Occupational Health and Safety of Workers in Agriculture and Horticulture

Abstract

Working in agriculture and horticulture gives considerable job satisfaction. The tasks are often interesting; you can see the result of your own work, watch your crop grow and mature; you have an affinity with nature and can follow the changes in the seasons. However, today it is a dangerous work environment fraught with occupational injuries and diseases due to hazardous situations and to physiological, physical, biological, chemical, psychological, and sociological factors. The ongoing rapid development may, on the other hand, bring about many changes during the next decades with more farmers and growers switching to organic production. Moreover, increased awareness of animal welfare also may lead to improved working conditions. Large-scale operations with fewer family-operated agricultural businesses might mean fewer injuries among children and older farmers. A consequence of large-scale operations may also be better regulation of working conditions. The greater use of automation technology eliminates many harmful working postures and movements when milking cows and carrying out other tasks. Information technology offers people the opportunity to gain more knowledge about their work. Labeling food produced in a worker-friendly work environment may give the consumers a chance to be involved in the process.

Work-Related Injuries and Fatalities on Dairy Farm Operations—A Global Perspective

“…Farmers and farm workers are exposed to a variety of work factors or hazards (e.g., injuries caused by machines and animals), which can affect their safety and health. [3][4][5][6][7][8] Dairy farming has long been known to be associated with a high risk of injury among workers. [1][2][3][4] The purpose of this paper is to provide an update on what is known about dairy farms and related injuries in different regions of the world.…”

Association between pain intensity, neck disability index, and working conditions among women employed in horticulture

“…Frequent outdoor work can involve problems with high and low temperatures, as well as solar radiation, moisture and drafts. This can cause temperature change stress, with women more sensitive to an increase in ambient temperature than men [22].…”

O reflexo da ausência de políticas de incentivo à agricultura urbana orgânica: um estudo de caso em duas cidades no Brasil

“…As práticas sustentáveis utilizadas na agricultura, comumente chamadas de modelos alternativos, estão baseadas nos princípios da agroecologia, que integra diversos saberes para o uso adequado de recursos ambientais na atividade agrícola 16 . Uma prática bastante conhecida é a agricultura orgânica, que tem como principal característica a supressão do uso de agrotóxicos para a produção de alimentos 17 . O uso de agrotóxicos vem sendo estudado ao longo dos anos e os malefícios vão desde intoxicações, câncer ou tremor, até a contaminação do solo, da água e dos alimentos 18,19 .…”