Usability of a Work Process Sheet on Agricultural Machinery Based on Failure Mode and Effect Analysis for Accident Prevention / 日本農村医学会雑誌

ABSTRACT

　　Despite measures being instituted to prevent agricultural workplace accidents, fatalities still occur. Also research studies evaluating and analyzing work processes involving agricultural machinery are rare. The objectives of this study were, on a trial basis, to generate and examine the usefulness of a work process sheet based on failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA) for prevention of accidents. FMEA is used in medical and other fields. Subjects were 18 of 38 farmers who were interviewed using the work process sheet generated, were assumed to be using agricultural machinery, were located in Prefecture B (a rural area), and had agreed to participate in the survey. The results show that the ratio of accidents to incidents was 18. Also, based on the work process sheet for prevention of agricultural workplace accidents, users of agricultural machinery did not pay attention to 10 of the 28 requisite steps. In particular, “I wear a seat belt” and “I regularly use the two-poster safety frame (folding type)”, were commonly not adhered to. Based on the work environment and occupational background, the development of a simpler and more useful working process sheet from an analysis of objective data is warranted.