Investigation of the farmers’ Safety and Protective Behavior to Use Pesticides in the Farms

Aim: The main purpose of this study was to investigate the safety and protective behavior of farmers in relation to the application of chemical pesticides in the fields and the factors influencing their behavior. Methods: This quantitative and survey research was conducted in Mahidasht County, Kermanshah Province, in 2016. The population consisted of 170 farmers (N=200) Mahidasht County, who were determined by randomly method. Questionnaire used as a research tool. Validity and reliability of the tool were confirmed by a panel of experts and Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Correlation coefficient and statistical test was used for analyzing the data by SPSS20. Findings: Most people have poor performance in the use of protective equipment when spraying pesticides. There was positive correlation between safety behavior of using pesticides, work experience, economic status, attitudes toward the correct application of pesticides, and participating in training. Conclusion: Due to the farmers' inappropriate performance in safety and protection actions and significance relationship between participation in the training programs and safety behavior, it is necessary to design education programs to improve their knowledge.