Smart First Aid for farmers: Agriculture, a top hazardous offender world-wide
The Agricultural industry is raided with all sorts of occupational hazards and ranks among the top hazardous occupations world wide while representing half of the world’s workforce (International Labour Office — ILO). In most developing countries, Agriculture forms the backbone of the economy. For example, farming is Kenya’s mainstay, accounting for 33% of the country’s GDP with over 40 % of the population working in agriculture ( United States Agency for International Development — USAID). Farming related hazards from the normally strenuous and repetitive farming activities have been attributed to worker injuries, resulting to loss in worker productivity and worse still, robbing us of valuable members of society. It is for these reasons that the need for health and safety standards has become table stakes, particularly in hazard-prone farming environments.
A Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture & Technology (JKUAT) study of farm workers revealed the prevalence of physical, chemical and ergonomic occupational hazards, with the majority of respondents reporting work-related injuries from tools (e.g., hoe and machete) and machinery. Others illnesses reported (e.g., headaches, dizziness, breathing problems) were attributed to chemical poisoning.
We recognize that creating a culture of safety in the farming industry goes beyond the farm and will require a concerted effort working with stakeholders throughout the value network (beyond the farmers to include suppliers/distributors, among others in the ecosystem).
For agriculture to continue delivering positively to our world-wide economy, key stakeholders in the industry need to uphold high health and safety standards for their teams working in the hazard-prone farming environment. In addition, there needs to be a commitment for the delivery of timely first aid and access to emergency services following a work-related incident.
The Helpfie Smart first aid digital solutions provide local farming communities with bulk licenses and seek to harness the power of technology to keep pace with the level of preparedness needed to the hazard-prone agricultural sector. Workers equipped with the Helpfie Smart First Aid application obtain the skills needed to administer life saving care, have the ability to mobilize ambulance services and expedite the rescue to ultimately save lives.
We support farmers by working with their trade associations to provide innovative smart first aid solutions that strengthen the chain of survival for their members in the critical moments that matter.
To hear more about the Smart First Aid solutions for farmers, email us at train@helpfie.com or call us at +254 777 714 007 (Kenya) or +1 617 221 6221 (US)