Research
Safety Culture and Risk Management in Agriculture (SACURIMA)
Agriculture is one of the most hazardous industries in Europe, as measured by work-related injuries, illnesses, disabilities and deaths. An EU Co-operation in Science and Technology (COST) Action is currently in progress (2017- 2021) to explore why agriculture lags behind other sectors of the economy.
An EU COST Action is a 4 year long project where network of scientists meet and work together on a specific project of international interest to achieve key objectives and Goals. This COST Action has the acronym SACURIMA, abbreviated from its title: Safety Culture and Risk Management in Agriculture.
This COST Action will produce benchmarked and evidence-based recommendations to inform and guide national initiatives and efforts. The results will be made available to the scientific community, policy makers, vocational training, administrative and insurance personnel, farmers and practitioners working towards better social sustainability and safety culture in agriculture.This Cost Action (SACURIMA) is exploring various approaches to prevention and compliance programmes across Europe and the wider world and is seeking to identify why some countries have been more successful than others in reducing work related injury and illness in the agriculture sector. To achieve this Cost Action has established 5 Working Groups.
The SACURIMA network currently has 66 scientists participating from 32 EU COST Action affiliated countries and 3 Near Neighbour and International Partner countries. These scientists are participating in the following 5 Working Groups (WG) to achieve the objectives of the Action as follows:
- WG1: Identify and evaluate health and safety programmes and approaches on the national level.
- WG2: Identify and evaluate health and safety programmes and approaches on the national level
- WG3: Identify effective models for training and integrating vulnerable populations, including refugees and the young
- WG4: Develop means and indicators for monitoring progress and evaluating impact of interventions in agriculture.
- WG5: Disseminate results to stakeholders and the agricultural community
Agriculture is one of the most hazardous industries in Europe, measured by work-related injuries, illnesses, disabilities and deaths.The Irish participants in the SACURIMA Cost Action are:
- Dr John McNamara, Teagasc Health and Safety Specialist, Vice Chair and Management Committee Member.
- Mr Patrick Griffin, Senior Inspector, Health and Safety Authority, Science Communications Manager and Management Committee Member
- Dr Aoife Osborne, FBD Lecturer in Farm Health and Safety, UCD. Management Committee Substitute Member.
- Dr David Meredith, Senior Research Officer, Teagasc, Management Committee Substitute Member.
Further Information can be obtained at the following Websites:
https://www.sacurima.eu/
https://www.cost.eu/actions/CA16123/
A video on SACURIMA Cost Action on Farm Safety filmed in Ireland can be viewed at: