WCAHS currently has five core research projects. This project, led by Dr. Tim Beatty, focuses on occupational injuries in the agricultural industry.
Dangers of Agricultural Work
Agricultural work consistently ranks among the most dangerous occupations in the US. However, existing data on occupational injuries dramatically understate the true burden of nonfatal injuries in the agricultural industry. In addition, surveillance of agricultural injuries is often reported at too broad a scale to efficiently allocate resources, set policy priorities, and target prevention activities and interventions. Failing to account for differences in occupational categories, crop types, equipment, and geographies may result in an inefficient use of public resources.
Research Aims
With a focus on the western states of Arizona, California, Hawaii, and Nevada, Dr. Tim Beatty’s research will do more with the available data. Using machine learning algorithms to extract additional information from existing surveillance data, state-specific estimates of agricultural injuries for specific crops and tasks will be generated. This means that data will be able to be related directly to injuries by state, crop type, and task.
In addition, the study will build a free dashboard to provide comprehensive data and biannual reports on occupational injuries in agriculture. The aim is that the dashboard and reports will be a useful resource for state and local policy makers, and will facilitate novel and impactful research relating to the health and safety of US agricultural workers.
Future Work
In the next year, previously obtained data will be cleaned and prepared for use with the machine learning model. Additional data will be obtained from other sources including commercial partners. After gaining access to sufficient data, the researchers will implement the machine learning algorithms.
Media Contacts
Dr. Tim Beatty can be reached via email at tbeatty@ucdavis.edu.