A study of personal protecttive equipment used among tobacco planters in bachok

The use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) among tobacco planters in Bachok area (Perupok, Telong and Repek) influenced by their income and mindset. Most of the tobacco planters in these areas would not use the proper PPE during the application of pesticides. Factors that influence them in use of PPE are the price of PPE in the market which consider to be expensive, they want the PPE to be subsidized and provided by government, and their mindset which they would prefer not to use PPE properly to work faster and finished their work earlier even they know that pesticides can caused health risk and PPE could minimized the exposure of pesticides. 15 questions of questionnaire used in collecting data from 100 tobacco planters as respondents in Bachok which consist of Perupok, Repek, and Telong area. From the results obtained correlation between tobacco planters demographic with the PPE results all were not significant, which mean they have low awareness in the using of PPE and its influenced by their mindset and the their income, the price of PPE in the market and the demand of PPE to be subsidized by government. Correlation between number of dependents, marital status, income, with the affordable in buying PPE showed significant values, therefore these items were associated and related to each other. Same goes to correlation between income with the price of PPE in the market showed a significant value. These items were the factors that influenced tobacco planters in the use of PPE. Majority tobacco planters have high income, married, low educational status, high number of dependents, scored PPE is expensive and score for health concern in pesticides application. They also demand the PPE to be subsidized by government. The mindset of tobacco planters, using PPE was not really helpful in their working and they prefer to buy something that they think is more worth to their dependents rather than buy PPE.