Preventing Eye Injuries
University of South Florida, Prevention Research Center
Using a community health worker model, the University of South Florida PRCexternal icon improved the use of protective eyewear among citrus harvesters. Researchers trained full-time citrus workers to disseminate eye safety information and encourage the wearing of safety glasses among other workers in the citrus groves. Workers who had 1 to 2 years of experience and who received help from a peer worker were significantly more likely to use safety glasses than were other citrus workers. This model may be applicable to injury prevention in similar agricultural settings.
Access an abstractexternal icon of an article about the research results (through PubMed).
Preventing Eye Injuries Among Citrus Harvesters: The Community Health Worker Modelexternal icon
Florida’s $1 billion citrus harvest is almost entirely handpicked. Citrus industry managers recognize that eye injuries are the most frequent causes of clinic visits.