USE OF SHERPA FOR THE PREVENTION OF HUMAN ERRORS AMONG AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY USERS

Despite the ever stricter safety regulations and standards, the number of accidents in the agricultural sector is still relevant. The reports on occupational accidents in this sector highlight that most serious and fatal accidents are related to both the use of machinery that are not in conformity with safety protection requisites, and their misuse. The present study aims to investigate the latter aspect, focusing on the analysis of human error by means of the Systematic Human Error Reduction and Prediction Approach (SHERPA) method. In particular, we analyse the operators’ behaviour and risk perception while performing agricultural activities with pedestrian controlled self-propelled machines. Results achieved show the lack of safety awareness, especially among self-employed and part-time agricultural workers, fostering the need for a more consistent effort to improve information and communication on safety issues among farmers