Agricultural workers are often required to work under hazardous conditions and with adversities such as remote locations, difficult terrain, aged equipment and structures, lack of access to clean water and sanitary facilities, and exposure to extreme weather conditions. Because agricultural facilities and tasks vary significantly by season, geography, commodity, and operations, preventing musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) can be challenging. MSDs can result in extensive medical burden, loss of production, and workforce losses that not only affect the workplace, but the overall supply chain.
Agricultural workplace risk factors for MSDs include:
Studies have revealed that MSDs likely affect agricultural workers more frequently than any other safety and health concern. In fact, work-related MSDs are so common among agricultural workers that it’s almost become expected, with many seeing the risks as an inevitable consequence of the job. Unfortunately, given the physical nature of agricultural jobs, the consequences end up being acute and chronic pain in workers’ bodies. These pains could be prevented by reducing the amount of awkward, heavy, repetitive activities required by the job.
In most cases, the cause of MSDs can be traced to body movements and the demands of the job. The likelihood of developing MSDs is directly related to the frequency, duration, and intensity of exposure to environmental stressors. The greater the level of exposure to a risk factor, the greater the risk of developing MSDs. Workers are at greatest risk when required to perform repeated, awkward or intense tasks for prolonged periods of time or often throughout the day.
MSDs can be severe and result in permanent damage if risk factors aren’t addressed. While federal OSHA has not yet developed criteria or quantifications for MSDs or ergonomics, employees are protected under the General Duty Clause of the OSH Act.
Administrative controls: management-dictated work practices and policies to reduce or prevent exposures to ergonomic risk factors. Administrative control strategies can include changes in job rules and procedures, such as scheduling more rest breaks, rotating employees through jobs that are physically tiring, and training employees to recognize ergonomic risk factors.
Awkward posture: a deviation from the neutral position of any joint requiring muscle activity to maintain the body position. Examples include twisting, bending, kneeling, squatting, stooping, or working over shoulder height.
Biomechanics: the study of the mechanics of muscular activity and how muscular activity relates to internal loading of body tissues, such as the ligaments, joints, and other soft tissues.
Contact stress: stress resulting from occasional, repeated, or continuous contact between sensitive body tissue and a hard or sharp object. This contact may create pressure that can inhibit blood flow, tendon and muscle movement, and nerve function. Contact stress commonly affects the soft tissue on the fingers, palms, forearms, thighs, shins, and feet.
Engineering controls: physical changes to the workplace such as workplace layout design, selection and use of tools, and adjusted work methods intended to reduce or eliminate employee exposure to risks.
Ergonomics: the science of fitting the job to the worker. Ergonomics is also the practice of designing equipment and work tasks to conform to the capability of the worker, it provides a means for adjusting the work environment and work practices to prevent injuries before they occur.
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs): injury or strain to the muscles, nerves, tendons, ligaments, joints, cartilage and spinal discs due in large part to repeated or heavy lifting, working in extremely awkward postures, and in pushing and pulling heavy objects.