17). Some results of the round table discussions in Finland, Latvia and Sweden In general, the participants in round table discussions in Finland were hoping for concrete solutions and examples of low-cost and easy help for everyday businesses. Entrepreneurs with lower profitability need more support, but the challenge is to get them involved in education or advisory events. The riding sector at least is much divided, with some businesses having as many customers as they can serve, and others who are constantly on the edge of bankruptcy. To help those small and medium-sized enterprises that need help the most, the project should produce advice that can immediately be used in practice, and concrete results and solutions. The problem with small and medium-sized businesses is the lack of capital and the related impossibility of investing large amounts of money in new technologies or large-scale facilities. In this sector the profitability and competitiveness are often low, but small changes in operations could improve these. Many business owners are still lacking business skills and they may not see what they could use as a competitive advantage. The current understanding of the equine sector in Latvia has to be reconsidered or a better understanding has to be created. Therefore the policy guidelines and the aid to the sector will have to be reviewed. For example, according to the view of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Latvia, the equine sector only concerns breeding and accordingly state aid is predominantly provided for this purpose. The Latvian Horse Breeding Association also considers breeding to be its priority, but several representatives of the tourism industry expressed the opinion that horse breeding should be reconsidered, paying special attention to the Latvian horse breed, which could be interesting for foreign and local tourists as a special feature of
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| 5. |
- Lunner Kolstrup, Christina
(author)
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Storskalig grisproduktion – framtidens arbetsplats?
- 2011
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Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Svensk grisproduktion har genomgått omfattande strukturomvandlingar genom åren med en minskning av antalet gårdar och samtidig en ökning av besättningsstorlek. Expansionen av produktionsenheterna har inneburit flera anställda. För att kunna framstå som attraktiva arbetsplatser inom storskalig grisproduktion har expansionen medfört större fokus på betydelsen av en god arbetsmiljö på gårdarna. Arbetsvetenskap, Ekonomi & Miljöpsykologi (AEM) vid Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet (SLU) i Alnarp (tidigare en del av institutionen för jordbrukets biosystem och teknologi), genomförde 2002-2004 en omfattande undersökning. I undersökningen följdes det dagliga arbetet på ett 10- tal gårdar med storskalig grisproduktion under ett helt verksamhetsår med hänsyn till den fysiska och den psykosociala arbetsmiljön. Syftet med undersökningen var att visa vad som behövs av ett storskaligt produktionssystem gällande teknik, arbetsmiljöfaktorer, arbetsorganisation, arbetsledning och individ för att verksamma, oavsett ålder, kön och kroppskonstitution, kan klara att arbeta i storskalig grisproduktion och behålla en god hälsa samt känna arbetet som utvecklande och positivt. Resultaten av undersökningen visade att det fortfarande finns bekymmer i relation till den fysikaliska, kemiska och fysiska arbetsmiljö. Dåliga klimatförhållanden i form av drag och stora temperaturskillnader mellan stallavdelningar och andra utrymmen, skrikande grisar, buller från ventilation och högtryckstvätt samt höga dammhalter i stallarna var arbetsmiljöfaktorer som ungefär 30 % av djurskötarna kände sig besvärade av. Dessutom upplevde djurskötarna, framförallt de kvinnliga, mer belastningsbesvär i de övre extremiteterna än männen. Bland kvinnorna hade 20 % besvär i nackregionen (11 % bland männen) och 26 % hade besvär i axlarna (15 % bland männen). I undersökningen framkom också att skrapning av gödsel, kastrering, seminering, flyttning och vägning av grisar samt rengöring av stallavdelningar med högtryckstvätt var arbetsmoment som djurskötarna och speciellt de kvinnliga djurskötarna upplevde som fysiskt ansträngande. Skrapning av gödsel ansågs, förutom att vara ett fysiskt tungt och tidskrävande arbete, även som ett tråkigt och ”meningslöst” arbete. Den psykosociala arbetsmiljön var generellt sett bättre jämfört med resultaten från en liknande undersökning gjorts inom storskalig mjölkproduktion i södra Sverige. De sysselsatta inom storskalig grisproduktion upplevde att de hade stort inflytande och goda utvecklingsmöjligheter i arbetet. Ledarskapet samt det stöd och den information grisskötarna fick från deras arbetsledare och arbetsgivare var generellt bättre jämfört med resultaten från mjölkgårdarna. Kan storskalig grisproduktion bli framtidens arbetsplats för den yngre generationen? Ja - det finns goda möjligheter att arbetsplatser inom storskalig grisproduktion kan bli attraktiva och lockande för ungdomar och kanske speciellt för kvinnor. Det finns problemställningar i relation till arbetsmiljön som behöver åtgärdas, men det finns också möjligheter och förutsättningar att skapa attraktiva arbetsplatser. Om ett arbete inom storskalig svensk grisproduktion i fortsättningen vara attraktivt för såväl den unga som den äldre generationen och för både män och kvinnor – då är det viktigt att i fortsättningen vara uppmärksam på och ständigt förbättra den fysiska såväl som psykiska arbetsmiljön inom branschen. Lika viktigt är en fokusering på att skapa och implementera en bild av att, arbeta med grisar, är positivt, prestigefyllt och ett arbete med många möjligheter.; -- During the past twenty years, Swedish pig production has undergone considerable structural development. The number of farms has decreased and the herd sizes have increased. The expansion of the number of animals and the farm production has involved a need to employ more workers. A larger focus on a good work environment on the farms has become an important issue in order to attract competent livestock workers. The department of Work Science, Business Economics & Environmental Psychology (AEM) at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) in Alnarp (former part of the Department of Agricultural Biosystems and Technology), conducted a study during 2002-2004 focusing on the physical and psychosocial work environment on ten large pig farms. The purpose of the study was to show what is needed of a large-scale production system regarding technical solutions, work environment, work organization, leadership and the individual, in order for workers irrespectively of age, gender, physical and mental capacity to be able to work in large-scale pig production, maintain a good health and find the work rewarding and developing. The results showed that there were still human health concerns regarding the physical and chemical work environment. Thirty percent of the livestock workers regularly experienced discomfort from different factors in their work environment such as the climatic conditions in the pig barns (e.g. draft and large variation in temperature between different barn sections), loud noises from squealing pigs, ventilation shafts and the high pressure washer along with high dust concentrations. Ache, pain and discomfort in the musculoskeletal system was frequently reported among the livestock workers. In particular, the females more frequently reported musculoskeletal symptoms in the neck (20 %) and in the shoulders (26 %) compared to their male colleagues (11 % and 15 %, respectively). The results also showed that the livestock workers, especially the females, experienced manual removal of manure, gelding of piglets, artificial insemination, moving and weighing of pigs and periodic cleaning of barn sections with a high pressure washer as physical hard work. Besides being physical strainfull and time consuming to manually remove manure in the pig barns, the livestock workers also regarded this work task as boring and ‘meaningless’. In general, the livestock workers in this study rated their psychosocial work environment better compared to a similar study conducted among livestock workers in large-scale dairy production. The livestock worker in this study felt that they had a large degree of influence and possibilities for personal development in their work. Furthermore, the livestock workers also rated the leadership, the support and information they received from their employers higher compared to the results from the dairy study. Could large-scale pig production become a future work place for the younger generation? Yes – there is a good potential for these work places to be attractive for young workers and maybe especially for female workers. However there are concerns regarding the work environment which needs to be improved. Workers should be able to work to retirement age without getting repetitive strain injuries. It is of great importance to be aware of this and continue to improve the physical as well as the psychosocial work environment if these work places ought to attract young as well as senior workers, male as well as female workers in the future. Furthermore, it is important to implement an image in society that working with pigs is a fun, meaningful, developing and prestigious work and an occupation with possibilities
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| 7. |
- Lunner Kolstrup, Christina, et al.
(author)
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Ergonomics in Modern Dairy Practice: A Review of Current Issues and Research Needs
- 2013
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In: Journal of Agromedicine. - 1059-924X .- 1545-0813. ; 18, s. 198-209
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Dairy farming is an ancient occupation. Traditionally, cows have been manually milked while tethered in stalls or stanchions. In the latter half of the 20th century as machine milking emerged, the parlor milking system has become more popular, especially among larger dairy farms. The transition from manual milking to automatic milking systems as well as the transition from stanchion to parlor milking systems involved a dramatic change in milking tasks. These transitions have resulted in changing patterns of occupational exposure to risk factors for work-related musculoskeletal disorders among dairy workers. However, aspects of the milking task such as sanitization of teats, stripping milk from teats, and attachment and detachment of milking equipment have remained relatively the same. Work-related musculoskeletal symptoms have been reported in the low back, shoulders, hands/wrists, and knees. Research that has measured exposures to risk factors for work-related musculoskeletal disorders among dairy farm workers has been limited, especially when using ergonomic tools to directly measure exposure, such as electrogoniometry or electromyography. Self-reported exposure measures have been most commonly used. The interventions that have been tested to reduce exposure to risk factors for work-related musculoskeletal disorders include assisted lift-hold devices, use of lighter-weight equipment, adjustable flooring, and use of rubber mats. However, research evaluating potential solutions to reduce dairy farm worker exposure to risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders is scarce. Future research efforts should further characterize hazards while simultaneously testing viable solutions that fit within the business model of the dairy farm industry.
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| 8. |
- Lunner Kolstrup, Christina, et al.
(author)
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Förebyggande av belastningsbesvär vid arbete i mjölkproduktion - råd och exempel på lösningar
- 2013
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Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Antalet mjölkproducenter fortsätter att minska och storleken på besättningar för kvarvarande mjölkproducenter blir allt större. Satsningar på storskalig produktion och nya tekniska lösningar innebär stora förändringar vad gäller djurskötarens arbetsförhållanden. Arbetstakten och arbetstiden för enskilda arbetsmoment, som t.ex. mjölkning, tenderar att öka. Denna förändringsprocess har resulterat i ett förändrat arbetsmönster och exponering för olika riskfaktorer, som det är angeläget att ha kunskap om för utveckling av effektiva, och preventiva åtgärder i djurskötarens arbetsmiljö. Det finns en rad olika åtgärder som mjölkproducenter i de olika mjölknings-systemen kan och har vidtagit för att minska arbetsbelastningen och därmed risken att utveckla belastningsbesvär. I det uppbundna systemet kan t.ex. installation av mjölkningsräls rekommenderas för transport av mjölkningsutrustning, hinkar, etc. Även en organvagn eller mjölkarbälte som fördelar tyngden över höfterna istället för på rygg axlar och armar är lämpliga transportalternativ. Automatisk avtagare på mjölkmaskinerna och användning av mjölkpall minskar belastningen på rygg och knän. Lättare och ny design av mjölkningsorgan reducerar belastningen på hand-handled. Nya dockningssystem för att minska arbetshöjden för framförallt skuldror/axlar reducerar också belastningen. Dessutom minskar lättare mjölkningsslangar belastningen på de övre extremiteterna. I lösdriftssystemet då mjölkningen sker i grop av typen fiskben/parallell eller i karusell system är ett höj- och sänkbart golv att rekommendera. Gummimattor på golvet minskar belastningen på ben och fötter. Automatisk avtagare i kombination med en avlastningsarm (supportarm) på vilket mjölkningsorganet är fastsatt minskar belastningen på hand och handled. Det finns ett behov av fortsatt utveckling av tekniska hjälpmedel som kan underlätta arbetsbelastningen vid mjölkningen. Fortsatt forskning behövs också som avser mjölkproducenters trivsel och livskvalitet, upplevd stress och fritidsaktiviteter samt hur dessa och liknande faktorer påverkar förekomsten av belastningsbesvär. Strategin för förebyggande åtgärder och intervention måste innefatta faktorer som berör den fysiska arbetsplatsen (byggnader, redskap, utrustning) såväl som individfaktorer och levnadssätt, såsom kön, ålder, längd, vikt och fritidsaktiviteter.
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| 9. |
- Lunner Kolstrup, Christina, et al.
(author)
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International Perspectives on Psychosocial Working Conditions, Mental Health, and Stress of Dairy Farm Operators
- 2013
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In: Journal of Agromedicine. - 1059-924X .- 1545-0813. ; 18, s. 244-255
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Dairy farm operatorsfarmers, workers, and family membersare faced with many demands and stressors in their daily work and these appear to be shared across countries and cultures. Dairy operators experience high psychosocial demands with respect to a hard work and production ethos, economic influences, and social and environmental responsibility. Furthermore, both traditional and industrial farms are highly dependent on external conditions, such as weather, fluctuating markets, and regulations from government authorities. Possible external stressors include disease outbreaks, taxes related to dairy production, and recent negative societal attitudes to farming in general. Dairy farm operators may have very few or no opportunities to influence and control these external conditions, demands, and expectations. High work demands and expectations coupled with low control and lack of social support can lead to a poor psychosocial work environment, with increased stress levels, ill mental health, depression, and, in the worst cases, suicide. Internationally, farmers with ill mental health have different health service options depending on their location. Regardless of location, it is initially the responsibility of the individual farmer and farm family to handle mental health and stress, which can be of short- or long-term duration. This paper reviews the literature on the topics of psychosocial working conditions, mental health, stress, depression, and suicide among dairy farm operators, farm workers, and farm family members in an international perspective.
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