Farms and agricultural operations must make it a priority to protect the more than 22 million workers who help provide healthy, affordable food for the shelves, produce bins, and meat and dairy aisles of the nation’s many grocery stores and markets. But in addition to feeding and nourishing our communities and families, the agriculture industry is a key driver of economic growth in the United States, injecting over $100 billion to the US economy. Our workforce relies on food and agriculture workers as well. Agriculture and its related industries provide employment for 11% of the entire US population.
Employees in this essential service include but aren’t limited to:
Workers supporting groceries, pharmacies, convenience stores, and other retail (including unattended and vending) that sells human food, animal/pet food, and pet supply, and beverage products, including retail customer support service and information technology support staff necessary for online orders, pickup, and delivery.
Restaurant carry-out and quick-serve food operations, including dark kitchen and food prep centers, and carry-out and delivery food employees.
Food manufacturer employees and their supplier employees—to include those employed in food ingredient production and processing facilities; livestock, poultry, seafood slaughter facilities; pet and animal feed processing facilities; human food facilities producing by-products for animal food; beverage production facilities; and the production of food packaging.
Farmers, farmworkers, and agribusiness support services to include those employed in auction and sales: grain and oilseed handling, processing and distribution; animal food, feed, and ingredient production, packaging, and distribution; manufacturing, packaging, and distribution of veterinary drugs; truck delivery and transport; farm and fishery labor needed to produce our food supply domestically and for export.
The Danger Agriculture Workers Face
According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the production agriculture industry employed incredible 2,038,000 workers in 2018. There were 416 recorded farm-related fatalities in 2017, resulting in a rate of 20.4 deaths per 100,000 farmworkers. In addition, nearly 100 food and agriculture workers endure a work-related injury that requires time off.
The causes for these injuries and fatalities are the result of a number of hazards these people face daily:
Grain bins are a significant safety risk. The average time required to rescue a worker from a grain bin can be up to 4 hours, resulting in a fatality rate of 62%. It takes only 20 seconds for a grown man to become entirely buried by grain, with the most common cause of death being suffocation, according to the OSHA.
The National Agricultural Safety Database reported that around 62 farmers die each year from severe burns or heart failure as a result of electrocution. Many of these incidents occur because of contact with overhead power lines, which can quickly happen if farm equipment comes in contact.
Heavy machinery such as combine harvesters have conveyor belts that can be deadly if a worker gets caught in them. The NASD reported that ‘virtually every farmer knows of a family member, friend, or neighbor who has been injured in a corn picker.’
According to the International Labor Association, tractor rollovers are responsible for more than half of all fatalities that occur on the farm. The heaviness of the tractor, in combination with uneven surfaces, increases the probability of the machine flipping. Even though more modern tractors must have rollover protection systems, more than 50% of the tractors in the US do not.
How We Can Protect Their Lives
Agriculture companies are responsible for ensuring that all staff members are familiar with emergency procedures, which they must test through mock scenarios. Food and agriculture workers must have adequate training, clearly marked entry and exit points, open lines of communication, readily available emergency contacts, designated first responders, and regular practicing and testing of emergency protocols – this will help cultivate a positive safety culture.
Clothing is very important. Farmworkers should avoid wearing loose clothing that could get caught in equipment or buildings. They should also always wear the appropriate protective equipment, as well as high visibility layers when necessary.
Gas or diesel engines should never be run in areas that do not have proper airflow. Make sure all farming equipment goes through regular inspections and maintenance to ensure that everything is functioning safely and properly.
While the safety protocols discussed above should be standard practice for every farming company in the US, they often do not consider the added risk of a worker who is required to perform their day-to-day duties alone. Agriculture companies should consider implementing a lone worker monitoring system to ensure the safety of their employees who work in isolation, requiring them to check in regularly, confirming their safety. Additionally, Scatterling’s man-down and impact detection can signal for help when the farmer can’t do hit him or herself.
Read More from this COVID-19: Essential Services Series
Are You An Essential Services Provider? Here’s How You Can Protect Your Team
Essential Services: Energy Workers Protecting the Lives of Those Who Power Our Communities
Essential Services: Heroes on the Front line - Protecting Our Home Healthcare Workers
Essential Services: Protecting Our Water Workers and Keeping Our Communities Hydrated and Clean
Still Need To Convince Your Boss?
Schedule a consultation today and let us provide you a custom cost-benefit analysis for your company.
