PMI 1133

Chapter 4:
Conditions of work and life in
plantations
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Subtopics outline
 Occupational safety and health and the use of agrochemicals
 Progress in housing conditions of plantation workers
 Health and education services in plantations
 Working time in plantations
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Occupational safety and

health and the use of
agrochemicals
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Cont…
• Health and safety at work in plantations, and in agriculture more
generally, concerns especially in 2 areas:
1) Injuries relating to the use of machinery and equipment.
2) Handling of chemical substances for crop protection purposes
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WHY??
• Many countries import and others export chemicals which are
banned in other countries on account of their very dangerous
composition.

• Then comes training which is too often neglected. Workers and

small farmers are simply ignorant of the potential dangers
involved.
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Problems:

ignorance of
no labelling,
potential toxic
leaking
effects

lack of
poor or no
technical
supervision
guidance
• Use and Misuse of Agricultural chemicals PMI 1133

 The most common response to the growing problem of pests is the use of
pesticides.

 Consequences:
1. Disruption of ecosystems
2. Widespread contamination of aquatic resources, several pesticides —
particularly herbicides — have been detected in drinking-water
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Occupational hazards and agrochemicals
• Most cases of poisoning remain unreported for lack of a proper
administrative machinery with the authority and capacity to register such
reports.

• Many of the reporting responsibility would lie with the labor inspector,
cause they think the plantations is generally recognized as weak.
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Occupational hazards and agrochemicals
• Many countries including Chile, Malaysia, Paraguay, Philippines and
Zimbabwe indicate that basic information, training and protective measures
are not being applied systematically.

• Labelling is often incorrect or insufficient, training is not enough, and

protective equipment not worn.

• Too many workers handling chemicals are ill-trained, cannot read labels and
safety sheets, and are not informed of basic measures to limit exposure.

• In Malaysia damaged knapsack sprayers, too bulky, frequently leaking, with

too short lances, are found to cause serious exposure to pesticides.
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International action
• Several United Nations organizations are involved in programmes aimed at
promoting safer use of agrochemicals.

• Four types of activities can be distinguished:

1) Classification of products with full information on their composition, toxicity
and use.
2) regulate international trade.
3) number of agencies are promoting safe use of pesticides.
4) strengthening training capacities and facilities, monitoring and control
procedures, and die development of alternatives use of pesticides.
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National Action
 A number of countries have decided to limit the use of pesticides without
reducing yields.

INDONESIA
 Indonesia has to remove all subsidies on pesticides
 They also practice on Integrated Pest Management method.
 Where some chemicals continue to be used on plantation estates in
Indonesia, occupational safety and health committees have been established
to supervise training and information measures with regard to use of
agrochemicals.
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National Action
 Integrated Pest Management

 >>>>>Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is an effective and environmentally

sensitive approach to pest management that relies on a combination of
common-sense practices.

 Four steps:
1. Set Action Thresholds
2. Monitor and Identify Pests
3. Prevention
4. Control
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Safety in the use of chemicals at work
 PROCEDURE:

1. All chemicals shall be marked so as to indicate their

identity
2. Suppliers of chemicals shall ensure that such chemicals
have been classified
3. Employers shall assess the exposure of workers to
hazardous chemicals
4. Employers shall protect workers against risks by
appropriate means
5. Employers shall inform the workers of the hazards
associated with exposure to chemicals
6. Workers shall have the right to remove themselves from
danger
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Progress in housing
conditions of plantation
workers
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Previous consideration of housing conditions
• The question of housing conditions of plantation workers has been of concern to
the Committee on Work on Plantations for a long time.

• The standard of the existing housing accommodation on plantations is not

always satisfactory and often leads to overcrowding and insanitary conditions
such as frequently result in disease and ill-health.

• Much of the burden of disease is related to a poor household environment:

1) Sanitation
2) Water supply
3) Garbage disposal
4) Drainage
5) Indoor air pollution
6) Overcrowding
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Health and education

services in
plantations
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Evidence of progress
• Malaysia
• In 1988, 17 per cent of estates had access to an estate hospital,
and 41 per cent to an estate clinic. Facilities on medium-sized and
small plantations were much less common than on large ones.

• Only one large estate had a full-time medical general practitioner,

40 per cent of the estates had a part-time doctor, and 13 per cent
had a full-time medical assistant.

• Availability of health services depends very much on the size of

the plantation. Facilities are moderate. Only 2 per cent of the
plantations (in 1982) are reported to have established facilities.
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Working time in plantations

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Working time in plantations
• Concerning hours of work, weekly rest and holidays for plantation workers.

• Normal working hours in the factories on plantations should not exceed 8

hours per day;

• The level of weekly work hours remains high in a majority of plantation

commodity-producing countries.
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Working time in plantations
• In addition to the enforcement of legal or regulatory working hours, two
further issues are continuous sources of argument. Two issues:
1. Transport time to and from places of work on plantations
2. Timing of daily tasks for task-based wages.

• Plantations cover large areas. Hence, movement of workers to places of work,

can take time.

• Actual hours of work can therefore be much higher than official work hours.
Suitable transport arrangements as well as negotiated agreements on the
modalities of including travel time to places of work within the plantations
could help relieve this situation
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Working time in plantations

In many countries plantation workers are paid according to defined

daily tasks. For example:

1. Number of rubber trees tapped per day

2. Rows weeded
3. Hectares of fertilizer application per day
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Working time in plantations

 Although tasks are usually defined so as to be completed within

a normal eight-hour day, varying conditions (climatic,
topographical and others) can influence the "normal" work
day.

 Some tasks cannot be completed within an eight-hour day and

call on the cooperation of a team of workers, usually man and
wife, sometimes including children.

 So, these lead to some labor problem in the plantation sectors.