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| AGRI 3001: Issues in Agricultural Health and Safety
is a series of on-line modules on agricultural health
and safety designed for agricultural students, farm
managers and owner-operators, and anyone else who
wishes to obtain a better understanding of the health
and safety issues present on Canadian farms. The focus
of the program is to describe the health and safety
situation in the agriculture industry, the major health
and safety risks in this industry and highlight the
importance of improving the current situation. |
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The Modules:
Module 1: Issues in Agricultural Health & Safety
This introductory module provides a detailed look at the state
of health and safety on Canadian farms. It highlights the
causes of disease and incidents on Canadian farms and introduces
the importance of improving agricultural health and safety.
This module sets the foundation for the rest of the modules
in the course.
Module 2: Models of Health Behaviour Change
Provides a look at the theories and models that attempt to
explain the factors that influence behaviour change. Understanding
these factors is necessary when trying to improve the health
and safety behaviours of individuals and communities.
Module 3: Managing Farm Health and Safety
This module gives an overview of the importance of farm safety
from a management standpoint, the costs associated with farm
incidents, and the benefits that result from reducing those
incidents. Key areas of emphasis are the implications of recent
changes in the legal aspects of OH&S, responsibilities
under the provincial OH&S acts, and the tools available
to assist farmers in managing farm safety risks.
Module 4: Agricultural Machinery
This module examines tractor and equipment incidents as a
major cause of farm fatalities and injuries. It identifies
the main types of tractor and equipment hazards and covers
the basics of safe tractor and equipment operation. It also
provides information on reducing agricultural machinery incidents
through education, engineering and enforcement of legislation,
discussing the pros and cons of each of these methods.
Module 5: Agricultural Chemicals
Examines the reasons why agricultural chemicals pose a health
risk to farmers and farm workers. Also discusses the difference
between classes of agricultural chemicals, focusing on pesticides.
The symptoms of pesticide poisoning and long term health effects
of pesticide use, including cancer risks, as well as environmental
effects of pesticide use are also examined.
Module 6: Safe Livestock Handling
This module covers the importance of safe livestock handling
and the main types of hazards associated with handling livestock,
with animal diseases, and with the drugs that are used on
livestock operations. It also highlights differences between
livestock species in terms of physiology and psychology. It
emphasizes the benefits of good livestock handling and identifies
strategies to assist in the development and implementation
of safe livestock handling procedures.
Module 7: Occupational Health
This module covers the main types of other health hazards
present on farm operations and identifies strategies for minimizing
the risks posed by those hazards. It also examines the importance
of the health and safety climate and ways to improve the health
and safety climate. Health hazards covered include respiratory,
climate issues, cancer and eye and ear.
Module 8: Agricultural Family Dynamics
This module is divided into two mini-modules: Agricultural
Stress and Child Safety on the Farm. The mini-modules
examine the dynamic relationships that exist between members
of the farm family and their emotional and physical health.
It will also discuss the unique role of children on the farm
and their risk factors for injury and illness.
Module 9: Risks
This module expands on Module 2: Models of Health Behaviour
Change. Before successful interventions can be designed
to improve agricultural health and safety, it is necessary
to understand why people engage in dangerous behaviours and
why people take risks. In addition to general risk taking
behaviour, this module also discusses the specific risk taking
activities of farmers and farm workers and the factors that
play a role in these behaviours.
Module 10: Improving Agricultural Health and Safety
The current strategies to improve agricultural health and
safety are discussed in this module as well as why these strategies
have succeeded or failed. Ideas for future strategies are
examined. Several different types of interventions are discussed
and recommendations for the agricultural industry as well
as research initiatives are mentioned.
Completion of the Course:
Each module has a series of readings and activities in selected
topics as well as self-tests to help you review and assess your
understanding of the material before completing the Module Test.
You are expected to read all of the
Required Readings
and complete all of the
Activities. In addition,
there may be
Activities throughout the modules
and/or a
Final Module Assignment found at the
end of the Module that will need to be submitted to the course
TA for evaluation. This should be done using the
Assignment
function in Moodle. There are also a number of topics in each
module which you will be asked to comment on in the Discussion
Forum. The
Discussion Forum contributes a maximum
of 27% to your final grade. At the end of each module (except
Module 9) there is a Module Test which must be completed. The
Module Test contains a selection of questions from the Self-tests
and the readings throughout the module. Before completing the
Module Test, you must complete the Module Survey. Although you
are not marked on the
Module Survey, it will
provide valuable feedback to help us improve the course.
Participants may take as long as they wish to cover the
material in each module; however, the assignments must be
submitted on specific dates (see the Calendar function
in Moodle for due dates).
Also included in some of the modules are optional Suggested
Activities and Additional Resources sections.
These sections are not required for completion of the course,
but present further sources of information on key topics in
the module. It is hoped that you will use these sections to
expand your knowledge on agricultural health and safety. If
you live or work on a farm, these resources may offer you
practical advice on improving, planning and implementing a
health and safety program.
Course Details
| Instructor |
L. Sanderson |
| Prerequisites |
Students must have at least third-year standing. |
| Dates offered |
January 2012 |
| Registration Deadline |
N/A
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| Tuition fee* |
$566 - Canadian residents
$1132 - International students |
| Distance Education fee* |
$40 |
| Required text |
Donham, KJ. and Thelin, A. 2006. Agricultural Medicine:
Occupational and Environmental Health for the Health
Professions. Blackwell Publishing, USA.
Materials
Order Form |
*Tuition rates are in effect until
April 30, 2012. NSAC reserves the right to make changes
without notice in its published scale of charges for tuition
and other fees.
How to Apply
This course is available
for academic credit and you must meet NSAC's admission
requirements. You must submit the Admission/Readmission
Form with your application and have the last academic
institution you attended send a transcript of your marks
to NSAC's Registry Office. To take this course for academic
credit, follow the steps in the Academic
Credit Application Process.
You also have the choice
of taking this course for non-credit. If you take the course
for non-credit, you are not required to complete assignments,
tests or examinations. You will not be issued a grade at the
conclusion of the course. To take this course for non-credit,
follow the steps in the Non-credit
Application Process.
Distance Education
If you have not taken a course
through distance education then you may want to read our Frequently
Asked Questions.
The Technical
Requirements page has information about computer and internet
requirements.
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