Leading Indicators for Farmers' Work Health and Safety in Western Agricultural Systems: A Systematic Review

Identifying and utilizing valid and reliable farm safety leading indicators will help to ensure farmers' well-being, safety and personal health, as well as the sustainability and the productivity of agricultural operations. This paper aimed to summarise the literature on valid and reliable safety indicators, focused on leading (preventive) metrics, for farmers' health and safety.

All studies on the agricultural population with objective and measurable leading indicators for farmers' health and safety were included. Systematic reviews and original quantitative research studies were included. Five databases were searched: Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, Informit and Google Scholar. Two independent reviewers then conducted the full-text screening in Covidence. An analysis was performed to identify and summarise agricultural safety indicators.

Four studies were included in the review with a total of 71 leading indicators focused on dairy (n = 2), poultry (n = 1) and aquaculture (n = 1). Two studies reported the same set of indicators. Two studies reported content and face validity but no further assessments of validity. None of the studies reported reliability assessments. Two studies found evidence of association between injury and illness and the lead indicators reported.

Further studies focusing on leading indicators for agriculture are required and need to have robust reporting on their validity and reliability to guarantee research quality and efficacy. It is recommended to have a set of leading indicators for agriculture, noting that there should be a manageable number. This study provides valuable insights and serves as a foundation for future research and guidance.