In recent years, together with the development of science and technology, the use of modern machines in agricultural production activities has become more popular and helped to increase the productivity. This is considered an essential factor in reducing poverty rate and improving farmers’ living standard.

However, in their daily lives, farmers have to face a high risk of using toxic chemicals, pesticides, electricity and unsafe machines which may badly affect their health. Although farmers have direct contact to these toxic chemicals and machines on a daily basis, they only have few chances to access information and knowledge on occupational health and safety (OHS).

Farmers still confused about OHS

There is a fact that many farmers abuse chemicals in agricultural production, such as insecticides as well as some chemicals to preserve fruits and vegetable and accelerate the growth of plants. These chemicals do not have a trademark or a clear statement of its producer, causing environmental pollution and food poisoning, especially in the Red River delta. Many of these chemicals are also kept inside the house, the kitchen or inside breeding farms.

Most farmers in Thanh Oai district of Hanoi admitted that they do not use a mask while spraying pesticides and throw the cover of pesticide boxes freely after using. They often wash the pesticide sprayers in nearby rivers or ponds. Farmers are concerned about how to preserve insecticide in their house, saying most of them do not know the way to keep it safely.

In addition, farmers do not have good knowledge about the way to use machines and often use them without labour protection equipment. They even do not know about OHS and the safe use of electricity.

According to the OHS Department under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, there is an increasing number of workplace accidents while people using agricultural machines and electricity. As many as 799 for every 100 thousand people have workplace accidents, while more than 855 for every 100 thousand machine users are injured during their work.

Raising labourers’ awareness

Applying technologies in rural areas faces difficulties as most of young people with good academic background have moved to work in industrial or economic zones.

Dr Dinh Hanh Thung, from the Vietnam Association of Science and Technology and Occupational Safety and Health, said the promotion of this issue in agriculture to farmers has not been done well. Activities have been too general with no strategic aims and little influence on people, he said, urging more realistic measures to raise people’s awareness of dangers in agricultural production. Thung also stressed the importance of raising local state employees’ awareness.

Nguyen Thi Thom, from the Vietnam Farmers Association, held that it’s necessary to expand the peer education model among farmers. Once farmers are actively involved, they would share good solutions and initiatives to ensure occupational safety, and reduce occupational accidents and diseases.

Ensuring polices for peasants

Vietnam has no laws on occupational health and safety in agriculture except some documents on agricultural promotion and pesticide management issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Ms Thom underscored that this lack of policies had led to poor health care for farmers in agriculture. Many localities have only a clinic, which primarily treats popular diseases, to provide medical care for the whole community. Farmers usually have to pay for treatment and medicine and receive no state assistance when suffering occupational accidents.

Meanwhile, agencies for supervising agricultural OHS exist only at provincial and municipal level. Therefore, Dr Bui Thi An, head of an institute for natural resources, environment, and gender suggested the state complete a full system for organizing and managing OSH work from central to local level. Such a system should reach to commune level, she stressed. The grassroots-level supervisory agency will assist other relevant agencies in disseminating information and providing appropriate training courses for farmers. Ms An also proposed strengthening inspection and strictly punishing any violations.

A sound and comprehensive policy on OHS for farmers is expected to nourish agricultural workers to ensure food security and support the country’s industrialization and modernization process.