Assessing Youth Safety Knowledge through the Agriculture Experience Tracker (AET)

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Education
• Occupational Safety
• Youth Development

Background:

• Agricultural education programs serve youth aged 14-19.
• Assessing safety knowledge in this demographic is vital for preventing workplace injuries.
• Many young agricultural workers lack formal safety training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the safety knowledge of high school students in agricultural education programs.
• To identify factors influencing safety knowledge among young agricultural workers.

Main Methods:

• A safety knowledge exam was administered to 1478 high school agricultural education students (May 2019-June 2020).
• Exam questions were derived from the National Safe Tractor and Machinery Operation Program curriculum.
• The 50-question exam covered diverse agricultural safety topics.

Main Results:

• Overall test scores averaged in the low 60s, indicating a need for improvement.
• Eighth-grade students scored highest (average 78), while 9th and 10th graders scored lower (46 and 56, respectively).
• A significant majority (74.4%) reported no formal safety training.

Conclusions:

• High school agricultural education youth possess variable safety knowledge.
• Targeted research and ongoing safety education are essential for enhancing young agricultural workers' safety behaviors.
• Addressing the lack of formal training is critical for improving agricultural safety outcomes.