The workers keeping our country’s food supply spinning face some of the biggest occupational risks. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) shares that agricultural employees and farm workers face elevated risks for on-the-job injuries and deaths. NIOSH data shows that the fatality risk for these workers is seven times higher than private industries overall. In addition, more than 21,000 non-fatal injuries requiring days away from work occur across the agriculture industry. Here’s a look at the reasons why this industry poses so many risks.
Physical Strain
Agricultural work generally includes intensive physical labor for eight to 12 hours per day. The physical work needed for most agricultural work is also extremely repetitive. This can create repetitive-stress injuries from harvesting/picking or maintaining crops.
In addition, this type of work often includes constant walking and bending motions. Chronic neck and back pain are serious risks that workers may not be aware of when they first begin their jobs. In addition, many agricultural tasks performed throughout the course of a shift require the use of heavy equipment. Workers are often required to lift heavy machinery or buckets.
Exposure to Heavy Machinery
Agricultural workers interact with heavy machinery throughout their days. The risk is there whether workers are manning machinery or simply working in the vicinity of extremely large and powerful equipment. Items like harvesters, heavy trucks, tractors, grain bins, and automated processors all pose risks for rollovers, entanglements, suffocation, and more. The burden falls on the employer to maintain machinery properly. There must also be protocols for signaling when machinery is in use.
Risks for injuries from heavy machinery are always present at agricultural sites. They are increased when employers don’t follow rules for proper training and certifications. Many pieces of equipment on a farm can only be handled by workers with specific certifications.
Extreme Noise
Heavy machinery used in agricultural settings doesn’t just pose risks for strain. Machines and vehicles used on farms are also extremely loud. Regularly being exposed to 85 decibels of sound for eight, 10 or 12 hours at a time can trigger noise-related hearing loss in people. This is why employees in work settings with noise exposure need to have protocols for providing ear protection and limiting the amount of hours of continuous noise exposure.
Exposure to Farm Chemicals
Agricultural workers are exposed to heavy concentrations of pesticides and agricultural chemicals on a daily basis. This includes fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, and other industrial-strength chemicals. Issues like respiratory distress and headaches can incapacitate employees. The risks are higher when workers are in a position to directly inhale or come into skin-to-substance contact with harmful materials. Skin and eye burns are also daily risks when coming into contact with agricultural chemicals.
In addition, agricultural workers face long-term risks tied to chronic exposure. This can include things like reproductive issues, cancer, lung issues, and more. The truth is that special certifications are often needed before a worker can handle farm chemicals. Workers who haven’t undergone training may not understand the risks.
Exposure to Animals
Agricultural settings that involve livestock come with additional risks. Kicks, bites, scratches, and trampling incidents can result in acute and life-threatening injuries. In addition, workers exposed to fluids from animals can be at risk for multiple disease and infection strains. There are many risks for zoonotic diseases that can be passed from animals to humans.
Agricultural settings with animals also pose health risks that don’t necessarily stem from direct contact with animals. For example, dust from feed and bedding can trigger lung scarring or asthma. Environments with animals can also be filled with fungal spores that can be inhaled.
Poor Working Conditions
This last category is sadly more common in the agricultural industry than many people realize. Some agricultural sites can be rugged and remote. The employer may not put in the time, planning, and funding to cultivate a clean and functional working site. This can result in a lack of clean drinking water that workers can access during their work hours. In addition, a shortage of water at the site can prevent workers from washing and sanitizing their hands when needed. This can even make it impossible to wash skin or eyes in the event of a spill.
Why Agricultural Accidents and Injuries Are So Common
Each injury case is unique in the agricultural industry. However, the responsibility often falls on the employer in these situations. A lack of awareness about the dangers that are present can cause workers to participate in practices without proper risk assessment. In addition, protocols for dangerous activities may not be clearly explained.
Things like following proper communication protocols, wearing the right protective equipment, and limiting exposure time to materials or sounds within a work setting are all important for worker health and safety. However, workers may not know about these common practices if they aren’t trained. What’s more, employers may discourage proper health and safety practices out of a desire to cut corners to save time and money.
Many agricultural workers wrongly assume that an injury is their fault. They may have been shamed or blamed at the job site after something went wrong. This caused them to assume they don’t have any recourse with their employer. In reality, an injury of any level that takes place at an agricultural work setting should result in a talk with a work injury lawyer. Getting the details down surrounding the incident as quickly as possible can help a worker to identify where the employer did not meet their legal and ethical responsibilities for protecting workers and maintaining a safe, compliant workplace. For more information about workplace safety and your legal rights, Work Injury Advisor can be an excellent resource.
