YOUNG WORKERS IN AGRICULTURAL SAFETY

Young Workers in Agricultural Safety

Young Workers in Agricultural Safety

Introduction

Agriculture is one of the most hazardous industries, globally. In EU member countries, agriculture has about 6 injuries per 100 workers per year, and about 12 fatal injuries per 100,000 workers. Over 40% of agricultural workers feel they are in danger at work. More than half of agricultural workers report exposure to musculoskeletal conditions. Over 15% report exposure to skin and respiratory diseases. About 4% suffer from work-related respiratory illnesses. Over 20% suffer from noise exposure at work, and more than 40% suffer from too rapid pace of work. Occupational diseases are about twice as frequent in agriculture (58 out of 10, 000 employees), compared to all industries (27.5 out of 10, 000).

Problem Statement

Various preventive strategies have been developed to reduce agricultural injuries and illnesses, including education, training, engineering, regulations, enforcement, incentives, and multi-faceted approaches. Agricultural occupational health service has been an important approach in Finland, approximately 40% of farmers are members. Norway has developed a similar OHS service with approximately 8,000 members. Sweden also had a similar program in the 1970's and 80's but due o lack of funding, this program is no longer active. In the USA, AgriSafe clinics and the Certified Safe Farm program use a similar approach. In other countries, such as Germany and Ireland, regulatory and enforcement approaches have had a stronger role. Many other countries exclude self-employed farmers from enforcement of safety regulations. Engineering interventions have included standards for new machinery. Due to global markets, such standards have increased the use of many safety features, including Rollover Protective Structures and machinery guarding. Safety education has been a traditional approach, utilizing various forms of training and working with the media to inform farmers about hazards. Incentives have been used increasingly to encourage the uptake ...