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Agricultural Health and Safety Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Question: What health risks are farmers exposed to?
Answer: Health risks farmers are exposed to include:
- Toxic gases from manure decomposition produce methane, carbon dioxide, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide and hydrogen disulfide. In certain concentrations, all of these gases are toxic to animals and humans.
- Silo crop storage produces gases such as nitrogen dioxide, an extremely toxic, yellowish-brown gas with a bleach-like odor. During the fermentation process, oxygen combines with nitrates in plant materials resulting in the production of nitric oxide gas. This combines with oxygen in the environment to produce nitrogen dioxide. When nitrogen dioxide is inhaled and comes in contact with the moisture in your lungs, it actually forms nitric acid. This acid causes chemical burns of the airway and lungs, and sometimes complete asphyxiation. Silo gas acts very fast. Many people inhale it and never regain consciousness. Those who do survive often have permanent disability because of scarring of the lung tissue.
- Dusts in livestock, resulting in asphyxiation, lung damage and respiratory problems
- Ultraviolet rays from the sun, resulting in skin cancer
- Joint and ligament injuries, resulting in arthritic conditions which affect mobility
- Exposure to loud noises and sounds from machinery and equipment, resulting in hearing loss
- Exposure to agricultural chemicals, pesticides, and anhydrous ammonia, resulting in
- Stress from droughts, floods, pests, long hours, financial concerns, and feelings of isolation and frustration
- Having to travel long distances to receive health care
Question: What are some ways that farmers can protect themselves from these health risks?
Answer: Things farmers can do to protect themselves from health risks are:
- Wear personal protective equipment when handling agricultural chemicals
- Have adequate ventilation when working closely with livestock
- Properly maintain machinery and equipment as well as wear hearing protection
- Wear protective clothing and sun screens
- Eat well-balanced meals
- Talk to a professional if needed
- Get enough sleep
Question: How can family members and children be protected from exposure to pesticides?
Answer: According to studies done by the Pacific Northwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center, children who live near pesticide-treated farmland may have higher exposures than children living further away from spray activities. A study of preschool children living in the tree fruit regions where agricultural spraying occurs had increased levels of pesticide in their urine compared to periods of non-spraying.
Another study discovered that children of lead-exposed construction workers were six times more likely to have blood lead levels over the recommended limit as compared to children whose parents did not work in lead-related industries.
To protect family members from take-home contamination, the following should be followed:
- Put on clean clothes.
At work, change into clean clothing and shoes before getting into the car and going home. Put dirty work clothes and shoes in a plastic bag or leave them at work.
- Remove shoes.
If you wear work shoes home, take them off before entering the house.
- Wash hands.
Wash hands and face at the end of a work shift and before leaving work.
- Shower at work.
Take a shower and wash your hair before leaving work if possible or as soon as you get home.
- Doing the laundry.
Wash work clothes separately from all other clothes. Empty work clothes from the plastic bag, directly into the washing machine and wash immediately. Run the empty washing machine, again, to rinse out contaminants.
- Dust at home.
Make sure to keep your home clean and dust-free.
Growers should provide employees with the time and facilities to change clothes and wash, as is required in high exposure lead jobs. Growers can support conscientious employees who are taking precautions and encourage lax workers to begin doing so. It is through this kind of active cooperation between workers and producers that we can both secure the benefits of pesticide use and minimize the risks associated with these chemicals.
Last reviewed 07/28/2011
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