Important occupational health hazards in agriculture

Main Objectives:
  • To create an awareness about causes of health hazards, risks and fatalities in agriculture.
  • To impart the knowledge on preventive measures of health hazards in agriculture.
  • To enlighten the farmers on use of first aid in emergencies.

In agriculture, farmers work under open condition in natural environment, which expose them to various occupational hazards, especially more caused due to handling of chemicals and machineries. Besides, natural hazards are caused due to snakebite, wild animal attack, etc. Knowledge on preventive and curative aspects of these occupational hazards would reduce risks and ensure the safety to the farmers.

Exposure Health Effect Specificity to Agriculture
Hot Weather Dehydration, heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heat stroke, skin cancer Most agricultural operations are performed outdoors
Snakes,insects Fatal or injurious bites and stings Close proximity results in high incidence
Sharp tools Injuries ranging from cuts to fatalities Most farm situations require a wide variety of skill levels for which workers have little knowledge
Physical labour,carrying loads Back pain and body pain Agricultural work involves uncomfortable conditions and sustained carrying of excessive loads
Pesticides Acute poisoning or chronic poisoning Pesticides can be hazardous and must be used with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Dusts,fumes Irritation of the eyes and respiratory tract Agricultural workers are exposed to a wide range of dusts and gases during plant protection with few exposure controls and limited use of PPE
Gases,pathogen
  • Skin diseases such as fungal infections and allergic reactions
  • Parasitic diseases such as malaria, sleeping sickness and hookworm
  • Animal related diseases such as anthrax, bovine tuberculosis and rabies (at least 40 of the 250 animal related diseases are occupational diseases in agriculture)
  • Cancers
  • Workers are in direct contact with environmental pathogens, fungi, infected animals, and allergenic plants
  • Workers have intimate contact with parasites in soil, waste water/sewage, dirty tools and unhygienic housing
  • Workers have ongoing, close contact with animals through raising and sheltering
  • Agricultural workers are exposed to a mix of biological agents, pesticides, and diesel fumes, all linked with cancer
Others Electricity shocks, fire, road accidents, livestock and wild animal attacks, falling into wells, lightening, psychological depression, suicides, etc. Loss of life and injuries and suffering to the dependents