The development of a ‘train the trainer’ approach has great potential to vastly improve farm safety adoption and culture of persons living and working on farms.
The approach would see farmers assume the role of a ‘trainer’ and adopt better practices by improving their knowledge around farm safety.
Therefore, with the ‘trainer’ trained, they can then act as role models for learners and can provide on-going supports, thus building culture change.
This is a key finding of a recent PhD study conducted by Dr. Aswathi Surendran at the University of Galway (UG).
The study was completed as a component of the Teagasc be safe behavioural farm research project, funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
Dr. Surendran explained that the aim of the ‘train the trainer’ component of her PhD research was to equip farmers with the knowledge, skills and resources related to farm vehicle stopping distances and driver visibility blind spots to reach out to others on their farm.
Over the decade to 2023, farm vehicles have caused 44% of all farm fatalities, with vehicle speed and visibility due to blind spots being a major contributory factor.
Thus, improving farmer knowledge of these aspects of farm vehicle use is crucial to cut farm workplace fatality levels.
At one of three experimental training sessions held as part of the study, attended by 19 farmer participants, a training exercise required each farmer trainee to estimate the farm vehicle stopping distance at a speed of 7km/hour.
84% underestimated and nobody overestimated the correct stopping distance.
Overall, the exercise convinced participants of the need to demonstrate stopping distances on their farms, with participants describing the exercise as ‘eye opening’.
Regarding farm vehicle blind spots, the farmer trainees completed an exercise in groups of three on identifying blind spots using a model of a child.
The exercise caused a ‘sense of disbelief’ at the size and position of blind spots. This led to heightened awareness of this issue from both a driver and pedestrian perspective.
Farmer trainees agreed to comply with a ‘voluntary training procedure agreement’ with persons participating in training to gain a shared sense of responsibility and set clear goals for the training sessions.
Following the farmer trainer session, 90% (17) provided follow-up training to an average of 2.47 person including workers, farm employees, family members and neighbours.
Train the trainer
Dr. Denis O’Hora was the lead supervisor of the study, and he explained that by empowering trainees, the ‘train the trainer’ model has the capacity to vastly increase knowledge transmission and adoption to more people in both a time and cost effective way.
Dr. O’Hora also stated that the ‘train the trainer’ approach improves the practicality of training as it challenges the trainer to identify gaps in their own knowledge.
He added that it proves the saying that ‘teaching is one of the best ways to learn’, with trainers also learning from their learners.
Vitally, the ‘train the trainer’ approach also motivates trainers to adopt best practice themselves to avoid dissonance with knowledge and skills that they have imparted.
Dr. O’Hora acknowledged that the ‘train the trainer’’ approach has limitations, as it requires time and energy along with building and maintaining relations to allow this approach to work.
Teagasc health and safety specialist Dr. John McNamara, stated that there are currently over 135,000 farms with about 270,000 persons either working or living on these farms.
He said there is “huge potential” to use the ‘train the trainer’ approach to improve farm safety culture.