Strict occupational health and safety regulations apply throughout the agricultural industry, from poultry and wine farms to abattoirs. Many diseases must be reported to the relevant authorities because the health and safety risks are so many and potentially so far-reaching.
This means employees must take their workers’ health and safety medicals very seriously. In abattoirs, for example, any worker who handles chicken or red meat must be medically certified fit to work prior to entering the workplace.
This requirement falls under a legally mandated hygiene management programme (HMP) that every abattoir owner must implement. It focuses on both the personal hygiene and medical fitness of workers, since either can have a profound impact on food health and safety.
Abattoir owners must keep documentary proof of their adherence to the HMP, including workers’ medical certification that they were fit to work with meat and edible products prior to their employment.
Beyond the abattoir, farm workers involved in the farming of animal products or field crops face many occupational health hazards. These include:
Being exposed to animals that can transmit diseases such as avian flu, ringworm and bovine tuberculosis.
Grain dust exposure in silos, which can lead to respiratory illnesses such as asthma and allergies.
Pesticide exposure, which affects handlers, harvesters and anyone working near a recently sprayed field.
Muscoskeletal injuries because of repetitive or forceful movement, heavy lifting, prolonged awkward postures and vibration.
Hearing loss because of noise exposure (think tractors, harvesters, chainsaws, squealing pigs).
Heat or cold stress from working long hours in extreme temperatures.
It is clear that farm and abattoir workers, depending on their risk exposure, could require pre-employment, periodical/annual as well as exit medicals. These should entail a full medical examination with biological monitoring. Certain vaccinations, lung function tests and chest X-rays may also be required.
Furthermore, workers should be given appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves and outer protection, as well as masks. To combat hearing loss, which occurs gradually but is permanent and irreversible, we recommend earmuffs and plugs for workers exposed to noise.