Occupational Health Safety Precautions Instructions regarding Pesticides' Use Practices among Egyptian Farmers

Abstract

Background: The risks associated with pesticides are becoming more widely recognized as a community health issue that can be avoided with sufficient understanding and safety health training. Aim of the study: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of occupational health safety precautions instructions regarding pesticides' use practices among Egyptian farmers. Design: A quasi-experimental research design using pre/ post-test. Setting: This study was conducted inside the Egyptian agricultural association at El Hamrawy principal village, Kafrelsheikh Governorate Subject: A simple random sample of (134) Egyptian farmers. Tool: A structured interviewing sheet includes 4 parts. Part (1): Demographic & socioeconomic information of farmers, Part (2): Health complaints related to farmers' pesticides use, Part (3): Farmers' knowledge toward health effects of pesticide use pre- and post-test, part (4): Farmers reported practices regarding pesticides use pre and posttest. Results: Reveals that the total knowledge score of farmers toward the health effects of pesticide use improved from 11.9 % in the pretest to 56.7% after implementation of the occupational health safety precautions instructions (P<0.001). Moreover, there was a highly statistically significant improvement towards total health safety practices level pre- and post-instructions (23.1%, 81.3%) respectively at (P≤ 0.001). Conclusion and Recommendation: The results of this study concluded that farmers' knowledge and safety practices of pesticides use had been improved after the implementation of occupational health safety precautions instructions with statically significant differences between pre & post instructions. Regular teaching programs are recommended for farmers to emphasize the significance of safety precaution instructions for pesticides use. Additional researches are required to increase awareness of pesticides hazards related to storage and usage, as well as protective strategies.