Farm owner/operators' perceptions of risk associated with confined spaces in agriculture

Farm owner/operators' level of risk awareness about the dangers present in agricultural confined spaces is unknown in Utah. When developing training to reduce deaths associated with confined spaces, human characteristics need to be assessed including lack of skill, knowledge, and levels of risk acceptance to determine effective programming (Beaver and Field, 2007). The purpose of this study was to describe Utah farm owner/operators concerning their current safety practices and risk awareness associated with confined spaces in agriculture. There were no significant differences between operation types on experiencing a close call while working in a confined space, knowledge of anyone injured or killed as a result of working in a confined space, concern regarding death from working alone in a confined space on their operation, concern that working alone in a confined space could result in an injury, fatal risk perception of work tasks, or safety practices. There were significant differences between farm owner/operators who indicated knowledge of anyone injured or killed as a result of working in a confined space and those who did not. These differences were for injury concern, death concern, fatal risk perceptions of confined space work tasks, and self-reported training needs. Farm owner/operators' personal proximity to confined space injury may be more of a predictor for safe work practices and risk awareness. This may enhance owner/operators' safety knowledge and risk-taking perceptions to reduce the likelihood of injuries associated with agricultural confined spaces.