Increasing Machine-Related Safety on Farms: Development of an Intervention Using the Behaviour Change Wheel Approach

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Safety
• Behavioral Science
• Public Health Interventions

Background:

• Farming has high injury rates, with machinery posing significant risks to farmers and workers.
• Tractor-related incidents are a leading cause of serious harm in agricultural settings globally.
• Developing effective interventions requires understanding and modifying farmer behaviors.

Approach:

• A systematic, four-phase development process was employed, integrating evidence, theory, and stakeholder input.
• The Capability-Opportunity-Motivation-Behaviour (COM-B) model and Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) guided intervention design.
• Focus groups and expert consultations identified target behaviors and intervention components, including addressing tractor blind spots.

Key Points:

• Three priority farm safety practices were identified, focusing on machine-related risks.
• The intervention consists of four components delivered in group sessions for farmers.
• The development process established a template for creating theory-based, farmer-centered safety interventions.

Conclusions:

• The systematic development process provides a replicable model for creating agricultural safety interventions.
• The intervention targets specific behaviors to enhance machine safety on farms.
• Future trials will assess the acceptability, feasibility, and fidelity of the developed intervention components.