Using collaborative action planning methods to implement a national agricultural tractor safety initiative

background and objectives: Tractor overturns have long been the leading cause of death on U.S. farms, killing 125 farmworkers annually. When used appropriately, rollover protective structures (ROPS) are effective in preventing death and serious injury during an overturn. Unfortunately, over 50% of U.S. tractors are not equipped with ROPS. In 2006 a social marketing campaign to combat barriers to retrofitting and increase the number of ROPS-equipped tractors was started in New York; it has since expanded into five additional states. Now researchers are working to expand the program nationally.  

methods: Using social networking analysis (SNA), key stakeholders were identified and invited to join a steering committee, which organized and hosted a “Whole System in a Room”  (WSR) workshop.  During the workshop nearly 50 participants from nine sectors worked in small groups to discuss the past, present, and future of tractor overturn issues, identify common work areas, and make commitments to action.

results:Participants identified six “common ground” areas in which all agreed to work from. These areas included collaboration, structure and implementation, technology, coordinated data collection, education, and fundraising. Regulation was not selected as a work area because of stakeholders’ knowledge of farmer opposition.  Participants committed to approximately 100 actions based on these work areas.

conclusions: While a national solution to tractor overturn fatalities has not been possible in the past, a strong coalition has helped to bring this vision to a reality. Since the WSR, coalition members have begun work on commitments and moved toward a national program.