NIOSHTIC-2 Publications Search

The occupational health nurses in agricultural communities program. Identifying and preventing agriculturally related illnesses and injuries.

Connon CL; Freund E; Ehlers JK

AAOHN J 1993 Sep; 41(9):422-428

https://doi.org/10.1177/216507999304100903

00217078

The Occupational Health Nurses in Agricultural Communities (OHNAC) program was described. Objectives included conducting active surveillance of illnesses and injuries affecting farmers, farm workers and farm family members, and using the information for prevention. Ten states had OHNAC nurses in rural hospitals, county health departments and clinics. While surveillance was not new to occupational health nursing, the role of the agricultural occupational health nurse was new. One of the major strengths of the OHNAC program was focusing on the local level interventions, particularly since most often the workplace of the farmer is also his home. Health nurses must assess the workplace, identify exposures or health risks, evaluate hazards, know the work processes that create exposures and health risks, and know how to prevent them. Case based surveillance has broad applicability. Information collected can be used to identify new risk factors or new groups at risk. The data can be used to target programs to reduce or control exposures.

Worker-health; Occupational-health-programs; Agricultural-workers; Occupational-safety-programs; Information-systems; Safety-practices; Information-retrieval-systems; Accident-prevention; Accident-analysis; Occupational-health-nursing

AAJOEP

19930901

Journal Article

1993

9

0891-0162

AAOHN Journal - American Association of Occupational Health Nurses Journal