Safety and health in agriculture

This code of practice is intended to raise awareness of the hazards and risks associated with agriculture and promote their effective management and control; to help prevent occupational accidents and diseases and improve the working environment in practice; to encourage governments, employers, workers and other stakeholders to cooperate to prevent accidents and diseases; to promote more positive attitudes and behaviour towards occupational safety and health (OSH) in agriculture throughout the sector; ensure that good workplace health and safety practices are applied to all workers in the workplace regardless of age or gender.

Agriculture is one of the most hazardous of all economic sectors and many agricultural workers suffer occupational accidents and ill health each year. It is also the largest sector for female employment in many countries, especially in Africa and Asia. Agriculture employs some one billion workers worldwide, or more than a third of the world's labour force, and accounts for approximately 70 per cent of child labour worldwide.

This code of practice is devoted to improving OSH in agriculture and complements the Safety and Health in Agriculture Convention 2001 (No. 184), and its supplementing Recommendation (No. 192), and provides further guidance for their application in practice. It provides guidance on appropriate strategies to address the range of OSH risks encountered in agriculture in order to prevent – as far as is reasonably possible – accidents and diseases for all those engaged in this sector. It also provides guidance on the roles of the competent authorities, employers, workers and their organizations in promoting OSH within this sector. Its provisions are based on principles contained in Convention No. 184 and many other ILO Conventions and Recommendations.

Importantly, OSH standards affecting women workers have been traditionally underestimated because these standards and exposure limits to hazardous substances are based on male populations and laboratory tests. Since the majority of agricultural workers are women, this code takes into consideration the gender dimensions of OSH in agriculture. This is a positive development which more closely reflects the reality of the sector.

The code was adopted by an international group of experts meeting in Geneva from 25 to 29 October 2010. It was endorsed and approved for publication by the Governing Body of the ILO at its 310th Session (March 2011).

Related content

C184 Safety and Health in Agriculture Convention, 2001
Placeholder image

C184 Safety and Health in Agriculture Convention, 2001

R192 Safety and Health in Agriculture Recommendation, 2001
Placeholder image

R192 Safety and Health in Agriculture Recommendation, 2001

Guidelines for labour inspection in forestry
Placeholder image

Guidelines for labour inspection in forestry

Guidelines on occupational safety and health management systems, ILO-OSH 2001
Placeholder image

Second edition

Guidelines on occupational safety and health management systems, ILO-OSH 2001

Ambient factors in the workplace
Placeholder image

Ambient factors in the workplace

HIV/AIDS and the world of work
Placeholder image

HIV/AIDS and the world of work

Safety and health in forestry work
Safety and health in forestry work - Cover

Safety and health in forestry work

Protection of workers’ personal data
Placeholder image

Protection of workers’ personal data

Management of alcohol- and drug-related issues in the workplace
Placeholder image

Management of alcohol- and drug-related issues in the workplace

Recording and notification of occupational accidents and diseases
Placeholder image

Recording and notification of occupational accidents and diseases

Safety in the use of chemicals at work
Placeholder image

Safety in the use of chemicals at work

Safety, health and working conditions in the transfer of technology to developing countries
Placeholder image

Safety, health and working conditions in the transfer of technology to developing countries

Safety in the use of asbestos
Placeholder image

Safety in the use of asbestos

Guide to health and hygiene in agricultural work
Placeholder image

Guide to health and hygiene in agricultural work

Protection of workers against noise and vibration in the working environment
Placeholder image

Protection of workers against noise and vibration in the working environment

Safety and health in agriculture: A set of fact-sheets
Placeholder image

Safety and health in agriculture: A set of fact-sheets

Safety and health in the use of agrochemicals: A guide
Placeholder image

Safety and health in the use of agrochemicals: A guide

Health, safety and environment: A series of trade union education manuals for agricultural workers
Placeholder image

Health, safety and environment: A series of trade union education manuals for agricultural workers

Tackling hazardous child labour in agriculture: Guidance on policy and practice
Placeholder image

Tackling hazardous child labour in agriculture: Guidance on policy and practice

The Globally Harmonised System for Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS)
Placeholder image

The Globally Harmonised System for Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS)

International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS)
Placeholder image

International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS)

ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Placeholder image

ICSC database

ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)

Encyclopaedia of Occupational Health and Safety
Placeholder image

Online edition

Encyclopaedia of Occupational Health and Safety

Experts adopt new ILO Code of Practice on safety and health in agriculture
Placeholder image

Safety and health

Experts adopt new ILO Code of Practice on safety and health in agriculture

Ergonomic checkpoints in agriculture: Practical and easy-to-implement solutions for improving safety, health and working conditions
Placeholder image

Second edition

Ergonomic checkpoints in agriculture: Practical and easy-to-implement solutions for improving safety, health and working conditions

Technical and ethical guidelines for workers' health surveillance
Placeholder image

Occupational Safety and Health Series, No. 72

Technical and ethical guidelines for workers' health surveillance

Code of Practice on safety and health in agriculture available in Chinese
Placeholder image

China

Code of Practice on safety and health in agriculture available in Chinese

Occupational safety and health in agriculture, on plantations, and in other rural sectors
Placeholder image

Occupational safety and health in agriculture, on plantations, and in other rural sectors