HEALTH AND SAFETY MEASURES

• Knives and other implements must be kept sharp - this reduces the risk of injury from using too much force when trimming and harvesting
• If machinery is used, moving parts should be enclosed with guards, where possible
• Adequate health and safety training should be provided if new technologies and/or working practices are introduced, e.g. if fertilizers or pesticides are recommended, measures should be in place for smallholders who cannot read instructions
• Recommended fertilizers and pesticides should be packed in sizes that women can carry
• Latrines should not be located near open water sources used for irrigation or drinking water
• Properly located latrines should be available near to sites of production - this enables smallholders to use these facilities when they need to, so discouraging the incidence of defecation in the field, which increases the risk of faecal contamination
• Smallholders should be trained in basic sanitation and personal hygiene to prevent unintentional transmission of food-borne illnesses to others, e.g. Salmonella spp., Shigella spp., E. coli and hepatitis A viruses - farmers should be informed that good hygiene protects them from illness
• Farmers with open sores, boils or infected wounds on parts of the body that might come into contact with others, or with fresh produce, must not take part in harvesting, sorting or packing

More information: Handling and use of chemicals; First Aid