BusinessHABAgricultural Safety Analysis: Agriculture is one of the most hazardous of all economic sectors.
And many agricultural workers suffer occupational accidents and ill health each year.
It is also the largest sector for female employment in many countries.
Especially in Africa and Asia. Agriculture employs some one billion workers worldwide.
Or more than a third of the world’s labour force, and accounts for approximately 70 per cent of child labour worldwide.
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Agricultural Safety Analysis
Agriculture ranks among the most hazardous industries.
Farmers are at very high risk for fatal and nonfatal injuries.
And farming is one of the few industries in which family members (who often share the work and live on the premises) are also at risk for fatal and nonfatal injuries.
In 1990, NIOSH developed an extensive agricultural safety and health program to address the high risks of injuries and illnesses experienced by workers and families in agriculture.
NIOSH supports intramural research and funds extramural research and prevention programs at university centers in 10 states.
These programs conduct research on injuries associated with agriculture.
As well as pesticide exposure, pulmonary disease, musculus skeletal disorders, hearing loss, and stress.
Agricultural Safety Analysis
1.Agricultural Safety Analysis: Who’s at Risk?
- Approximately 2,050,000 full-time workers were employed in production agriculture in the in 2017.
- Approximately 1.4 to 2.1 million hired crop workers are employed annually on crop farms.
- An estimated 893,000 youth under 20 years of age resided on farms in 2014, with about 454,000 youth performing farm work.
- In addition to the youth who live on farms, an estimated 266,000 youth were hired to work on farms in 2014.
2. Agricultural Safety Analysis: Fatalities
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- In 2016, 417 farmers and farm workers died from a work-related injury, resulting in a fatality rate of 21.4 deaths per 100,000 workers.
- Transportation incidents, which include tractor overturns were the leading cause of death for these farmers and farm workers.
- The most effective way to prevent tractor overturn deaths is the use of a Roll-Over Protective Structure (ROPS) with a seatbelt.
- In 2014, 62% of tractors used on farms were equipped with ROPS.
- If ROPS were placed on all tractors used on farms manufactured since the mid-1960’s, the prevalence of ROPS-equipped tractors could be increased to over 80%.
Agricultural Safety Analysis
3. Agricultural Safety Analysis:Injuries
- Every day, about 100 agricultural workers suffer a lost-work-time injury.
- From 2008-2010, 50% of all hired crop worker injuries were classified as a sprain or strain.
- In 2014, an estimated 12,000 youth were injured on farms; 4,000 of these injuries were due to farm work.
A national occupational safety and health agenda for the agricultural production industry has been developed as part of the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) process.
Further information on agriculture production safety and health is also available as part of the NORA Agricultural, Forestry, and Fishing Sector activities.
Agricultural Safety Analysis
To focus attention on safety hazards on farms, agricultural workplaces and the general public can observe National Farm Safety and Health Week .
The goal of this article is to raise awareness about safe farm practices.
Especially since harvest season is approaching.
Which is often when more accidents occur because more people are at work on farms.
Agricultural Safety Analysis
For National Farm Safety and Health Week they should take a look at the most common work hazards on farms and ways to alleviate those hazards.
Agricultural Safety Analysis
In some cases, tractors are even involved in roadway accidents.
Because they travel fairly slowly and other vehicles may not see them in time to stop or avoid a collision.
Other significant hazards on farms including grain-handling accidents.
Where workers in grain bins get buried in grain, chemical exposures (often from pesticides) and electrical hazards.
Workers should also be aware of hazards involving dust, hand tools, lifting, livestock handling, manure pits, mud and ponds.
4. Agricultural Safety Analysis: Make Farms Safer:
Proper preparations like machine guarding, personal protective equipment (PPE) and safety training all play a role in reducing the risk of farm accidents.
Let’s examine some safety precautions to help prevent common types of agricultural accidents.
Agricultural Safety Analysis
5. Agricultural Safety Analysis: Machine Guarding and Maintenance:
Agricultural Safety Analysis
Rollovers are common because tractors often operate on uneven ground.
It was reported that in 2012, only 59 percent of tractors had ROPS installed on them.
But if more tractors had ROPS, many injuries and fatalities could be avoided.
Agricultural Safety Analysis
Farmers should consider installing other types of machine guards around any piece of equipment.
That could pinch, crush or otherwise injure an employee during use.
The goal is to prevent workers from reaching or getting pulled into places where they could be seriously harmed.
Additionally, regular maintenance work should be scheduled for vehicles, machines and electrical systems.
Keeping everything in good condition is imperative to avoiding needless accidents.
Related: Finding Seeds and Agricultural Machinery
6. Agricultural Safety Analysis: VISIBILITY FOR VEHICLES AND PEOPLE
In any work environment, it is important for drivers and pedestrians to see each other.
Even in low-light conditions.
Too many back-over accidents occur in construction, and many also occur on farms Reflective tape can make vehicles and farm workers more visible.
Agricultural Safety Analysis
Generally, it’s best to perform work during daylight hours, but sometimes that isn’t possible.
In those cases, reflective tape ca be used on both vehicles and people.
Where it can be applied to clothing to make everything and everyone more visible.
Bright safety vests can also be worn by farm workers, too.
Vehicles like tractors often must drive on roadways.
And when they do, regular traffic is often moving much more quickly.
Weather conditions might make it difficult for drivers to see tractors.
So make sure all vehicle lights are operational, use hazards lights and consider using an escort vehicle.
Bright—not faded—slow moving vehicle signs should also be placed on the back of farm vehicles.
Read also: Top 33 Agricultural Garden/Big Harvest Business in Nigeria
7. Agricultural Safety Analysis: SAFETY SIGNS AND LABELS
Farms aren’t exactly easy to label like manufacturing facilities or warehouses.
Workers are likely working in different parts of the fields each day, and there are few floors and walls to post safety signs on.
There are some steps you can take to make safety more visual in the workplace, though.
First, try posting safety labels on dangerous machinery and vehicles.
Warning labels can alert employees to hazards, and instructional labels can help prevent problems.
Second, post safety signs where you can. If you have a building where workers leave their belongings or check in at the beginning of the day, use the opportunity to convey safety information.Workers must be able to interpret hazard labels on chemicals.
Agricultural Safety Analysis
Third, make sure your chemical labels are clear and up todate.Many farms use chemicals like pesticides and herbicides, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other governing bodies regulate these substances.
Pesticides will likely arrive on site with GHS labels that include information about hazards, handling precautions and health information.
Your workers should know how to read these labels and interpret the information.
Farms should consult the EPA’s Agricultural Worker Protection Standard for information about the use and handling of these chemicals in the workplace.
See also: Top 50 Fresh Jobs for Agriculturist in Nigeria
8.Agricultural Safety Analysis: Protective equipment for farm workers:
The kinds of protective equipment needed on farms vary by task, and safety gloves, boots and clothing may all be involved. Chemical handling, for example, may require a certain type of glove, while picking crops may require another.
Workers who enter grain bins should wear lifelines.
Some work tasks take place in dangerous locations like grain bins.
When a worker needs to enter a grain bin and work above the grain or stand on grain.
He or she should wear a body harness and lifeline.
Because the grain can move and cover the worker, acting like quicksand.
Agricultural Safety Analysis
If a worker is engulfed in grain without wearing a lifeline, the survival rate is only about 20 percent.
The weather can also play a large role in worker safety.
If it’s hot outside, cooling clothing may be needed.
If it’s cold, extra layers are likely in order.
Farmers will need to evaluate the conditions on the farm at the beginning of the day.
In addition to the tasks that will be performed to determine what types of protective equipment workers should wear.
Finally, make sure clothing itself isn’t a hazard.
If farm workers are near machinery with moving parts, loose-fitting clothing can get caught.
Avoid wearing loose-fitting clothing, drawstrings, jewelry or anything else that could get tangled.
Related: Top 30 Oil/Gas Business Health/safety Tips in Nigeria
9. Agricultural Safety Analysis:FARM SAFETY TRAINING
All the safety precautions listed above can go a long way to help keep farm workers safe.
But without proper training, many of these precautions won’t be nearly as effective as they need to be.
Workers need to learn how to properly operate farm vehicles and equipment, read safety labels like those on chemical containers, handle dangerous materials and use personal protective equipment.
In some regions, many farm workers are temporary workers hired just for harvest or planting.
In these cases, the workers will be unfamiliar with the safety practices employed on the farm and will need to receive appropriate instructions before beginning work.
Read also:Business Opportunities in Agriculture Sector in Nigeria
10.Agricultural Safety Analysis: Work health and safety duties
Farm owners and managers need to protect their workers.
Under the WHS Regulations, owners and managers need to make sure that workers and other people on the farm are not exposed to risks to their health and safety.
The best ways to protect workers Include:
- Eliminate hazards, which means getting rid of things that can kill or hurt workers. If that is not possible then you must minimise the risks, so far as is reasonably practicable.
- Choose the safest equipment for your farm’s needs and ensure it is well maintained.
- Choose the safest chemicals and closely follow the manufacturers’ instructions.
- Ensure all workers and visitors know about the risks on the farm and how to manage these.
- Ensure workers have the skills to work safely, for example when handling animals and using farm equipment.
- Closely supervise new and inexperienced workers.
11. Agricultural Safety Analysis:Quad bikes and tractors
- All tractors should be fitted with rollover protection.
- Safe tractor access platforms can prevent serious injury or death from tractor run-over.
- Rollovers are a major risk. Don’t ride or drive across steep slopes.
- Don’t overload the bike or tractor or use it for things it is not meant to do.
- Always wear a helmet when riding a quad bike.
12. Agricultural Safety Analysis:Agriculture: a snapshot
- The sector has the highest proportion of self-employed workers (46%) of any industry.
- It employs a higher proportion of older workers than any other industry (16% are aged 65 and over).
- There are many hazards on farms that are less common in other workplaces, such as:
- augers, tractors, motorbikes and quad bikes
- chemicals—pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers
- animals
- extreme weather conditions.
- Farm workers often work alone:
- lifting heavy loads or operating machinery by themselves
- have fewer opportunities for sharing practices, observing and learning from others
- help or first aid isn’t always nearby if an incident occurs
- farms may be remote, without mobile phone coverage.
This code of practice is intended to raise awareness of the hazards and risks associated with agriculture.
And promote their effective management and control.
To help prevent occupational accidents and diseases and improve the working environment in practice.
To encourage governments, employers, workers and other stakeholders to cooperate to prevent accidents and diseases.
To promote more positive attitudes and behaviour towards occupational safety and health (OSH) in agriculture throughout the sector.
Ensure that good workplace health and safety practices are applied to all workers in the workplace regardless of age or gender.
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