[Health care in agricultural work in the Sicilian Services of Prevention and Healthcare].

Abstract

Agriculture is a work sector at high risk for the health of those who work there. The services of prevention and safety in the work area of the AA.SS.PP. (Provincial Health Agencies) of the Sicilian Region began a program of prevention, in the three year term 2010/2013, in this sector. A plan that has been laid out in the "Regional Plan for Prevention and Safety in Agriculture and Fowl Farming" outlined in DA (Administrative Decree number 1174/10. To be able to activate such a plan, the SPreSAL (Prevention and Health Service for the Work Area), have received extra resources that have permitted us to reach pre-planned objectives. The activity carried out brought to light serious defects, in respect to the maintenance of health and safety at work. These tend to derive mainly from the individual and family typologies of companies in the sector. For a more efficient activity of prevention we have shown the opportunity to underline and empower the preventative activity of a support type, rather than surveillance, and to reinforce the Services in such a way that, with their multi-disciplinary competences, they will be able to recover their capacity to carry out a direct control over the risk factors present in the work area.