Statistics

  • Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse (2015 BLS Statistics)
    • Duties include: tilling soil and applying fertilizers; transplanting, weeding, thinning or pruning crops; applying pesticides; or cleaning, grading, sorting, packing and loading harvested products; may include trellises, repair fences and farm buildings, or participate in irrigation activities
    • Use hand tools: shovels, trowels, hoes, tampers, pruning hooks, shears, and knives
  • By the numbers (USA):
    • Employment: 272,170
      • Support Activities for Crop Production: 217,200
      • Misc Nondurable Goods Merchant Wholesalers: 14,130
      • Lawn and Garden Equipment and Supplies Stores: 11,600
    • Mean Wages: $10.64/hour, $22,130/year

Top 5 states for employment:
California 178,130
Florida 14,650
Arizona 13,540
Washington 10,160
Texas 5,850

Top 5 states highest concentration:
California 178,130 → 5.82
Arizona 13,540 → 2.65
Washington 10,160 → 1.72
Oregon 5,670 → 1.66
New Mexico 2,040 → 1.30

  • OSHA Standards
    • Agricultural tractors: roll-over protection, protective frames, protective enclosures, guarding of equipment
    • Field sanitation requirements
    • Use of cadmium
    • General industry guidelines
  • Hazards & Controls (OSHA)
    • Vehicle accidents:
      • 48.4% (276 of 570) fatalities in agriculture
    • Heat:
      • Thousands become sick from exposure, some die
      • Prevention: “Water, Rest, Shade”, drink water every 15 minutes, wear a hat and light-colored clothing, watch out for fellow workers
    • Ladders & Falls:
      • Non-fatal, fall-related injury rate of 48.2 per 10,000 workers in 2011 (far higher than the same type of injury rates in transportation, mining or manufacturing)
      • 167 agricultural workers’ deaths between 2007-2011
      • Fall protection and ladder safety – OSHA topics
    • Musculoskeletal Injuries:
      • Repetitive motions in awkward positions
      • Forceful or prolonged exertions
      • Frequent or heaving lifting, pushing, pulling or carrying of heavy objects
      • Vibration and cold
    • Hazardous Equipment and Machinery:
      • Knives, hoes, other cutting tools, ladders, machinery
      • Proper maintenance, used according to manufacturers’ instructions; properly grounded or double insulated power tools with all guards and shields in place
      • Wear proper PPE and make sure not loose clothing or hair that could get caught in machinery
      • Shops should be well lit and have clear walkways to eliminate slips, trips, and falls
    • Unsanitary Conditions
      • OSHA standards requires agricultural establishment (where 11 or more workers) to provide: toilets, potable drinking water, and hand-washing facilities; provide reasonable use of the above; inform each worker of the importance of good hygiene practices
    • Pesticides and Other Chemicals
    • Respiratory Distress
    • Zoonotic Infections and Related Hazards
    • Noise
    • Other: biological hazards, extreme cold, lightning, UV radiation, confined spaces
  • Injury and Illness Incidence Rates (BLS Data)
    • Greenhouse, nursery, and floriculture production:
    • Incidence rate of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses, 2015
      • 5.3 total recordable cases
      • 1.6 with days away from work
      • 1.8 with job transfer or restriction
      • 1.9 other recordable
    • Incidence rate by category of illness, 2015
      • 27.6 total cases
      • 14.6 skin diseases or disorders
      • 2.0 respiratory conditions
      • 10.3 all other illnesses
  • Top 10 Causes of Injuries:
    1. Careless use of ladders
    2. Operating greenhouse machinery
    3. Greenhouse machinery in need of repairs
    4. Improper handling of hazardous material
    5. Slips and falls
    6. Heat stress on employees
    7. Poor lifting and carrying techniques
    8. Greenhouse Fire
    9. Greenhouse construction accidents
    10. Shipping and receiving mishaps