The Italian system of data reporting in agriculture occupational health : a critical appraisal

Background.Ariculture is one of the most hazardous sectors in both developing and industrialized countries. Agricultural workers suffer markedly higher rates of accidents and fatal injuries than other workers, with very few resources available for compensation. One of the difficulties in dealing with agriculture is that it is a very complex and heterogeneous sector. Due to inadequate and non-standardized recording and notification systems, official data on the incidence of agricultural occupational accidents and diseases are imprecise, notoriously underestimated, unsatisfactory and inadequate as an indicator for measuring the effect of interventions. Aim. To explore the peculiarities of data reporting systems among agricultural sector focusing on the Italian situation. Results. In recent decades far-reaching national efforts in the sector of occupational safety and health have led to redefinitions and shifts in national policies and priorities, with wide-scale involvement of public and social bodies, field experts, companies, trade unions, public and private insurance agencies. Even so, compared to workers in other sectors, agricultural workers are still under-protected. Conclusions. Occupational safety and health in agriculture need to be addressed with a well-defined strategy and must be integrated into a rural development policy. Integration into the primary health care structure is strongly recommended.