Health and safety hazards in Northwest agriculture: setting an occupational research agenda

Agriculture is among the most hazardous occupations in the United States. Research can provide new insights about disease and injury and serve as the foundation for occupational health and safety policies. The determination of research priorities can be problematic. Public participation approaches offer opportunities to identify and integrate various perspectives.

The agenda process was modeled on the NIOSH National Occupational Research Agenda. Center staff contacted representatives of producer groups, labor, health care, academia, and public agencies to participate in telephone interviews and a daylong workshop.

Twelve research priorities were identified: musculoskeletal disorders; respiratory disease; skin disease; traumatic injuries; chemical exposures; special populations at risk; social and economic foundations of workplace safety; risk communication barriers; diagnostic approaches; hazard control technology; intervention effectiveness; and surveillance research methods.

The agenda process engaged stakeholders in priority setting. The resulting document is a useful guide for occupational safety and health in agriculture.