Differences Among Thai Agricultural Workers’ Health, Working Conditions, and Pesticide Use by Farm Type

Details

• Personal Author:
  Batsungnoen K ; Bootsikeaw S ; Hanchenlaksh C ; Kongtip P ; Mahaboonpeeti R ; Nankongnab N ; Tipayamongkholgul M ; Woskie S
• Description:
  More than 11 million Thai people (38%) work in agriculture, but since most are in the informal sector, government enforcement and support are very limited. As a result, working conditions on Thai farms vary greatly, putting the health of many agricultural workers at risk. A cross-sectional study in three Thai provinces collected information on the work activities and conditions of 424 farmers representing five farm types: rice, vegetable, flower, rice/vegetable, and flower/vegetable. The agricultural workers were mainly women (60%); their average age was 53 but ranged from 18 to 87 years. More than 64% worked more than 5 days/week. Seventy-four percent of them had only primary school education. A number of the health and hazardous working conditions surveyed were significantly different by farm type. Rice farmers were found to have the highest prevalence of allergies, nasal congestion, wheezing, and acute symptoms after pesticide use, while flower farmers had the lowest prevalence of these health outcomes. Rice farmers reported the highest prevalence of hazardous working conditions including high noise levels, working on slippery surfaces, sitting or standing on a vibrating machine, spills of chemicals/pesticides, and sharp injuries. The lowest prevalence of these working conditions (except noise) was reported by flower farmers. Vegetable farmers reported the highest prevalence knee problems, while rice farmers had the lowest prevalence. Among these farmers, more than 27 different types of pesticides were reported in use during the past year, with the majority reporting use once a month. The flower/vegetable farming group reported the highest frequency of good exposure prevention practices during pesticide use. They were the most likely to report using cotton or rubber gloves or a disposable paper masks during insecticide spraying. Those farmers who only grew vegetables had the lowest frequency of good exposure prevention practices, including use of personal protective equipment. The economic cost of work-related injuries and illnesses among informal sector agricultural workers in Thailand is unknown and in need of study. Gaps in the regulations covering pesticide sales allow farmers to purchase pesticides without adequate training in their safe use. Training targeted to farm type regarding safe pesticide use and the prevention of accidents and musculoskeletal disorders is needed. Studies of chronic health effects among Thai farmers are needed, with special emphasis on respiratory, metabolic disease and cancer. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Agriculture Demography Farmers Hazardous Substances Hypersensitivity Insecticides Musculoskeletal Diseases Noise Noise, Occupational Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Personal Protective Equipment Respiratory System Safety Staff Development Vibration

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• Keywords:
  Agricultural Chemicals Agricultural Workers Allergies Author Keywords: Agricultural Workers Chemical Hazards Chemicals Cross Sectional Studies Demographic Characteristics Employee Exposure Farm Workers Flower Farmers Foodstuff Gloves Knee Injuries MSD Musculoskeletal Disorders Nasal Disorders Noise Exposure Occupational Hazards Personal Protective Equipment Pesticides Pesticides And Agricultural Chemicals Plants PPE Respiratory Irritants Rice Farmers Safety Safety Practices Sharps Training Vegetable Farmers Vibration Exposure Walking Surfaces Worker Health

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• ISSN:
  2398-7308
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Maryland ; Massachusetts ; OSHA Region 1 ; OSHA Region 3
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  167-181
• Volume:
  62
• Issue:
  2
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20051060
• Citation:
  Ann Work Expo Health 2018 Mar; 62(2):167-181
• Contact Point Address:
  Pornpimol Kongtip, Department of Occupational Health and Safety, Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University, 420/1 Rajvidhi Road, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
• Email:
  pornpimol.kon@mahidol.ac.th
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2018
• Performing Organization:
  University of Massachusetts, Lowell
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20120920
• Source Full Name:
  Annals of Work Exposures and Health
• End Date:
  20150831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:3cbed4431eb4719681d4acd1ab898502cadc7ea3aa13ab4565743cfccc3c193413bd5828cb5db76388ad595e43ee50445d5d46d86224b1bf0101d01aab256412
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/211191/cdc_211191_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.23 MB ]