Stress and fatigue have been identified as a key cause of agricultural accidents in the UK, according to new research.
The study, by the University of Aberdeen, found that lapses in situation awareness, related to stress and fatigue, were a main contributory factor in farming accidents.
Agriculture is the most dangerous industry in the UK, and according to the HSE, farm deaths rose by 60% this year to a total of 34 fatalities, significantly higher than the five-year average.
As part of the university's project, it interviewed 15 farmers from Ireland and the United Kingdom.
They were asked to describe a farming accident when they were tired or stressed followed by several questions about their general experience of stress and fatigue in farming.
The results showed that situation awareness lapses were present in all accidents and incidents reported and that many lapses occurred at the ‘perception’ level, such as a failure to notice something.
Other lapses in situation awareness were described at the ‘comprehension’ level in the form of an incorrect or incomplete understanding of the situation, such as misjudging the size of a vehicle.
Some of these incidents were attributed to a recent change in equipment or machinery or over-familiarity with existing equipment.
Study lead Ilinca-Ruxandra Tone said: “We wanted to find out what the sources of stress and fatigue in farming are and how these factors might influence farmer safety.
"Moreover, we wanted to explore the link between stress and fatigue, situation awareness lapses and safety in farmers – something that no one has looked at until now."
She said the study found consistently that farmers’ stress and fatigue could negatively affect their mental picture of what was going on, which led to accidents and incidents.
“This is hugely significant given that stress and fatigue are prevalent issues in agriculture, alongside more serious mental health issues," Ilinca-Ruxandra Tone added.
"Our findings extend our knowledge to establish a link between stress and fatigue and situation awareness.”
The team will present their findings as part of Farm Safety Week in a fatigue in farming webinar with the Farm Safety Foundation on Tuesday 20 July.
