Chemical Exposure Risks in Agriculture Industry
In the agriculture industry, workers play a big role in growing grains, rice, and other crops that end up on dinner tables across the country. To do this, they may use a variety of chemicals and other substances to protect their crops. Unfortunately, this puts agriculture workers at a risk of exposure to dangerous substances.
Dangerous Substances in the Agriculture Industry
If you have employees in the agriculture industry, they might be exposed to risks like:
- Pesticides: Pesticides are commonly used to protect crops from pests and diseases. However, intense or frequent exposure to pesticides can cause problems for agriculture workers, including skin irritation and eye irritation.
- Herbicides: Similar to pesticides, herbicides are used to control weeds. Like pesticides, exposure to herbicides can lead to many different health issues.
- Insecticides: Along with pesticides and herbicides, agriculture workers might also use insecticides to protect crops from bugs. Exposure to insecticides can lead to health issues, including skin rashes and respiratory damage.
- Fertilizers: Agriculture workers may often use fertilizer on their crops. While it plays a role in growing crops, fertilizers contain chemicals, including potassium and nitrous. In high qualities, these chemicals can pose health issues. Fertilizer can also be flammable if improperly handled or stored, leading to explosion and fire risks.
Protecting Your Agriculture Industry Workers from Exposure Risks
If your agriculture workers use chemicals like pesticides and fertilizers, it’s important to take steps to protect them from common chemical exposure risks. At your business, these steps might include:
- Offering training and education on how to properly handle and store potentially dangerous substances like fertilizer or insecticides
- Providing personal protective equipment (PPE) like gloves or goggles to combat common exposure risks and injuries
- Encouraging a culture of safety and responsibility around chemical storage
- Implementing risk management strategies to identify common exposure risks, like improperly stored fertilizer
- Taking immediate steps to address, reduce, and prevent risks
- Ensuring compliance with all state and federal laws, as well as any regulations that pertain specifically to your agricultural industry
Additionally, you should also offer strong Workers’ Compensation coverage options at your agriculture industry business. After a chemical exposure incident or other workplace accident, Workers’ Compensation coverage helps your employees find the support you need, plus protects your business against liability issues.
At Work Comp Business Insurance Solutions, we help business owners find the best Workers’ Compensation and payroll solutions.To learn more about our services and how we can help your business, visit us online at https://www.wcbis.com.
