Review of farm safety and health risk management tools

J. Leppälä¹* and R. Rautiainen²

¹Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Latokartanonkaari 9, FI00790 Helsinki, Finland
²University of Nebraska, Swanson Hall 3058, Omaha, 68198-5110 Nebraska, USA
*Correspondence: jarkko.leppala@luke.fi

Abstract:

Risk management aims to prevent intolerable risks that could jeopardize a farm’s goals and strategies. Many studies indicate that safety and health risks pose the greatest threats to farm continuity and business sustainability. Even a single injury to a key farmworker could have severe consequences for the whole farm.

The review employs content and thematic analysis to identify and classify safety and health risk management tools to assist farmers in their important risk management efforts. There is also an increasing need in EU to provide information about social conditionality requirements on farms, which include also terms in farm safety and health management.

A total of 62 risk management tools were analysed. The main typical risk factors in agriculture include machinery safety, livestock safety, chemical handling, and health hazards such as animal dust, gases, noise, biological hazards causing skin and respiratory diseases and ergonomic issues. This study is part of the Strengthening Farm Safety and Health Knowledge and Innovation Systems (SafeHabitus) project. The findings will contribute to the development of a farm safety and health risk management tool database in the SafeHabitus project.

Key words:

agriculture, health, risk management, Safety

Environmental risk assessment of plant protection products

R. Reiman and L. Vakra

Estonian Plant Production Inspectorate, Teaduse 2, Saku, 75501, Estonia

Abstract:

Plant protection products (PPP’s) are hazardous chemicals that are intentionally spread into the environment. In order to protect human and animal health and the environment the risk assessment has to be performed before the authorisation of PPP’s. Risk assessment is based on the general principles and requirements laid down in the European Council Directive 91/414/EEC (concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market), international guidelines and Estonian legislation. This paper describes ecotoxicological and environmental risk assessment, the use of mathematical models and feasible risk mitigation measures to assure acceptable risk of PPP’s under the proposed conditions of use in Estonia.

Key words: