Lutte contre les cercosporioses du bananier aux Antilles françaises - Évaluation et amélioration des techniques disponibles d’épandage aérien et terrestre

Optimiser les traitements aériens et trouver des solutions alternatives terrestres sont les objectifs du projet de recherche Optiban, afin d’aider les acteurs de la filière antillaise de production de bananes à lutter efficacement contre les maladies du bananier tout en respectant les réglementations et en préservant l’environnement. Focus sur les différents travaux engagés et les premiers résultats des études

Certiphyto : Formation pour réduire l’utilisation des produits phytopharmaceutiques ? Regard croisé entre une sociologue et une expologue

International audienc

Physiological Strain in French Vineyard Workers Wearing Protective Equipment to Conduct Re-Entry Tasks in Humid Conditions

International audienceThe proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE) plays an important role in reducing exposure to pesticides in vineyard farming activities, including re-entry tasks. However, discomfort from clothing systems may increase the physiological burden on workers. We compared the physiological burdens of vineyard workers wearing three different types of PPE during canopy management in field humid conditions while accounting for occupational, climatic, and geographical environments. The study was conducted in the Bordeaux vineyards of southern France during June 2012. A total of 42 workers from seven vineyards consented to field observations. The following PPE garments were randomly allocated: HF Estufa polyamide (Brisa®), Tyvek® Classic Plus, and Tychem® C Standard. Participant sociodemographic characteristics were collected using a structured questionnaire. Skin temperature and heart rate were monitored continuously using portable devices. Multivariate multilevel linear regression models were performed to account for the hierarchical structure of data. No significant difference was found for mean skin temperature during work. Regardless of the cardiac strain parameter considered, the Tyvek® Classic Plus garment produced the poorest results (P ≤ 0.03). Under the very humid conditions encountered during the field study, the thinness and breathability of the Tyvek® Classic Plus garment resulted in undergarment humidity, imposing additional physiological burden on vineyard workers. These results confirm that the idea of using generic coveralls in any farming activity is unsuitable. Compromises should be created between physiological costs and protection, depending on the agricultural task performed, the crop grown, and the environmental conditions encountered

Heat stress and cardiac strain in french vineyard workers

International audienceAgricultural workers often produce considerable excess heat due to the physically demanding nature of their activities, increasing their risk of thermal stress in even moderately warm conditions. Few studies have examined the physiological responses to heat load in agriculture. We aimed to assess the heat strain experienced by vineyard workers during canopy management in dry field conditions, and to disentangle the effects of the heat produced by the body and the thermal environment. Thirty workers from five Bordeaux vineyards of southern France were monitored during vine-lifting and trellising (June 2012). The mean heart rate, net cardiac cost, relative cardiac cost, and cardiac workload score were assessed during field activity. As the workers were nested within vineyards, multilevel linear regression models were used for correct inference. Skin temperature increased by an average of 1.0°C. Cardiac indices showed marked differences between individuals. The workload was evaluated as ’heavy’ or ’very heavy’ for more than one-third of the workers, of whom one experienced heat exhaustion. Above some individual characteristics, we highlighted a contextual effect (air temperature) for the mean heart rate (P = 0.03), the relative cardiac cost (P = 0.01) and, to a lesser extent, a cardiac workload score (P = 0.07). Canopy management by hand in vineyards causes considerable cardiac and thermoregulatory strain. Appropriate instruments should be developed to simultaneously evaluate work intensity, work quality, and productivity at the vineyard level to raise the awareness of both managers and employees about taking preventive measures

Development and psychometric evaluation of a safety climate scale for vineyards

International audienceBackground - This study aimed to develop a questionnaire-based tool measuring the safety climate in vineyards and to assess its psychometric properties. Methods - A literature search was conducted to identify the dimensions and items that constitute the safety culture construct in various occupational sectors and to draft a conceptual framework. Content validity appraisal was performed by 16 farm managers or pesticide operators. The resulting preliminary conceptual framework consisted of 9 dimensions and 42 questions. Then, a telephone survey was conducted in the French Aquitaine (Bordeaux) region with 312 vineyard workers. Item-total correlation tests, Cronbach's alpha analysis and a principal component analysis were performed to confirm the unidimensionality of the scale under construction. Structural equation modeling (SEM) techniques were used to verify the model hypothesized from the exploratory analyses and to determine how well it fits the data. Results - Exploratory analyses resulted initially in a 9-dimension, 20-item safety climate questionnaire. Internal consistency proved good with a Cronbach's alpha equal to 0.81. The SEM approach suggested two dimension groupings for a better fit of the data (7 dimensions operationalized through the same 20 items). Internal model parameters showed that the more influential dimensions of safety climate were Management commitment, Communication and feedback, Rules and practices, and Knowledge (all standardized path coefficients ≥ 0.7). Conclusions - Owing to its good psychometric properties, we hope this score will help in drawing up relevant interventions aimed at improving safety culture, raising pesticide risk awareness, and hopefully inducing more sustainable practices in the medium-term future

Contribution à l'évaluation de l'exposition aux produits phytosanitaires des professionnels par la voie respiratoire

Les pesticides sont présents à des degrés divers dans les compartiments de l'environnement et les denrées alimentaires. Des pathologies sont attribuées à leurs expositions chroniques. Mais, les études épidémiologiques conduisent à des résultats souvent divergents, en raison des effets différés et de la difficulté à évaluer précisément les expositions. L'objectif de ce travail est d'estimer l'exposition des professionnels par inhalation, la voie la moins renseignée. Les concentrations au voisinage de l'applicateur lors de la manipulation des produits sont de l'ordre du g.m-3. Ceci conduit à des expositions annuelles variant d'une dizaine de g à plusieurs centaines de mg en fonction des pratiques agricoles. Seuls ceux qui traitent fréquemment et sans équipement de protection présentent une surexposition professionnelle qui les distinguent de la population générale. La contamination des denrées alimentaires doit être renseignée afin de mieux caractériser l'exposition des populations.RENNES1-BU Sciences Philo (352382102) / SudocPARIS-BIUP (751062107) / SudocSudocFranceF

Mesure du climat de sécurité en agriculture auprès de participants à une formation Certiphyto : le projet Vit'All.

International audienceUn des objectifs du projet Vit'All est d'évaluer l'impact d'une formation portant sur le bon usage des produits phytosanitaires (Certiphyto) non pas en termes d'acquisition de connaissances, mais en termes de perceptions et de comportements en matière d'utilisation des produits phytopharmaceutiques. Le public cible est composé de professionnels hommes et femmes, ayant le statut d’exploitants agricoles ou salariés avec utilisation de produits phytosanitaires, et suivant une formation Certiphyto. Un score de climat de sécurité en agriculture est proposé en début et fin de formation. Un volet qualitatif est associé avec observations terrain et entretiens avec les formateurs. Les résultats de cette recherche devraient permettre de mieux comprendre les résistances au changement, de promouvoir des attitudes et pratiques plus vertueuses en matière de santé et sécurité au travail et d’en déduire des actions d’amélioration des formations en tenant compte des besoins des agriculteurs formés

Safety climate scale for vineyards: an external validity study

International audienceObjectives: Agriculture entered the discussions about safety climates late, despite being one of the most hazardous industries. We recently developed a safety climate scale in Bordeaux vineyards, for which we provided good evidence of reliability and construct validity (). In this study, we aimed to establish the external validity of this safety climate scale with the help of an independent national sample of vineyard professionals.Population and methods: We approached vineyard managers and operators during compulsory training and certification procedures for pesticide-related activities. Trainees giving informed consent for participation in the study were asked to complete a safety climate questionnaire at the start and end of a training session. In total, 406 vineyard managers or operators completed the questionnaire at the start of the study, 37 of whom declined to complete the questionnaire at the end of the training session, leaving 369 subjects available for pretraining/post-training comparisons. Statistical comparisons were based on t-tests and mixed models for repeated measures.Results: A mean safety climate score of 82.91 (SD: 9.06) was obtained in the initial survey in the Bordeaux region, whereas the safety climate score was estimated at 83.78 (SD 10.39) in this nationwide survey (P = 0.23). A significant increase was observed after the training course, for the safety climate score (7.5%, P < 10(-15)) and for each of its 7 dimensions (P < 10(-4) or less), in both univariate and multivariate analyses. However, the magnitude of these increases varied with dimension, ranging from 2.4% for rules and best practices to 15.5% for communication and feedback.Conclusions: External validity was demonstrated by transferability and sensitivity to intervention. This safety climate scale can now be considered to provide a good inference of the safety culture, with a meaning generalizable across vineyards