Appendix Safety
in agriculture - Background
1
- Legislative
Sources. Regulations in force and current situation
2 - Reference
criteria for drafting the risk evaluation document
3 - Application
of prevention regulations in the agricultural sector
3.1 - Risk
evaluation
3.2 - The safety document
3.3 - Analysis of agricultural activity and related risks
3.4 - Risks connected to medical supervision
1
– Legislative Sources. Regulations in force and current
situation
Legislative interest in
safety matters can be traced back to the beginning
of the twentieth century; in 1929 the BIT (Boureau
International du Travail) International Conference
on Work invited member states to draft regulations
forbidding the supply or installation of machines
to be used in manufacturing processes without safety
equipment. The D.P.R. 547/55 “Regulations for the
prevention of injury at work”, 164/56 “Regulations
for the prevention of injuries in construction work”
and 303/56 “General regulations on hygiene at work”
were passed in Italy in the Fifties.
The first parts of D.P.R.s n.547
and 164 contain a series of general provisions establishing
measures and precautions to be taken to eliminate
or reduce the sources of danger in the situations
in which it most commonly arises (passing places,
platforms, stairs, scaffolding, uncovered or inaccessible
machine mechanisms, tools, power points etc). The
second part of the regulations is more specific and
detailed, identifying groups of machines or plant
which are similar from a technical point of view,
or because of their construction or use, and detailing
the particular precautions to be taken in each case.
These provisions replace, include or complete the
general measures and precautions.
The choice of issuing this type of
legislation carried a risk that it would quickly become
obsolete. This risk was at least partly avoided by
art. 2087 of the Civil Code, which establishes the
obligations of employers on the subject of safety
at work (“the employer is obliged to adopt such measures
in the exercise of his business as are necessary to
ensure the physical and moral well-being of his employees
in accordance with the type of work, their experience
and current techniques”) and by the possibility granted
to supervisory bodies to extend the protective obligation
using the so-called “power to regulate”.
All activities involving a subordinate
workforce or the equivalent are subject to the terms
of the three decrees mentioned above. It should also
be noted that for the purpose of prevention, subordinated
workers include all those who work for someone outside
their own residence, whether or not they are paid.
Other legislative intervention is
contained in Law n. 300 of 1970, the “Workers’ Statute”.
Art. 9 states “workers have the right, by making an
application, to check that regulations for the prevention
of injuries and professional illness are applied and
to promote the research, drawing up and putting into
effect of all suitable measures for ensuring their
health and physical well-being”. This article recognises
the right of the worker to control and collaborate
in safety matters. Law n.883 of 1978, better known
as the “Law of health reform” re-organised the duties
of public administration in matters of health and
safety at work, including supervisory and control
functions.
Recently, with the publication of
D.Lgs 626/94 with its successive integrations and
modifications, eight community directives on the subject
of health and safety at work have been integrated
into the legislative framework. This has allowed a
single regulatory system to be drawn up for different
manufacturing sectors, as proposed by the European
Union. This has created a new concept of safety which, together with the technological prevention
provided under the previous regulations, introduces
new principles of subjective prevention organised
in accordance with specific procedures.
The new regulations contain a series
of dispositions which are of great preventative importance.
These require the organisation of a safety “department”
in all work places, and makes it obligatory on employers
to carry out a risk evaluation and to identify particular
preventative and protective measures.
Decree 626/94 introduces a better
definition of responsibility, establishes a prevention
and protection service and requires the nomination
of a person to take responsibility for prevention
and protection in the workplace. It also requires
the election or nomination of a workers’ representative
for safety, provides for risk evaluations, the creation
of certain formal documents and the obligation to
provide information and to train workers, as well
as the maintenance and up-dating of safety principles
in tandem with technical and technological modifications
and organisational or staffing changes.
Prevention measures must be put into
practice using organisational tools such as:
·
A prevention
and protection service
·
Person
made responsible for the prevention and protection
service
·
Workers’
safety representative
·
Qualified
doctor
·
First
aid officer
·
Evacuation
officer
·
Fire
officer
And management tools such as:
·
Risk
evaluation
·
Identification
of preventative and protective measures
·
Program
putting into practice the measures identified
·
Definition
of company procedure
·
Information
·
Training
·
Consultation
·
Periodic
meetings
D.Lgs. 626/94 defines the employer
as the owner of the working relationship with the
worker, or as the person with responsibility for the
business, who has full powers of decision and expenditure.
The employer is given various obligations, including:
·
The nomination
of prevention and protection officers, the nomination
of a responsible individual and communication of the
nomination to the work inspectorate and the ASL for
the relevant territory;
·
Nominating
a qualified doctor where required;
·
Evaluation
of the risks present in the business and the drafting
of the relevant documentation;
·
Identifying
prevention and protection measures and planning how
they are to be put into practice;
·
Appointing
workers to have responsibility for emergency management,
and in particular for the putting into practice of
measures for the prevention of fire and for fire-fighting,
together with procedures for the evacuation of workers
in case of danger and first aid training;
·
Calling
of meetings of those responsible for safety at least
once a year for businesses of more than 15 employees;
·
Co-ordination
of prevention activities with workers;
·
Management
and up dating of a register of injuries, where all
injuries requiring at least a day of absence from
work are noted;
·
providing
workers with Individual Means of Protection.
The prevention and protection
service actively participates in the various
phases of safety organisation and management, identifying
risk factors present in the company and the safety
measures to be adopted. In this way it provides support
to the employer in drawing up the document of risk
evaluation and the program of worker training and
information.
The employer can organise the service
either using company employees or external resources.
The person responsible can be an employee or an external
figure, but in each case the person must have the
relevant skill and capacity. As mentioned above, the
name of this person must be communicated to the supervisory
organisations and a declaration must be attached to
the communication outlining what prevention and protection
duties the person has been responsible for, the periods
in which such duties have been carried out and a curriculum
vitae.
In certain cases, when the employer
is the owner of an agricultural business which employs
up to 10 persons on fixed-term contracts, the employer
himself can directly carry out the role of the prevention
and protection service. In this case the communications
to the work inspectorate and ASL must include: a declaration
of the competence of this person to carry out duties
of prevention and protection; a report on the history
of injuries and profession illness in the company
in the last three years; a declaration of satisfaction
of the risk evaluation obligations, of the drafting
and safekeeping in the company of the document. Alternatively
(for businesses with less than 10 employees and for
family businesses) a written self-certification that
the evaluation has been carried out must be provided.
Where the employer adopts this role
after 1.1.1997, he must also provide a certificate
confirming his attendance on a training course on
safety matters.
The qualified doctor is
responsible for:
·
Carrying
out supervision of health matters as required by the
regulations (periodic preventative visits) and evaluating
the suitability of each worker to carry out the duties
allotted to him; drawing up and up-dating the health
and risk records (to be kept in the company) for each
worker subject to health supervision;
·
To collaborate
with the employer and the prevention service in establishing
measures for ensuring the health, training and information
of workers;
·
Visiting
the workplace one or two times a year, together with
the person responsible for the prevention service;
·
Participating
in the program checking on workers’ exposure;
·
Reporting
professional illnesses of which he becomes aware.
The employer appoints the qualified
doctor from among those professionals specialised
in work medicine or other specialisations identified
in the relevant decree from the Ministry of Health.
The doctor can be an employee of a public or private
external structure, by special arrangement with his
employer, or a self-employed professional or a direct
employee of the employer.
In all companies the workers must
elect or appoint a representative for safety matters,
who must receive suitable training and who takes on
consultative and advisory duties. The representative
must not be subject to any form of discrimination
as a result of his taking on these responsibilities.
The employer is not subject to any obligations where
such a figure is not appointed. In these cases he
need only remind the workers that they have this obligation
and make note of any lengthy absence of the relevant
appointment.
Workers have the benefit of a series
of rights in health and safety matters:
·
To have
a representative;
·
To be
given information;
·
To be
trained;
·
To be
given practice;
·
To be
provided with adequate means of personal protection;
·
To be
able to make use of adequate safety facilities in
case of emergency;
·
To make
use of the health services when necessary;
and a series of duties:
·
To observe
all the company regulations on health and safety;
·
To use
work equipment correctly;
·
To use,
keep correctly and not adapt individual protective
equipment;
·
Not to
handover his duties to another person;
·
To indicate
to his superiors and the safety representative any
defects and weaknesses in workplace organisation;
·
To follow
information and training programs;
·
To undergo
health checks and present himself for medical supervision.
The company safety meeting is the
moment when all those responsible for safety in the
company meet together. In companies with more than
15 employees a meeting must be called by the employer
at least once a year, while in smaller companies it
is only obligatory when expressly requested by the
worker’s representative, or where there have been
significant changes in risk exposure, such as the
introduction of new machinery, equipment or technology
which has an impact on the health and safety of workers.
The aim of the safety meeting should,
as a minimum, be the approval of
·
The safety
document;
·
The list
of Individual Means of Protection;
·
The program
of information and training for workers.
The following must participate in the meeting:
·
The employer
or his representative;
·
The person
responsible for the prevention and protection service;
·
The workers’
representative;
·
The qualified
doctor (where appointed).
The employer is also obliged to take minutes and to
attach them to the safety document.
2
– Reference criteria for drafting the risk evaluation
document
The risk evaluation
carried out by the employer and the drafting of the
relevant documentation is one of the most important
elements of D.Lgs 626. This is the key of the new
philosophy of safeguarding worker’s health, which
makes the employer take an active role in prevention.
It is also the cornerstone upon which company organisation
of prevention matters is built.
The application of the first two
clauses of art. 4(1) may also provide a tool for carrying out a rational
and planned re-organisation of production in its different
components (machinery, procedures, space, organisation,)
with the aim of substantially reducing risk factors.
This is in accordance with national legislation and
the rules of good practice issued by accredited bodies
(UNI-EN, CEI, etc).
It is explicit in the general supervisory
measures of art. 3 that in order to plan “safe work”,
the company needs to bring about close integration
between production and all the company functions connected
to it and risk prevention. Clause 1 letter d) refers
to “the planning of prevention aiming at a structure
that consistently integrates with prevention all the
technical, manufacturing and organisational conditions
of the company, as well as the influence of other
factors in the work environment”.
Risk evaluation must be a tool aimed
at programming preventative measures and more in general
at organising the preventative functions and systems
of the company.
From this it would emerge that the
central element in the requirements of art. 4 is “the
identification of preventative and protective measures”
planned or put into practice, the realisation of which
requires times and methods to be chosen which are
consistent with the evaluation of the seriousness
of risk.
To put into practice the content
of the legislative decree on risk evaluation, bearing
in mind the emphasis it places on the programming
of preventative interventions, the activity can effect
a preliminary phase. This consists of identifying
the centres and sources of danger on the basis of
analysis of the manufacturing process and work organisation
as well as by making use of relevant documentation
and available information.
If during the carrying out of the
evaluation a danger to health or safety is identified,
the existence of which appears to be a certain source
of possible damage to workers, whether or not derived
from a failure to put into effect existing regulations,
the measures identified may be put into effect or
programmed without the need to acquire further valuation
elements, apart from those strictly necessary to define
priorities for the interventions. If however a possible
danger connected to the work activity in consideration
has previously been evaluated favourably (no or highly
limited risk) or if the danger has been reduced or
eliminated by the adoption of suitable measures (which
may for example be the case for the evaluation of
worker exposure to lead, asbestos and noise in accordance
with D.Lgs 277/91) the evaluation of the risk under
art. 4 may be limited to a check that the outcome
is positive and a note to this effect. Equally, where
a danger is uncertain, the definition of the possible
consequences is not clear or the identification of
suitable preventative measures is complex, it may
be considered appropriate to carry out a more complex
risk evaluation broken down into logical procedural
stages, each of which is then further examined.
In order to ensure appropriate timing
and a better representation of actual working conditions,
the evaluation should be preceded by a careful study
of all the characteristics of the work activity and
of the changes caused to them by changes in working
conditions. This should also be done with reference
to service and support activities, such as cleaning
and maintenance, and to occasional works such as repair
of machinery etc. Work performed outside the workers’
usual workplace should also be taken into consideration,
as should the possibility of the presence of workers
from other companies on-site.
A logical sequence should be followed
when analysing dangers and risks, as for example:
·
Drafting
a sequence of operations in the work cycle;
·
Identification
of the duties assigned to each worker;
·
Classification
of the work environments (“structures”, “depots”,
“work shops” etc.).
taking care to explain the choices made and to adhere
to them consistently.
The following information should be included:
·
Layout
of the “departments” (structures, depots, workshops,
barns, greenhouses) etc;
·
Number
of employees divided by department and by duties,
with brief descriptions of the operations carried
out;
·
Report
on plant and periodical checks;
·
Register
of ordinary an extraordinary maintenance;
·
Safety
tables for substances /products/equipment/plant in
use;
·
Technical
tables and operating manuals for plant and machinery;
·
Results
of previous inquiries into safety and hygiene at work,
including the recommendations of the relevant supervisory
body;
·
Results
of any industrial hygiene measures taken;
·
Anonymous
collective results of periodic sanitary controls;
·
INAIL
reports on cases of professional illness;
·
Data
on injuries (the relevant register) and accidents
that have occurred;
·
Any authorisations;
·
Written
work procedures and service orders;
·
List
and characteristics of individual means of protection
supplied to workers;
·
Practical
method of distribution/replacement of individual means
of protection;
·
Knowledge
and experience of workers and nominees.
The following phases are considered
useful for conducting the evaluation and drawing up
the safety document:
·
Identification
of risk factors;
·
Identity
of exposed workers;
·
Estimate
of the degree of exposure;
·
Estimate
of the seriousness of the consequences of exposure;
·
Estimate
of the probability that these effects are produced;
·
Check
on the availability of technical, organisational,
procedural measures to eliminate or reduce exposure
or the number of workers exposed;
·
Check
on the applicability of such measures;
·
Definition
of a plan for putting into effect the measures identified;
·
Check
on the suitability of measures currently in force;
·
Drafting
of the document;
·
Definition
of the times and methodology for carrying out checks
and/or up-dating the evaluation.
There follows a description of the
stages involved in the risk evaluation procedure.
Stage 1 – The evaluation will
look at the reasonably foreseeable risks deriving
from the work activity. This aims to reconcile the
opposing requirements of an exhaustive evaluation
and the identification of the main problems of prevention
peculiar to the specific activity on which the analysis
should be concentrated. Identification of risk factors
will be affected by available knowledge of legal requirements
and technical standards, by historical data and other
available information. This procedure will allow dangers
to be identified not only on the basis of general
principles, but also relative to risk factors peculiar
to the conditions in which the work activity takes
place.
Stage 2 – Once the dangerous
situations have been identified it is necessary to
identify the workers who are exposed to such danger,
either individually or as a group. It would be useful
if the workers exposed could be identified by name,
both for the purposes of indicating their identity
to the qualified doctor so as to satisfy the requirements
of medical supervision, and also for programming successive
interventions of information and training.
Stage 3 – A preliminary estimate
of the degree of exposure (using semi-quantitative
procedures) involves an evaluation of the frequency
and length of operations and tasks which entail risks
for the health and safety of workers. It is likely
that in some situations it will be necessary or useful
to make a more precise estimate of the exposure to
danger. This can be done using measures taken from
the hygiene industry or by using more specific evaluation
criteria in cases in which there is either exposure
to chemical/physical agents and/or serious injuries
or incidents (or where such can be foreseen). It should
be pointed out that art. 4 makes no explicit reference
to an evaluation of exposure when carrying out risk
evaluation. On the contrary, the quantification of
exposure is explicitly mentioned only with regard
to carcinogenic agents (art. 70, clause 1) and with
particular reference to checking the efficacy of adopted
measures (art. 64 and 69). Measures taken from the
hygiene industry would seem to refer to art. 17, where
it is stated that the qualified doctor shall receive
the results of checks on worker exposure, without
detailing how this should be done.
It can however be supposed
that recourse to industrial hygienic measures or in
any event to more specific and thorough criteria for
evaluating exposure should be made in the following
cases:
·
Where
it is explicitly required (carcinogens, risk factors
as set out by D.Lgs 277/91, ionising radiation);
·
Where
there is exposure to highly toxic substances and/or
those capable of provoking accidents (inflammable/explosive
materials) or damage to health even in low concentrations;
·
In checking
the efficacy of adopted preventative systems;
·
If necessary
in order to plan or put into effect suitable measures;
·
To settle
doubtful or controversial cases;
·
Where
there are serious or repeated injuries or incidents.
The actions to be taken on conclusion
of the evaluation obviously depend on the risk factor
and degree of worker exposure, the probability that
the damaging effects will realise themselves and the
seriousness of the possible consequences.
Finally, the evaluation of preventative
and protective measures should include a check on
the suitability and efficacy of those measures already
in practice and those in the process of being adopted.
The plan for effectuating these measures should take
account of the time required to carry out interventions,
to check on the degree to which they have been put
into effect, the need to check on efficacy and to
carry out periodical revisions in the light of any
variations to the manufacturing cycle or in work organisation
which may compromise or invalidate the actions taken.
3-
Application of prevention regulations in the agricultural
sector
D.Lgs. 626/94, with its successive
modifications and additions, applies to businesses
in the agricultural sector where there are:
·
Indefinite
term workers;
·
Fixed
term workers;
·
Worker
members of cooperatives or companies.
Working towards the prevention of
and protection from risks in the workplace means acting
so as to decrease or eliminate injuries and professional
illnesses.
Injury in this case is the potential
occurrence of physical damage or handicap (more or
less serious) which can affect workers following an
unforeseen incident. Injuries can be the result of
a physical-traumatic contact between an object and
a person, whether it be mechanical, electrical, chemical
or thermal in nature.
In the majority of cases the causes
of such risks are to be found in a less than adequate
organisation of safety in the work environment, in
the use of machinery and/or equipment, in how it is
operated and in how tasks are organised, etc.
By contrast, health risks which are
the cause of professional illness, are those responsible
for potentially compromising the biological equilibrium
of the workforce, and which involve a risk of chemical,
physical or biological emissions in the atmosphere.
Potential causes of injury:
·
Buildings,
barns, tool-sheds, warehouses, etc (risk of fire,
falling objects, slipping) etc;
·
Agricultural
machinery (risk of contact with rotating parts, impacts
etc);
·
Equipment,
dryers, workshop tools etc (risk of fire, contact
with moving parts);
·
Electric
and heating systems (electric shock, fire etc);
·
Farms
and nurseries (falls from trees and ladders, trauma
and wounds caused by contact with plants or aggressive
animals, etc).
Potential causes of professional illness:
·
Noise;
·
Asbestos;
·
The micro-climate;
·
Vibrations;
·
Atmospheric
agents;
·
Movement
of heavy loads;
·
Dangerous substances;
·
Cancerogenous agents;
·
Biological
agents;
·
Dust
and allergic agents;
·
Radiation.
Both injuries and professional illness
are due to the negative effects on workers of phenomena
that primarily bring about undesired physical, chemical
and biological factors. There may also be secondary
factors, such as psychological or behavioural factors,
those related to the external environment, to organisation
and management or lack of ergonomics. All these factors
are to be taken in consideration.
Risks due to physical
factors
Impacts, blows, crushing, running
over and many other injuries such as burns and electrocution,
have their origins in physical factors. It should
be noted that there may be more than one factor involved
in any individual event.
In agriculture the most common risk
factors are those due to:
·
The force
of gravity (falling objects and people, slipping,
etc) and the movement of mechanical bodies and objects
(impacts, blows, overturning, cutting, crushing, etc);
·
Burns
and trauma from fire and explosion (electrocution
is not infrequent);
·
Noise,
the movement of heavy loads and non-ergonomic working
methods;
·
Extremes
of temperature in internal and external environments;
·
Vibration
(of the whole body or the hand/arm) caused by working
with tractors and other agricultural machinery;
·
Frequent
disturbance to the respiratory system, caused by environments
with a high concentration of dust (e.g. driers, mills
etc).
Risks due to chemical
factors
These factors are linked to the properties
of chemical substances used in agricultural activities.
Asphyxia, poisoning (immediate or gradual), chemical
burns (from highly corrosive substances), irritation
or serious damage to skin or internal organs, allergies
and breathing difficulties all derive from touching,
breathing or ingesting highly reactive and dangerous
chemical substances.
These substances may be present as
liquids or solids, acids and alkalines, aerosols,
fumes, vapours and toxic gases, which are either present
in the composition/formulation of industrial products
or are part of the natural exhalations of agricultural
organic material (fermentation, decay etc).
Chemical dangers are often undervalued
because they derive from “invisible” gases present
in the air, and also because for certain substances
the injuries only become apparent after many years
of work, when the worker’s health has already been
compromised.
Risks due to biological
factors (contact with animals and plants)
This includes all the types of damage
inflicted on the worker by living organisms, both
micro-organisms and animals, which are present in
various agricultural activities.
Micro-organisms (bacteria, fungal
growths, viruses etc – which in agriculture are most
often encountered in carcasses, remains, faeces, and
other products of animal metabolisms) act on inhalation,
ingestion and contact and primarily cause infections,
allergies and intoxication.
Animals, which react from aggression
and in order to defend themselves, primarily cause
damage such as trauma, crushing and wounds. Infections
caused by micro-organisms are often transmitted when
a person suffers a wound of this type.
The worker is protected by legislation
from the danger of micro-organisms in the work place,
but this cannot be said for dangers connected with:
·
Animal
raising;
·
Domestic
and wild animals;
·
Cultivated
and wild plants.
These dangers, which are typical
of the sector, act in a different way to those described
above. With reference to animals, for example, the
reaction depends largely on individual behaviour and
the characteristics of the species concerned. They
are often classified among statistics on injuries
because of the physical effects that they cause, but
this is incorrect, especially when seeking to identify
the precautions to be adopted to avoid this type of
accident.
Risks due to psychological
and behavioural factors
By psychological and behavioural
factors is intended those aspects of work activity
which can cause indirect damage, and which derive
from inattention or mistakes caused by uncomfortable
working systems.
This kind of risk is brought about
by a negative interaction between work equipment,
physical environment, individual and group behaviour
and type of work, and in general can be traced to:
·
Lack
of stimulus (boredom);
·
Excess
of stimulus (hyperactivity);
·
Distortion
of stimulus (discomfort);
·
Problems
of communication or rapport (conflict).
Due to the variety of work and the
characteristics of working in an agricultural environment,
it is rare that work is monotonous or repetitive or
carried out in a closed environment, or with contact
and under continual pressure from the public.
Attention should be paid however
to certain situations where risk can be created in
connection with:
·
Solitary
working;
·
Long
work shifts;
·
Night
work.
Risks due to environmental
or external factors
Environmental factors mean all dangerous
situations which may be caused by natural phenomena
and other human activity:
·
Meteorological
phenomena: storms, lighting, strong wind and whirlwinds,
snow and heavy or continuous rain, damp, fog, dew
and frost;
·
Geological
phenomena: earthquakes, land slides and avalanches,
flooding, earth movements;
·
Rocky
or bumpy ground, marshy, sandy or other difficult
terrain;
·
Electric
wires in high and medium tension, both suspended and
underground;
·
Underground
pipe work carrying water, gas or oil based substances;
·
Dams,
bridges, motorways, railways;
·
Dumps
and refuse incinerators;
·
Industrial
and civil risk areas (airports, oil depots etc) military
zones;
·
Proximity
to areas of industrial, vehicular or population pollution.
All these variables contribute to
increase or alter the different levels of risk connected
with agricultural activity. It should also be considered
that risks may vary according to the procedure and
organisation of individual businesses.
Risks due to defects
in organisation and management, or due to human error
Human error is one of the statistically
most important components in the analysis of the causes
of accidents.
Each worker influences the degree
of risk present in the business in which he works
by the way in which he behaves. The influence he has
will depend on his experience, his professional capacity,
his state of health and his psychological condition
at the time in question.
The following factors increase the
degree of risk of any particular activity:
·
Lack
of knowledge, or limits or defects to such knowledge,
of the dangers to which a worker is exposed, of a
product or material, of the way a machine works or
of a manufacturing process;
·
Lack
of use, or limits or defects in such use, of materials,
machinery or suitable productive processes; lack of
practice in correct use; the absence of procedures
for correct use; personal adaptations of the functionality
and characteristics of a material or piece of equipment
or process;
·
Lack
of maintenance or limits or defects in such maintenance;
ordinary, extraordinary and preventative maintenance
are not carried out or not organised correctly;
·
Behavioural
defects: failure to respect correct procedures and
methods, lack of practice; lack of concentration or
failure to apply oneself and/or give due attention
to work (haste, overconfidence etc);
·
Absence
of choice or limits or defects in the choice of purchases:
safe products, raw materials and machinery are not
chosen or not available; lack of attention to brand
names or obligatory certification; choices made only
on the basis of cost and not on quality or performance.
It has already been mentioned that
every employer is obliged to carry out a risk evaluation
for his company and to up-date it when necessary.
Risk evaluation for each activity
or job requires a well-defined series of operations.
The process of evaluation must lead to one of the
following determinations: either of the absence of
risk or exposure to risk for each working environment
or work station in consideration, or to the presence
of a degree of exposure to risk which is within acceptable
limits, as laid down by the relevant regulations,
or to the finding of an uncontrolled degree of risk.
In the first case there are no problems
preventing work continuing, while in the second case
the situation needs to be kept under periodic control,
and in the third case it will be necessary to immediately
put into effect preventative and protective interventions
according to the degree of urgency or importance.
The operations of risk evaluation
in agricultural activity are analysed in detail below.
Identifying the source of the risk
This stage involves a brief but careful
description of the work cycle in the work environment
under consideration.
The description of the work activity
should include the purposes of the task or operation,
and an outline of the technology, machinery, plant
and equipment used, and the substances and products
involved. The description of the work cycle should
also take account of cleaning, maintenance operations,
treatment and disposal of refuse from the working
operation. The characteristics of the environment
and the work place should be clear, and there should
also be mentioned the number of operatives trained
to carry out the various operations, the information
available on the subject from the medical service,
where there is one, and whether the work involves
the manual movement of loads.
The description of the work cycle
or operating activity will provide an overall view
of the work and operations carried out in the work
environment in consideration. This should make it
easier to carry out an analytical exam to discover
the presence of sources of risk for the health and
safety of staff.
The involvement of workers is particularly
important in this stage, as they may be better placed
to identify potential sources of risk in the work
cycle.
In identifying sources of risk it
may also be useful to take account of the data that
emerges from statistical analyses of the sector and
scientific publications on safety and health in the
workplace.
Identifying the risk of exposure
Identifying the risk of exposure
involves a far from simple operation which should
result in establishing whether the presence of a source
of risk and/or danger, identified in the previous
phase, can bring about a real risk of exposure such
as to affect the safety and health of the personnel
involved in carrying out the relevant task.
This requires the examination of
several factors: the operating methods used in carrying
out the activity (e.g. manual, automatic, tools) or
of the operation (in closed cycle, in segregated or
protected environments, outside); the size of the
particular activity in terms of time taken and quantity
of materials used during the working day; how the
activity is organised, in the sense of the
amount of time spent in the work environment; the
presence of other working activities and the presence
of safety measures or systems of prevention and protection.
Estimate of risk of exposure
The estimate of risk of exposure,
which follows the completion of the procedure described
above, may be carried out in the following ways: a
check on the degree to which safety regulations are
applied during machine-working operations; a check
on the acceptability of working conditions, by means
of objective examination of degree of risk, length
of working, operating methods adopted and all the
factors influencing the way in which workers are exposed
to risk and the degree of exposure, (in comparison
with data on similar types of exposure in the same
operating sector); a check on the conditions of safety
and hygiene, making use of company documents and certificates,
and a true measure of the size of the risk (environmental
risk factors). This should, via comparison with reference
figures (such as hygiene-environmental reference indices
and the rules of good practice), lead to objective
quantification and consequent evaluation. This kind
of methodology is indispensable in those cases provided
for under specific legislation, for example noise,
asbestos, lead, ionising radiation, carcinogens, biological
agents etc.
Finally, on the basis of the figures
obtained, presumed or measured, the program of improvement
interventions can be drawn up on the basis of the
following suggestions. These may be technical, organisational
or procedural.
·
Elimination
of risk, or its reduction to a minimum, by the use
of technical improvements;
·
Substitution
of dangerous items with non-dangerous or less dangerous
ones;
·
Respect
of ergonomic principles in designing workstations,
in the choice of equipment and in laying down working
and manufacturing methods, with the aim of reducing
monotonous and repetitive work;
·
Priority
given to collective protecting measures (parapets,
guards for moving parts, plant within regulatory norms);
use of individual means of protection (masks, gloves
etc);
·
Limiting
to a minimum the number of workers that are, or may
be, exposed to risk;
·
Limited
use of chemical, physical and biological agents in
the workplace;
·
Medical
checks on workers according to specific risks;
·
Removal
of workers from exposure to risk;
·
Hygienic
measures;
·
Collective
and individual protection measures;
·
Emergency
first aid, fire fighting and evacuation measures to
be taken in situations of serious and immediate danger;
·
Use of
warning and safety signs;
·
Regular
maintenance of environment, equipment, machinery and
plant, with particular attention to ensure that safety
equipment conforms with manufacturers' requirements;
·
Information,
training, consultation and participation of workers
or their representatives in questions of health and
safety in the workplace;
·
Sufficient
instructions to workers;
·
Up-dating
in line with technical progress;
·
Guarantee
of continual improvements in the level of protection.
3.2
– The safety document
All the above must be brought together
in a report (the safety document). This document may
at times appear over-simplified and a little basic,
but it enables the employer to manage the problems
highlighted and the solutions identified in a correct
manner. It also gives supervisory authorities the
opportunity to verify that the evaluation has been
carried out and to have a better picture as to how
the company provides for the health and safety of
its workers.
The evaluation document must be drawn
up by the employer with the collaboration of the prevention
and protection service, the qualified doctor where
one has been appointed, and the involvement of the
safety representative. It must include the following:
a report on the risk evaluations carried out on the
various working environments or work stations, including
the criteria adopted when carrying out these studies;
a description of the preventative and protective measures
identified which must be clearly linked to the results
of the risk evaluation; the program of preventative
and protective interventions that it is intended to
put into practice in order to complete and/or improve
the conditions of health and safety in the workplace,
be they technical, organisational or sanitary. The
document must be in writing, and most identify the
company and the manufacturing units involved. It must
also describe the working cycle and the number of
employees involved in the particular work activity,
the identification of sources of risk and the identity
of risks of exposure, the safety measures adopted
and the program of interventions.
The program of interventions must
include the following: the safety and protective measures
to be introduced; the training and information programs
to be carried out and a plan for the periodical revision
of the risk evaluation procedure in relation to variations
in work cycles or fields of activity.
The document must be kept at the
company’s head office, and must be available for inspection
by the public bodies which have responsibility for
checks on health and safety in the workplace, as well
as by the workers’ safety representative and the qualified
doctor (where appointed).
The employer in a family business
and in companies that employ up to 10 employees can
provide a written certification that the risk evaluation
has been carried out and that he has complied with
all the relevant requirements. This takes the place
of the safety document. The self-certification must
be sent to the safety representative.
3.3 – Analysis of agricultural activity
and related risks
Before considering specific dangers
it may be useful to look at the technical equipment
which should be present in the company and at some
of the procedures which should be established in relation
to three main arguments:
·
Emergency
management (fires, evacuation, first aid);
·
Protective
equipment;
·
Safety
signs.
The employer must adopt all necessary
measures to prevent fire, evacuate workers and confront
situations of serious and immediate danger.
To this end he must:
·
Organise
the necessary relationships with the competent public
services for first aid, fire prevention, fire fighting
and emergency management;
·
Appoint
particular workers (who may not refuse the appointment)
to put into practice the measures referred to above,
including first aid. The appointments are made by
the employer with regard to the size of the company
or the specific risks present. In each case there
must be a sufficient number of appointees and they
must be adequately trained and provided with suitable
equipment. For agricultural businesses with up to10
employees on indefinite term contracts, the employer
can be directly responsible for fire prevention and
evacuation procedures. It should be noted that there
are few situations among agricultural businesses that
require the employer to organise plans and emergency
teams;
·
Plan
the procedures to be followed in the face of serious
and immediate danger for the health and safety of
workers. To this end the workers must be informed
as to the measures taken and how they should proceed.
Only those workers who have been properly trained
should be allowed access to the area of work at risk.
All necessary precautions should be taken so that
in the absence of superiors, workers are able to take
suitable measures for avoiding the consequences of
danger. Instructions should be given so that workers
can leave the workplace. Workers should not be required
to continue their activity where a serious and immediate
danger exists. There should be no discrimination against
a worker who leaves his work place or other dangerous
area in time of danger.
The type of emergency procedures
most likely to be required in an agricultural business
are fire-fighting, evacuation in situations of serious
and immediate danger and first aid for injuries.
In the case of larger companies,
where there is a greater number of workers, the emergency
plan is a key point in the safety analysis and must
take account not only of fire risk but also other
situations which may be connected with risks intrinsic
to the activity (explosions, collapse, radioactive
escape, gas leaks etc) or as a consequence of external
events (earthquakes, floods, toxic clouds etc).
The objective of an emergency plan,
of which evacuation is the fundamental part, is that
of reducing danger to personnel, to allow personnel
to leave in safety, to give first aid to the injured
and to contain and control the situation of emergency.
Three fundamental aspects must be
taken into consideration in drawing up an efficient
emergency plan:
·
The exit
system;
·
The information
required to follow the emergency plan;
·
The internal/external
organisation for giving the alarm, for regulating
the exit of personnel and for the use of fire systems.
Fire is combustion which develops
in an uncontrolled manner over time and space. Combustion
is a chemical reaction between an inflammable body
(wood, coal, paper, oil, combustible gas etc) and
a combustion supporter (oxygen in the air).
The following can cause fire:
·
Naked
flame (welding operations etc);
·
Incandescent particles (embers, ashes);
·
Electric
and electrostatic sparks, or those caused by impact;
·
Increases
in temperature due to the compression of gas;
·
Chemical
reaction.
A risk of fire exists in all areas.
It should also be borne in mind that there may be
a risk of explosion, which is a rapid combustion with
violent release of energy, in any area where there
is combustible gas, vapour or dust or unstable or
strongly reactive substances or explosive material.
Every worker must know how to deal
with the outbreak of fire. It is therefore essential
for the employer to draw up a plan of information
and training for workers, which will vary according
to the size and nature of the business. For modestly-sized
work places the plan can consist merely of written
advice as to how to proceed in such cases. At least
once a year the employer must also organise fire-fighting
exercises to put into practice evacuation procedures.
He must establish the procedure to be followed in
case of fire, including the actions to be taken by
workers in case of fire, procedures for evacuation
and means for requesting the intervention of the emergency
services, together with all the relevant information.
To this end the employer and those
appointed to carry out emergency procedures must have
direct practical knowledge as to:
·
The location
of fire extinguishers or fire hoses. Such equipment
must be tested every six months;
·
How to
use fire extinguishers and fire hoses;
·
How and
where the flow of combustible substances can be interrupted
(gas, LPG, methane etc)
·
How to
switch off the electrical current;
·
Any precautions
to be taken which are particular to the company.
In each case the knowledge of a few
simple rules for self-protection are essential in
confronting an emergency:
·
In the
presence of smoke adopt a bent position and cover
the nose and mouth with a wet handkerchief;
·
In the
presence of smoke open only those windows closest
to the fire and not all the windows in the building;
·
Do not
run or delay to collect personal belongings.
If the company is subject to the
supervision of the Fire Services (Certificate of Fire
Prevention (CFP) as set out in D.M. 16/02/1982) the
certificate will contain the information necessary
for fighting fire. In agriculture the most common
situations which require a CFP are:
·
Depots
containing fixed LPG in cylinders of more than 300
litres;
·
Fuel
depots bigger than 25 m3;
·
Fixed
plant for fuel distribution (excluding moveable containers
of less than 9,000 litres);
·
Cereal
mills and other grinding machinery with a daily potential
of more than 200q., together with related warehousing;
·
Cereal
and vegetable driers with connected depots of a capacity
of more than 500q, of dried product;
·
Depots
containing construction timber or timber for working
or burning, straw, hay, cane, reeds, cork and other
like products of a capacity superior to 500q, excluding
open depots at a distance of not less than 100mt from
other buildings or public areas. Sheds open on three
sides are considered to be open depots for these purposes;
·
Electric
groups of a capacity superior to 25kW;
·
Boilers
with a capacity superior to 100,000 Kcal/h.
In the above situations there is
also the obligation to install lighting conductors.
Such installations must be communicated to ISPESL
and checked every two years.
Quite apart from these guidelines,
it should be emphasised that fire prevention is a
highly complex subject and reference should be made
directly to the fire prevention office under the Provincial
command of the fire service, or the assistance of
experts in the field should be requested.
In addition to the fire-fighting
means mentioned in the CFP, and where there is no
CFP, a sufficient number of 6kg powder-type extinguishers
should be installed and in certain cases there should
also be hydrants.
Extinguishers must be type-tested
and may be of different types, depending on the
extinguishing product they contain. They should
have a label which describes the extinguishing product,
and explains whether they are suitable for use on
electrical systems, combustible solids, inflammable
liquids and so on. They should be positioned in such
a way so as that one is available every 200sqm or
every 30m. The extinguishers must be used by approaching
as near as possible to the fire and directing the
jet at the base of the flames.
It is good practice for extinguishers
to be stored in fuel depots, boiler rooms, workshops,
tool sheds, driers and mills. In these situations
there should also be the following information: signs
indicating the location of extinguishers and fire
hoses; no smoking signs; signs forbidding the use
of naked flame and the use of water as an extinguisher
on electric switchboards; signs indicating the whereabouts
of the first aid kit and the emergency telephone numbers
(Police 113, Fire 115, Ambulance 118).
The supplier of the extinguishers
must check them every six months.
A first aid post must be created within
the company. Its characteristics (equipment, personnel,
staff training) will depend on the type of company
and the risks present.
The employer will take the necessary
steps to provide a first aid and emergency medical
service, taking into account the nature and size of
his business and having received the advice of the
qualified doctor, where one has been appointed. He
will also appoint the workers responsible for putting
into practise first aid measures. These workers are
not able to refuse their appointment, except for justified
reasons. They must be trained and of a sufficient
number bearing in mind the size and specific risks
of the business. Training of first aid officers must
be done during work time and must not involve economic
sacrifice on the part of the worker. Existing regulations
require there to be a first aid box in the majority
of cases(). This is a minimum
requirement.
The employer and/or the appointed
officers must have a practical knowledge of how to
deal with emergencies. In practice they must know:
·
Where
the first aid box is kept;
·
How to
use it;
·
That
a check should be carried out every six months to
see that it is complete;
·
Basic
first aid (fractures, haemorrhage, bruises etc);
·
Where
and how to require the intervention of doctor/ambulance/
flying ambulance.
Finally it should be noted that at
least one powerful electric torch should be kept in
a place accessible to all, and should be kept in working
condition.
Individual Means of Protection
Individual Means of Protection (IMPs)
are any equipment to be worn or held by the worker
to protect him personally from one or more risks (for
example, helmets, gloves, reinforced boots, etc).
The decision to use an IMP for a
certain activity is one to be taken by the employer
following a risk evaluation, and must be considered
as a limiting measure. IMPs are used when, despite
the fact that everything possible has been done to
reduce the risk at source (plant and machinery in
good working condition, safe working practices, workers
able to work safely), the worker is still exposed
to a determined risk.
IMPs are the last line of defence
when everything else has been seen to. This is also
the case because although they are essential, they
can be a nuisance and can obstruct work. Using one
is like working with an extraneous body which diminishes
sensitivity, limits freedom of movement and interferes
with control of tools.
When choosing an IMP, a choice which
needs to be revised every time there is a significant
variation to the elements of risk evaluation, it should
be borne in mind that:
·
The IMP
must be suitable for the working conditions;
·
It must
not involve a greater risk than that it was designed
to alleviate;
·
It must
take into account the ergonomic and physiological
needs of the worker;
·
It must
be adaptable to the needs of individual users; and
·
If in
the context of multiple risks it is necessary to use
more than one IMP at the same time, this must be done
so that they are compatible with each other.
The choice of cases in which a worker
must use an IMP is, in the majority of situations,
taken by the employer (only in certain cases is the
obligation required by law), and must be written into
the risk evaluation.
When the employer is evaluating risk
and is under an obligation to draw up the evaluation
document, he must:
·
Identify
the IMP necessary for risks that can not be avoided
using other means;
·
Identify
the characteristics that the IMP has in relation to
the risks against which it is necessary to provide
protection;
·
Consider
other sources of risk deriving from the IMP itself;
·
Evaluate,
on the basis of information provided by the manufacturer
and the instructions for use that come with the IMP,
the characteristics of the different products available
on the market, and compare them with what has been
identified as the company’s needs;
·
Update
the choice of IMP each time there is a significant
change in the elements of the risk evaluation;
·
Supply
workers (after having consulted the officer for the
company prevention and protection service) with the
IMPs considered necessary and suitable and in line
with regulations in force;
·
Maintain
the IMP in good working order and ensure it is hygienic.
Carry out maintenance repairs and replacements as
and when necessary. Cleaning can be carried out either
in-company or using external specialised companies,
at the choice of the employer;
·
Supply
comprehensible instructions to workers and give them
preliminary information on the risks against which
the IMP gives protection, ensuring that appropriate
information on each IMP is available;
·
Ensure
that proper training is carried out on correct use.
For third category IMPs (which among others include
respiratory equipment with filters against aerosol
solids, liquids and irritating or dangerous toxic
and radioactive gas) organise specific practice in
use and suitable training;
·
Require
each individual worker to observe the laws in force
and any company instructions issued for the use of
the IMP.
For their part workers must:
·
Make
themselves available in the relevant cases for training
and practice sessions organised by the employer;
·
Use the
IMPs issued to them, in accordance with information
and training received and practice sessions undertaken;
·
Take
care of the IMP given to them and not modify it without
proper authorisation;
·
After
use, follow company procedure in returning the IMP;
·
Notify
the employer (or appointed officer) immediately of
any defect or problem with the IMP issued to them.
IMPs must conform to specific regulations
and this conformity must be certified by the manufacturer,
who applies the CE conformity mark (the CE mark followed
by the last two numbers of the year in which the mark
was applied). The IMP must be accompanied by an information
sheet, written by the manufacturer (and if necessary
translated in Italian) which, in addition to the name
and address of the manufacturer, must also contain,
if necessary:
a)
Instructions for storage, use, cleaning, maintenance, servicing
and disinfection. The cleaning, maintenance and disinfection
products recommended by the manufacturer must not
have any harmful effect on the IMP or the user, when
used properly;
b)
The performance obtained by technical examinations carried
out to verify the level or class of protection of
the IMP;
c)
The accessories that may be used with the IMP and the characteristics
of the appropriate spare parts;
d)
The class of protection given against different levels of
risk and the corresponding limits to use;
e)
The date or period in which the IMP or any of its components
becomes invalid;
f)
The type of packing required for transporting the IMP;
g)
Other less important information.
The regulations divide IMPs into three
categories:
The first category are simple IMPS designed to protect from low risks:
·
Light
impacts without danger of permanent injury;
·
Non-aggressive
detergent products;
·
Contact
with objects at a temperature of less than 50°C;
·
Ordinary
atmospheric phenomena.
The third category includes the most sophisticated IMPs, which are designed
to protect against risk of death or serious permanent
injury from:
·
Dust,
fumes, or irritating, harmful, toxic or highly toxic
gases;
·
Falls
from heights;
·
Dangerous
electric currents and electricity at high tension;
·
Helmets
and visors for motorcyclists.
The employer is obliged to provide
specific training for workers for the use of IMPs
in this category.
All IMPs which do not fall into the
first and third categories come in the second category.
IMPs to be used in major agricultural activities:
For all workers:
·
Overalls
(in reinforced cotton, without loose or hanging parts
and with fitted sleeves, cuffs and ankles);
·
Leather
safety gloves against perforation, cuts, burns, etc;
·
Safety
boots (with reinforced toe-caps, anti-perforation
and anti-slip soles);
·
Impermeable
footwear;
·
Protective
clothing against bad weather (thermal jackets, waterproofs,
headwear to protect from the sun).
Activities on terrain where there is the risk of flying
objects (machinery with rapidly rotating parts)
·
Goggles
and visor to protect against flying splinters or objects.
Machinery or activity where the report on noise has
indicated that a certain limit has been exceeded:
·
Headphones
or earplugs.
Use of corrosive or irritating chemical substances (detergents and disinfectants etc)
·
Goggles
against splashing;
·
Polyvinyl
gloves.
Mechanical workshop or similar activities:
·
Goggles
and visor against flying splinters or objects (off-cuts
etc);
·
Leather
safety gloves against perforation, cuts, burns etc;
·
Masks
or goggles for arc-welding;
·
Reinforced
leather aprons or similar.
Lawn maintenance and forestry work:
·
High
reinforced footwear or safety boots;
·
Gloves
against mechanical and thermal extremes (perforation,
cuts, vibrations etc) in leather;
·
Protective
helmets;
·
Footwear
and overalls in cut-resistant material.
Use of weed killers:
·
Overalls;
·
Gloves;
·
Goggles;
·
Masks
with filter;
·
All-in-one
helmet.
Livestock farms:
·
Long
latex disposable gloves;
·
High
quality impermeable and anti-skid footwear;
·
Disposable
all-in-one coveralls;
·
Disposable
all-in-one boot covers;
·
Reinforced
leather aprons or similar;
·
Special
gloves for handling turkeys etc;
·
Special
masks, and in certain cases auto-respiratory masks,
against suffocation in environments filled with asphyxiating
gas (carbon dioxide, ammonia etc).
Work on scaffolding, roofs etc:
·
Protective
helmets;
·
Safety
footwear (reinforced toe, anti-perforation and anti-skid);
·
Safety
harnesses.
Work in wells, silos, cisterns etc:
·
Protective
helmets;
·
Masks
with filters against suffocation in environments filled
with asphyxiating gas (carbon dioxide, ammonia etc);
·
Auto-respiratory
systems for emergency rescue of injured persons;
·
Safety
harnesses.
Activity in and around baths, ponds and water channels:
·
Life
jackets.
Work in warehouses with conveyor belts,
hoists etc
·
Protective
helmets;
·
Safety
footwear (reinforced toe, anti-perforation and anti-slip
soles);
·
Leather
safety gloves against perforation, cuts, burns etc.
Work in dusty environments (mills, food
mills etc)
·
Disposable
anti-dust masks;
·
Disposable
gloves;
·
All-in-one
disposable overalls;
·
All-in-one
disposable overshoes.
By safety signals is intended a system
of signals which gives information on safety matters
and which uses, depending on the individual signal,
a notice, colour, luminous or acoustic signal, verbal
communication or gesture.
Safety signalling is based on the
principle that safety messages are generally communicated
using a particular combination of geometric shapes,
colours and symbols. The aim is to quickly draw attention
to the object or situation that may represent a danger.
It should not be used as a substitute for prevention
and protection measures, but should be exclusively
used for indicating safety matters (indications for
traffic control on company premises, for example,
must be given using the current signalling for road
traffic). Its efficacy depends on the widespread and
repeated giving of information to all persons to whom
it may be useful.
As mentioned above, the colours used
are of great significance in recognising the message
of the signal:
RED is the signal of prohibition and stop as in the case of:
·
No right
of way;
·
No smoking;
·
Signs
relating to fire equipment.
GREEN is the signal of safe situations, as in the case of:
·
Exits
and safety passages;
·
Indications
of the route to first aid posts;
·
Indications
of the presence of rescue equipment.
YELLOW is the signal of situations in which attention should be paid to the
presence of danger, as in the case of
·
Fire;
·
Explosion
and radioactivity;
·
Dispersion
of chemical substances;
·
General
or specific danger.
BLUE is the signal of particular instructions, as in the case of:
·
Equipment
to be used;
·
Useful
information.
In addition to colours, other criteria of conformity
must be respected. These include:
·
Visibility;
·
The use
of symbols;
·
Legibility;
·
Positioning;
·
Suitability.
The most commonly used signs, if
used and interpreted correctly, can constitute a preliminary
indication of the risks in the company, and include:
·
Fire
notices;
·
Notices
indicating escape and evacuation routes;
·
Notices
indicating the movement of loads;
·
Notices
indicating the presence of inflammable, corrosive,
toxic and poisonous substances etc;
·
Notices
forbidding smoking;
·
Notices
that limit the areas reserved to workers such as in
thermal rooms, offices, depots etc;
·
Notices
of circulation, or signalling the presence of animals;
·
Notices
informing of the obligation to use IMPs, gloves, goggles,
breathing apparatus, full-body protective overalls,
masks, anti-slip or anti-injury footwear etc.
3.4 – Risks connected to medical supervision
Grouped together under this heading
are some of the risks which apply to more than one
activity or equipment. These risks are generally responsible
for causing professional illnesses, and there exists
the obligation of medical supervision for the prevention
of these types of risk.
These risk factors, which can lead
to illnesses connected to work activities, are:
1.
Noise;
2.
Manual movement of loads;
3.
Vibration;
4.
Asbestos;
5.
Carcinogenic agents;
6.
Dangerous substances and preparations;
7.
Weed-killing products;
8.
Biological agents;
9.
Allergy-forming agents.
Medical supervision is when one or
more workers undergoes medical checks. This is to
be distinguished from preventative checks carried
out at the start of employment, which are done to
ensure that there are no contra-indications that make
the work involved unsuitable for the worker, nor are
they to be confused with periodical controls used
to check the state of health of workers and to be
sure that no contra-indications have developed to
prevent him doing his work.
Medical checks must be carried out
by a qualified doctor and can include particular examinations.
The obligation to undergo medical
supervision is laid down in specific regulations in
relation to the use of certain substances, the exercise
of certain jobs or where certain levels of exposure
are exceeded. In these cases there is an obligation
for the worker to undergo medical checks, and therefore
a qualified doctor needs to be nominated.
Obligatory check-ups can be prescribed with
different intervals of time for different workers
in accordance with their particular duties or exposure
to particular risks. In some cases the frequency of
checks is laid down by law, and at other times is
left to the judgement of the qualified doctor.
To give an example, the following
duties give rise to a requirement for a medical check-up
every three months. For those exposed to or working in:
·
The professional
use of anti-parasitic substances containing organic
phosphorus compounds;
·
The professional
use of anti-parasitic substances containing organic
mercury compounds;
·
Fumigation
and disinfestations with cyanide-based compounds;
·
Destruction
of parasites which are harmful to agriculture with
cyanide-based compounds;
·
Destruction
of parasites which are harmful to agriculture with
nitro- chloroform-based compounds;
Every
six months for those exposed to or working in:
·
The professional
use of anti-parasitic substances containing antimony
alloys or compounds;
·
Destruction
of parasites which are harmful to agriculture with
phenol and cresol derived nitrates;
Every
twelve months for those exposed to or working in:
·
Veterinary
surgeries (anthrax and ganders);
·
Sewers
and canals (leptospirosis);
·
Improvement
work on marshy land (leptospirosis);
·
Veterinary
surgeries, or those caring for animals or in contact
with them, their faeces or any other infected or contaminated
material.
The cases in which the decision on
the frequency of medical checks is left to the qualified
doctor are those in which workers are involved in:
·
The use
of cancerogenous preparations or substances which
are labelled as R45 or R49 risk;
·
Noise;
·
Manual
movement of heavy loads;
·
Biological
agents.
In these situations, the employer
must establish medical supervision and appoint a qualified
doctor who then becomes responsible for the health
aspects of risk evaluation and the adoption of measures
aimed at eliminating or reducing risk. In particular:
·
On the
drafting of the safety document by the employer, the
qualified doctor expresses his opinion on the importance
of the risks identified and the measures to be adopted;
·
Once
the safety document has been drawn up, he carries
out medical supervision of those workers exposed to
substances or methods of working entailing risk. This
involves preventative tests to ensure that there are
no contra-indications and that each individual worker
is working in the job designated him, and periodic
checks on the state of health of workers and their
suitability for the tasks allotted to them;
·
The qualified
doctor then manages all the aspects of medical supervision.
It should also be noted that specific
regulations govern the admission to work of specified
categories such as adolescents. Adolescents must be
recognised as being suitable for the specific job
which they are allotted, which requires a medical
check-up. The result of this check-up must be certified
and attached to the worker’s employment book. His
continued suitability for the work to which he is
allocated must be certified by periodical medical
check-ups carried out at intervals of no longer than
a year.
Minors, that is young people between
18 and 21 years old, irrespective of previous check-ups,
must undergo a medical check before the start of each
seasonal campaign relating to the following activities:
·
Work
in rice fields;
·
Weeding
of canals;
·
Work
involving the artificial ripening of fruit and vegetables;
·
Works
involving the preparation or use of pesticides.
Furthermore, all workers must be
given anti-tetanus vaccinations, and these must be
renewed periodically.
The risk factors mentioned above
are now discussed in detail.
Noise
This can be defined as undesirable
sound, but it is impossible to establish by theory
alone if an audible mechanical vibration is a sound
or a noise for the person hearing it. The judgement
is a subjective one, and varies according to the individual
case. The intensity of sound is measured in decibels
(dB). Noise is damaging to the hearing because it
can cause loss of sensitivity in the ear (hypoacusia)
and in the long term, deafness.
Mechanisation of production together
with the introduction of continual technological processes,
has brought with it a multiplication of sources of
noise and an increase in the percentage of workers
exposed to this risk factor. The most common sources
of noise in the agricultural sector are due to the
plant and equipment used in new working processes.
These may be carried out inside buildings (cellars,
presses etc) as well as outdoors (tractors etc). In
some cases the source of noise results in high exposure
for workers (in the driving seat of a tractor it is
possible in certain situations to register an intensity
of noise as high as 80-100 dB). The legislation currently
in force requires that every employer evaluate the
noise in his company, drawing up a specific evaluation
document, and in relation to the results of the evaluation
adopt consequent actions to eliminate or limit the
noise.
In cases in which it is suspected
that a worker is exposed to levels of noise superior
to 80dB the evaluation procedure should also include
a phonometric reading. In these cases the measurement
of noise in the company must be carried out by a professional
using precise methods, and should be repeated every
time the conditions of work are substantially modified.
Following the reading, each employee should be allocated
a “level of weekly exposure” (LEP,w) and a “level
of daily exposure” (LEP,d) measured in dB. This should
serve to make appropriate interventions.
Other general precautions to be taken
to alleviate problems of noise are the reduction of
noise at source, that is by planning and buying machinery
with lower noise emissions, the carrying out of technical
modifications to machinery to reduce noise, carrying
out prompt maintenance of machinery and limiting the
duration of daily or weekly exposure for each worker.
In any event for certain agricultural
work where there is a high level of worker exposure
to noise, it is necessary to provide the workers with
suitable protective means, with particular attention
being paid to workers who frequently use agricultural
machinery. In these cases if it is not possible to
reduce noise at source, for example by providing tractors
with cabins, the worker must be provided with an individual
means of protection (IMP) such as headphones or earplugs.
It is also necessary, as well as obligatory, to inform
and train workers on the risks of noise.
On the basis of the results of the
evaluation and any readings, where there are work
places in the business where the worker is exposed
to more than 80dB the employer must put into effect
a series of interventions which are graduated according
to the noise level.
Specific precautions in relation to exposure:
For exposure between 80 and 85 dB the worker and his representative must
be informed of:
·
The risk
to hearing;
·
Measures
adopted by law;
·
Measures
to be observed in the business;
·
The right
to have head phones or ear plugs;
·
The right
to undergo hearing check-ups;
·
The results
and meaning of the noise evaluation.
For exposure between 85 and 90 dB, other than nominating the qualified doctor
and giving him a copy of the readings, the worker
must undergo hearing tests when he is taken on, one
year after the first check up and every two years
thereafter. The worker must also be informed about:
·
The risk
to hearing;
·
Measures
adopted by law;
·
Measures
to be observed in the business;
·
Function
and use of headphones and ear plugs;
·
The aims
of the hearing checkups;
·
The results
and meaning of the noise evaluation;
·
The worker
must be supplied with headphones and earplugs, strongly
recommended by the employer to use them (the worker
is under no obligation to do so) and must be trained
in the correct use.
For exposure superior to 90 dB:
·
A qualified
doctor must be appointed and given a copy of the readings;
·
The worker
must undergo hearing tests (on being taken on and
every year thereafter);
·
The area
surrounding the relevant fixed workstations must be
marked out and notices placed to indicate the limits
of the area and equipment must be labelled, for example
with stickers reminding of the obligation to use head
phones;
·
The worker
must be supplied with head phones and ear plugs, if
possible allowing him to choose the model (the worker
is obliged to use them);
·
The worker
must be trained in the use of headphones and earplugs;
·
It should
be checked that the worker is using headphones and
earplugs;
·
Written
warning must be given to workers who do not use headphones
and ear plugs;
·
A report
must be sent to ASL;
·
A register
of workers exposed to this level of noise must be
created (and sent to ASL and ISPESL);
·
ASL and
ISPESL must be informed when the working relationship
with a worker registered in the register of exposed
workers finishes.
Furthermore, it should be noted that
other persons are subject to certain regulations:
Manufacturers and sellers of noisy equipment
·
Machinery
released on the market must include an instruction
manual indicating the level of noise the machine produces
(equipment producing noises superior to 85 dB must
provide written information in the instruction booklet
on the noise produced and the risks that this involves.
Workers must:
·
When
required by the employer, always use headphones and
ear plugs;
·
Use headphones
and earplugs in the way they have been taught;
·
Keep
the headphones and earplugs in their lockers;
·
Not damage
the headphones and earplugs;
·
Communicate
to the employer any problems with head phones and
earplugs;
·
Inform
the employer of any problems with silencers or other
protective devices which serve to diminish noise;
·
Undergo
medical checks when the employer and/or qualified
doctor requires it (following an evaluation of noise).
In cases where there is no particular
noise problem, that is where it is reasonably believed
not to exceed 80dB, it is recommended that this should
be certified at least by self-certification.
Asbestos
The potential danger presented by
asbestos depends on the dispersion in the air of asbestos
fibres, which are invisible to the naked eye and which
can be inhaled by workers employed in proximity to
the substance. The damaging action of asbestos is
physical and not chemical in nature, meaning that
illness is caused by the friction of fibres against
the tissue of the internal organs where they are deposited,
and not by chemical reaction. Prolonged exposure (in
terms of years) can cause lung cancer (or asbestosis
– 2 fibres per cubic metre of air are sufficient).
Asbestos in agriculture is encountered almost exclusively
in buildings, and in particular in panels of cement-asbestos
(roofs etc), in the insulation of pipes and boilers
(sheets, felt or general cladding) and in the insulating
layers applied by spray or trowel, particularly on
steel support structures.
The presence of material containing
asbestos in a building does not of itself represent
a risk to the health of the occupants. If the material
is in good condition and is not touched it is highly
improbable that there is the risk of asbestos fibre
being released.
Where there is asbestos-containing
material certain general precautions should
be adopted:
·
The material
containing the asbestos should be maintained in good
condition;
·
The condition
of the material should be checked periodically;
·
Where
the material is damaged accidentally, workers should
be removed from the area and the situation immediately
attended to, with the aid of a specialised company.
An evaluation of the situation of
buildings on company premises can be carried out following
simple criteria, and without having recourse to complicated
readings of the concentration of asbestos fibre dispersed
in the air. It is enough to analyse the following
aspects:
·
The condition
of the material (if it disintegrates easily and can
be reduced to powder simply by exerting pressure with
the hand, or if it is compact and sufficiently strong
to be reduced to powder only by using mechanical means,
abrasive disks, drills etc);
·
The presence
of cracks, holes and breaks on the surface;
·
The presence
of pieces which have become detached;
·
The presence
of detritus or abandoned parts;
·
The age
of the installation;
·
The degree
of exposure to atmospheric agents;
·
The degree
of exposure to atmospheric acids;
·
The presence
of infiltration by water;
·
The time
that workers spend in the area, the degree to which
the material is visible, the state of ventilation
of the area.
When the situation is difficult to classify it will
be necessary to call in a specialised company to carry
out a full environmental enquiry and to measure the
concentration of fibres in the air.
Three different situations can be outlined based on
the results of the evaluation:
The material is whole, not susceptible to damage and
therefore there exists no danger of release of asbestos
fibre; in these cases there is no need to make further
interventions.
The material is whole but is susceptible to damage,
with consequent risk of release of asbestos fibre.
If it is not possible to significantly reduce the
risk of damage, interventions will have to be made
in the medium term.
The material is damaged, leading to a risk of the
release of asbestos fibre with possible exposure of
workers. In this last situation it is necessary to
draw up specific actions to be taken in the short
term in order to eliminative the release of asbestos
fibre in the environment. The possible solutions are:
·
Repair:
the asbestos is left in place, the damaged parts are
repaired and the potential causes of damage are eliminated
(change in the ventilation system where air currents
are eroding the material, repairs where water is leaking,
elimination of sources of vibration, intervention
to avoid damage by occupants). This is possible for
material in good condition which has small areas of
damage (less than 10% of the asbestos surface present
in the area). This is the best procedure for pipe
or boiler insulation and for material which is not
easily breakable, such as cement, and which therefore
limits the damage;
·
removal of the asbestos,
which is
then placed in bags, or otherwise wrapped. This
may be done for the entire installation or limited
to certain areas of a building or installation in
which there is release of fibres.
Manual movement of loads means transport
or support of a load by one or more workers and includes
actions of lifting, depositing, pulling, carrying
or moving a load.
The muscular force required to move
a load manually, if not exercised correctly, can bring
about an increase in cardiac and respiratory rhythms
and have a negative impact on the joints, in particular
the spinal column, causing headache, lumbago and disk
problems. In particular it can be the cause of permanent
injury, or professional illness, to the spinal column
and its muscles (arthritis, slipped disks) and injury
to the back (where the back “locks”), legs, arms,
feet and hands, as a consequence of falls, impacts,
crushing and over-effort.
It is not always easy to examine
the problems connected with the manual movement of
loads in the agriculture sector, as legislation does
not provide clear definitions identifying the types
of work and workers at risk. Moreover it appears to
refer exclusively to situations where workers are
exposed continually to manual movement, like those
who work in a warehouse or factory.
In agriculture the manual movement
of loads, although encountered everyday, happens by
chance and in situations that are different, unforeseeable
and usual. Lifting, pulling and pushing heavy objects
is one of the operations that agricultural workers
must carry out frequently during their activity, and
can require the use of great muscular force. However
this may happen only a few times each working day.
Apart from the difficulty of risk evaluation, it is
important to know that there are many injuries and
illnesses caused by this type of activity, and that
it is a much more common problem than one might imagine.
The risk due to manual movement of
heavy loads is encountered when:
The weight to be moved is superior to the
limits laid down by law (30kg for adult males; 25
kg for adult females), is bulky or difficult to take
hold of, is not well balanced or in a position such
that it must be handled at a certain distance from
the body or with the bust bent or distorted, or where
it may cause injury to the worker, in particular on
impact;
The physical force is excessive, can be applied only with the rotation
of the bust, requires a brusque movement of the load
or is carried out with the body in poor equilibrium;
The workplace is too small, or there is the risk of falling over
or slipping, etc;
The activity may require physical force particularly involving
the spinal column, too short rest periods, too large
distances of lifting, lowering and transport or an
over-intense work rhythm;
The worker is not suitable for carrying out the task in question,
wears inadequate clothing or is not informed or trained.
The evaluation will need to provide for
more or less complex interventions of improvement
depending on the degree to which these factors are
satisfied
In general manual movement of loads may
be avoided by adopting organisational measures and
appropriate means at company level, such as mechanical
equipment. Where this is not possible employers will
have to adopt a series of organisational interventions,
such as dividing up loads, reducing the frequency
of lifting and movement operations, improving the
ergonomic characteristics of the workplace, providing
information and training for workers and obliging
them to undergo medical supervision.
Vibration
Vibration can involve the whole
body and may be transmitted through seating, footplates,
tractor platforms and other machinery. It can cause
slipped disks, lumbago, damage to muscles and tendons,
tiredness, insomnia and migraine. When the hand-arm
system in general is involved vibration may be transmitted
through manual equipment (motorised saws, cultivators,
hedge trimmers, grass cutters) and can give rise to
inflammation, permanent damage to the fingers and
malformation to the wrist bone and elbow. The seriousness
of the damage depends on the intensity of the vibration
and the amount of time the worker is exposed.
Certain practical steps can
be taken to avoid these problems. These include:
·
Buying
tractors, machinery and hand tools which have been
designed in accordance with modern criteria (with
suspension systems, springs, elastic washers, handles
with material that absorbs vibration). Such machinery
must be sold with indications in the instruction book
on the level of vibrations produced;
·
Evaluating
modifications to seating, footplates, platforms, handles
etc on tractors, machinery and hand tools already
in use. Where this is not possible the most dangerous
equipment should be identified and the employer, together
with the doctor and the officer responsible for safety,
should decide the maximum times of exposure for workers;
·
Informing
workers on specific risks and the precautions taken,
and checking that they are always used;
·
Obliging
workers who frequently use tractors, machinery and
hand tools with strong vibrations to undergo medical
supervision.
Cancerogenous agents
As stated in the regulations
in force, cancerogenous agents in agriculture are
generally those substances classified as risk R45,
“can cause cancer” or R 49, “can cause cancer if inhaled”.
Where work is carried out using
one or more of these substances or preparations, it
is necessary to carry out a highly specific risk evaluation.
Due to lack of space, this subject cannot be further
explored here.
In agriculture other cancerogenous
substances may be used such as weed killers. These
are dangerous, both for their active ingredient and
for the substance used as co-formulates, e.g. captafol,
sulphalate, exchlorobenzene, 1,2-dibromide.3 chloropan,
1,2-dibromethane, 1,2-dichorethane, nitrofen, and
some mineral oils, colourings, solvent and other mineral
oils.
Moreover it should be pointed
out that there is a possibility of exposure to carcinogens
in other risk situations. These include work underground
or in cellars, wells or cisterns, (particularly if
deep), places in risk zones for Radon, which is naturally
emitted into the ground and which can cause lung cancer,
or because of other high energy physical agents against
which the worker is not well protected and to which
he may be exposed for long periods of time (UVB radiation
X-rays etc.)
Biological agents
European and Italian legislation
when it talks of biological agents, refers mainly
to those activities in which there is the deliberate
intentional use of micro-organisms which could cause
infection, allergies or intoxication (biological,
industrial or research laboratories).
In agriculture the deliberate use
of biological agents is rare (microbes, bacterial,
nitrogen-fixing products and weed killers) and thus
do not present pathological problems for workers.
Such situations can be considered irrelevant for the
purposes of the regulations.
On the other hand the same legislation
imposes a requirement for determined interventions
and precautions in other activities which, while not
involving the deliberate intention to use biological
agents, can involve risk of exposure to workers. Among
these activities are those where there is contact
with animals or with products of animal origin.
The farming business is a place where
biological agents (bacteria, viruses or dangerous
fungal growths) although not being the direct object
of production, can be present in water, in animals
(their products and faeces), in plants and in the
ground.
Workers in agricultural businesses
may therefore be exposed to biological risk in carrying
out nursery and farming operations. The former does
not require particular organisational or technical
precautions, although workers should be given tetanus
injections, while problems connected with inadequate
veterinary measures, hygiene and collective and individual
protection can arise in the latter.
One of the first things to point
out is that the awareness and knowledge of agricultural
workers as to the existence and nature of such problems
needs to be increased and needs to become more specialised.
Suitable interventions must be identified at the risk
evaluation stage and may run from simple practical
recommendations to more complex actions of prevention
and protection, depending on the company’s general
level of hygiene and prevention.
Microbiological risks can be minimised
by respecting the norms of personal, veterinary and
environmental hygiene, by the professional habit of
not drinking, eating, smoking, touching uncovered
parts of the body (mouth, eyes, face) with dirty hands, and by washing and disinfecting as necessary
at the end of work.
To reduce exposure the employer needs
to take some technical organisational and procedural
measures, such as:
·
Limiting
access to authorised persons only and for the minimum
time necessary;
·
Providing
waterproof and easily cleanable surfaces for walls,
floors and ceilings;
·
Providing
surfaces which are resistant to acids, alkalines,
solvent and disinfectants;
·
Planning
specific procedures for disinfection and disinfestation
of breeding areas and surrounding areas;
·
Effective
control of carriers (such as rodents and insects);
·
Drawing
up of procedures for treating samples of animal origin;
·
Adoption
of individual protective measures;
·
Establishing
emergency procedure for use in case of accidents;
·
Providing
the necessary means for collecting, storing and destroying
refuse in safe conditions;
·
Ensuring
that infected animals (alive or dead) are treated
according to best veterinary practice.
Generally there should be no need
for medical supervision. Workers should be vaccinated
against tetanus (obligatory) and given other non-obligatory
vaccinations, as required by the employer and/or the
qualified doctor. In any event it would be appropriate
to require workers to undergo periodical medical check-ups
in case the hygiene conditions of the farm suddenly
deteriorate.
Allergenic agents
Allergenic agents, that is agents
that cause allergies, are present in the agricultural
environment and deserve specific mention even though
they fall under general safety regulations. In general
allergenic agents can be placed together with biological
agents for risk evaluation purposes.
Allergenic agents can be of vegetable
origin (pollen, flour, vegetable oils, seeds, wood),
animal origin (manes, dandruff, skin, feathers, bristles)
or synthetic (weed killers, mineral oils, solvents,
glues, detergents and additives). The following can
be encountered in many agricultural tasks and can
be the cause of allergies:
·
Breeding
areas;
·
Reaping,
harvesting and handling of hay;
·
Floriculture;
·
Wood
working;
·
Cereal
handling;
·
Work
requiring contact with animals;
·
Workshop
activity and machine maintenance;
·
Cleaning
work.
To reduce exposure, technical and procedural measures can be used together
with the appropriate use of IMPs for the respiratory
system (whole or partial face masks with one of more
filters), helmets where work is carried out inside
greenhouses, silos or warehouses and 100% impermeable
cotton overalls, rubber gloves and cotton under gloves
and rubber boots to avoid contact with the skin.