Occupational Health, Safety and Ethics in Agriculture
Occupational health, safety and ethics in agriculture covers hazards, protective equipment, chemical safety, animal handling, zoonoses and fair conduct. The exam tests practical risk control and ethical decisions, not just knowledge of rules.
Core rules
Hazards include machinery entanglement, noise, dust, slips, lifting injuries, pesticides, veterinary medicines and zoonoses such as brucellosis and rabies. Use PPE: boots, gloves, overalls, eye protection and respirators where required. Read labels, calibrate sprayers, never reuse pesticide containers, and observe withholding periods. Store chemicals locked away from feed and children. Ethics includes animal welfare, honest grading, fair labour, environmental stewardship and accurate records.
Worked example
A pesticide label states a 14-day withholding period. The crop is sprayed on 1 March and the farmer plans to harvest on 11 March. What should happen? Reasoning: 1 March to 11 March is 10 days, which is 4 days short of the 14-day period. Harvest must be delayed until at least 15 March. Selling earlier risks illegal residues and consumer health. The withholding period is a legal and ethical limit, not a suggestion.
Traps that cost marks
Do not assume gloves alone protect against all chemicals. Do not reuse empty chemical containers for water or food. Do not handle sick animals without protection or reportable disease advice.