The Most Common Farming Respiratory Hazards

Many farming situations present respiratory health hazards to farm workers. In fact, high percentages of farm workers may risk this type of health problem. For example, exposure to various respiratory hazards has been linked to coughs and the presence of sputum in 20 – 90% of farm workers and families, depending on the type of exposure. Symptoms of chronic bronchitis have been observed in as many as 50 % of swine confinement workers and grain handlers.

Yet with a few precautions and an understanding of respiratory dangers, these hazards can be minimized or even eliminated.

Some common hazards

• Farmer's Lung

Farmer's Lung is an allergic reaction caused by inhaling dust from moldy hay, straw and grain. Dairy and grain farmers are the most common victims. Working outdoors with these materials poses minimal danger because the dust is quickly dispersed. The months when moldy crops are handled indoors are the most dangerous.

Because the dust is so fine, it gets past defence systems in the nose and throat. When the dust reaches the inner parts of the lungs, the lung's internal defence system usually takes over and removes it without damage. But a few people will develop an allergy. The first exposure creates the allergy in sensitive individuals, and subsequent exposures trigger an allergic reaction. Symptoms may resemble anything from a cold to pneumonia. Scar tissue forms in the lungs. The cold-like symptoms may clear up, but the scarring is permanent.

Lung damage may be too slight to notice during the early stages of Farmer's Lung. Repeated exposure increases tissue damage, causing victims to begin experiencing shortness of breath. This makes strenuous work more difficult, and victims eventually may find it a struggle to even get out of a chair.

• Toxic Organic Dust Syndrome

Dust from moldy hay, grain and silage also can cause Toxic Organic Dust Syndrome (TODS), which has symptoms resembling Farmer's Lung. However, TODS does not produce long-term illness or cause permanent lung damage. Even if TODS occurs several times in the same person, it will behave similarly each time, with severity depending on the individual and the dose of inhaled dusts. Farmers will not contract TODS unless they inhale large amounts of moldy dust.

• Nuisance dusts

Suspended dust particles encountered during farm operations that do not contain spores from moldy organic matter are considered "nuisance dusts." While inhaling them usually will not cause an allergic reaction, repeated exposure can turn portions of the lung into hardened, non-functioning tissue. As a result, the lung's capacity to take in oxygen will be reduced, and the victim will become more vulnerable to respiratory diseases like pneumonia, tuberculosis and bronchitis.

• Gases

A variety of worker-disabling gases, including nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ammonia (NH3), carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4), are produced during many routine farm operations. These gases are commonly produced in areas such as silos and manure pits. Exposure to low levels of these gases will produce lung and eye irritations, dizziness, drowsiness and headaches. High levels will quickly render a worker unconscious, and death will follow.

Farm chemicals. Pesticides (herbicides, insecticides and fungicides), fertilizers (ammonium nitrate), sanitizers (calcium hypochlorite) and battery acid are common farm chemicals which produce harmful fumes. Always follow label directions when handling these chemicals. Labels will list potential hazards to workers and identify the personal protective equipment necessary during handling.

The best option to protect yourself from these farming hazards is to purchase a gas mask and a quality air respirator. Visit L&A Safety’s website or pop in at one of their branches in Milnerton, Vredenburg or Robertson to find a wide range of PPE and so much more!