The document discusses health, safety, and environmental hazards in the agriculture industry. It notes that agriculture employs a large portion of the population but also exposes workers to various risks. It outlines physical, chemical, biological, ergonomic, and other hazards including those from machinery, noise, vibration, extreme temperatures, livestock, pesticides, and poor housing/sanitation. The document emphasizes prevention through elimination, substitution, and engineering controls before use of personal protective equipment. It provides examples of hazard identification techniques like body mapping and discusses issues like manual handling, confined spaces, and ergonomics.

1. Health, Safety & Environmental
Hazards in Agriculture Industry
ANKUR SHARMA
Master of Industrial Hygiene & Safety

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Introduction
Agriculture is the most important occupation in our country
employing about 60% of population
Agriculture and allied sectors contributed around 20 per
cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP of India)
Agriculture is a very diverse industry that includes multiple
occupational and environmental exposures and widely
varying work practices
Agriculture has been defined as all forms of activity
connected with
 Growing
 Harvesting
 Primary processing of all types of crops
 Breeding, Raising and Caring of animals
Source: (WHO)

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Introduction
Agriculture sector has important role in the growth of India.
technological advancement in the agriculture sector in India
has been seen in India in the last 2 decades which also
results in the heath & safety issues of agriculture worker.
There is also need of the grain management across the
country where the heath & safety issues are associated with
it.

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Introduction
Existing problems of this population
– Environmental stress and strain – Extreme climatic
conditions
– Very poor Housing and sanitation
– Problem of malnutrition
– Exposure to physical and biological agents
– Poor socio economic conditions predisposes to infectious
diseases
– Recent introduction of modern agricultural techniques like
• Mechanization of agriculture operations
• Use of various chemicals such as pesticides, fertilizers
and animal feeds (Hormones and Antibiotics) has led to
emergence of newer occupational health problems

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Hazard & Risk
A “hazard” is anything with the potential to do harm,
whereas
a “risk” is the likelihood of potential harm from that hazard
being realized.

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Hazard & Risk, for example
The hazard associated with power-driven agricultural
machinery might be getting trapped or entangled by
moving parts.
The risk may be high if guards are not fitted and
workers are in close proximity to the machine.
If however, the machine is properly guarded, regularly
maintained and repaired by competent staff, then the
risk will be lower.

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Mechanical Hazards
Poorly designed and/or guarded agricultural machinery is a
major cause of fatalities and accidents. Injuries from cutting
tools are another major risk.

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Physical Hazards
 Noisy machinery, and noisy working environments such as
intensive livestock houses
 Excessive vibration from tractors, chainsaws and so on
 Deaths and injuries from falls
 Asphyxiation in grain silos, wells and so on
 Solar radiation resulting in skin cancers
 Extreme temperatures when working outside and inside glass
houses
 Deaths and injuries from working with livestock

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Biological Hazards
Agricultural workers are at risk from a wide range of
work related diseases and disorders.
These range from diseases caught from birds and
animals to asthma and other lung diseases from
biologically contaminated dusts.

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Psycho-social hazards
These include problems that can cause ill health such as
low pay, sexual and other harassment, job insecurity, poor
promotion mechanisms, delay in payment of salaries.

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Work Organisation Hazards
These include hazards that are caused by
poor work organization such as
badly organized shift work and working hours,
excessive overtime,
lone working,
lack of control over work.

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Ergonomic hazards
These include hazards associated with the failure to
make the job fit the worker and can cause permanent
injuries and disablement. For example:
 Badly designed machinery
 Prolonged static working positions
 Repetitive work
 Unsuitable tools used by workers
 Poor seating

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Chemical hazards
Chemicals such as
 Pesticides, Fertilizer and solvents can result in health hazards ranging
from poisoning to long term effects on female and male reproduction,
cancers and so on.

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Environmental hazards
 Agricultural work can also create environmental hazards beyond
the immediate workplace. For example,
 workers and their families,
 local communities, and
 the environment can become contaminated by pesticides in spray
drift,
 polluted water and soil,
 as well as through consuming local crops,
 meat and fish containing pesticide residues.
This additional exposure greatly increases the risks of ill health
especially when this is linked to poor diet and malnutrition.

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Prevention is better than cure
The best way of protection is to take action before
occurrence of a fatality, injury, or an illness.

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Steps for prevention and control
When confronted with a hazard it is important to
approach prevention and control techniques in the
following strict order.
1. Ask whether the hazard can be eliminated. For example,
remove the need to use a toxic pesticide by using organic
farming methods
2. If the hazard cannot be prevented or eliminated, consider
substitution with a less risky process or substance in the
case of chemicals

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3. If a hazard cannot be
prevented through
elimination or substitution
consider control options, in
the following order:
 Technical/engineering
control
 Enclosure
 Isolation
 ventilation
 Safe systems of work
 changing work schedules
 extending rest periods
 training and information
 Issuing Personal Protective
Equipment (PPE)
 But only as a last resort to
supplement other control
measures listedabove. For
example:
 Coveralls
 Masks
 Respirators
 Goggles
 boots
 Other Methods
 general cleanliness of the workplace
 personal hygiene and care
 medical health surveillance

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Hazard Identification Techniques
Body mapping
Hazard mapping
 Involving members when carrying out HS&E checks
Health surveys
 Information exchange in meetings and informal discussions

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Body mapping:
Provides an easy and effective way to encourage
workers to speak out and report symptoms of ill health
that they suffer
Promotes collective action and builds trade union
organization
Identifies common patterns of health problems
amongst workers in a particular workplace or doing the
same job
Highlights areas for further investigation and action

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Body mapping

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Hazard Mapping
Aims: help us to:
 Identify priority hazards
 Discuss the potential risks from these hazards
 Develop plans to deal with the risks

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Hazard Mapping

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Examples of hazards
Physical hazards – noise, radiation, vibration, temperature
Chemical hazards – pesticides, dusts, diesel exhaust fumes
Biological hazards- infectious diseases, bacteria, body fluids
Work design hazards – ergonomic hazards, working alone
Stress hazards – workload, harassment, discrimination,
shiftwork

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TASK: In your small group:
Draw a typical work activity/ workplace you are all
familiar with
Place as much detail in the drawing as possible –
people, tools, materials chemicals
When the map is complete, mark hazards using pens
(coloured if they are available) on the drawings
Make sure that there is someone in your small group
that briefly notes down
What is said around the body map

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Planning the next steps:

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Enclosed and confined spaces
Dangers can arise because of:
 Lack of oxygen
 Poisonous fumes, welding fumes, gas or vapour
 Drowning
 Liquids and solids (for example, grain) which can suddenly fill the
space or release gases into it
 Fire or explosion
 Residues in tanks or vessels or impregnating internal surfaces
 Dust
 Heat

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What is ergonomics?
Ergonomics is the study of work in relation to the
environment in which it is performed (the workplace) and
those who perform it (workers).
It is used to determine how the workplace can be designed
or adapted to the worker in order to prevent a variety of
health problems and to increase efficiency;
in other words, to make the job fit the worker, instead of
forcing the worker to conform to the job.

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Application of Ergonomic
Without the application of ergonomic
principles, tools, machines, equipment and
workstations are often designed without due
consideration being given to the fact that
people are of all different heights, shapes and
sizes, and have different levels of strength.
Women workers have suffered particularly in
this regard.

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What does ergonomics cover?
Ergonomics is a broad science encompassing the wide
variety of working conditions that can affect worker comfort
and health, including factors such as:
Lighting and temperature
Noise and vibration
Tool, machine and workstation design
Footwear and protective equipment
Work organisation and job

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Manual handling-Hazards
 Manual handling includes lifting, putting down, pushing, pulling,
carrying, moving or supporting a load by hand or bodily force.
 It is not just the weight of the load that can cause injury: the size
and shape, the available grip, the way that the load is carried,
where and how often it has to be carried, and over what distance,
all play a part.
 Workers may suffer from musculoskeletal problems such as
aches, strains and sprains as a result of manual handling.
 These can also be caused by other tasks which involve repetitive
movements, force, unusual postures, prolonged pressure on
ajoint, badly organized working practices or work environment.

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Effects on health can include
Sprains or strains
Backache
Sciatica
Hernias
Arthritis
swelling of the wrist, forearm, elbow and shoulder

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Reduce the risk of injury by:
Using mechanical assistance, for example, sack trucks
Changing the type of load, for example, 20kg bags
rather than 50kg
Finding improved ways of handling
Providing training for workers where manual handling
cannot be avoided

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Even where technical/engineering controls, safe systems of work and other
techniques have been applied, it is possible that some hazards might remain.
These hazards may lead to injuries to the:
 Lungs, for example, from breathing in contaminated air
 Head and feet, for example, from falling materials
 Eyes, for example, from flying particles or splashes of corrosive
liquids
 Ears and hearing from noise
 Skin, for example, from contact with corrosive materials
 Body, for example, from extremes of heat or cold
Sometimes, PPE is needed in these cases to reduce the risks, but
only to supplement the other risk control measures already put in
place.

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Thanks
Question..??