Agricultural work is actually dangerous More than 300 deaths in one year January 9 18:50

What do you imagine if you say "industry that is likely to cause fatal accidents at work"?
Construction industry? Manufacturing? … It's actually agriculture.

More than 300 people die in one year nationwide.
During the interview, one survivor said, "I didn't think my family would die in this way."

On the other hand, many farmers say they are used to tractor driving and are safe without accidents.

Now I feel that the aging of farmers is creating new risks. (Oita Broadcasting Station reporter Rikuya Miyamoto)

In farm work that should be used to

In May of last year, a tractor rolled over in the mountains of Taketa City, Oita Prefecture, and an accident occurred in which a driving man died.

Mr. Masakatsu Goto (78) died.
While driving a tractor on his premises on a hill, he fell into a rice field about 5 meters below a cliff and died under the tractor.

"No way my family"

Mr. Goto needed to drive a tractor from the warehouse and go down the slope to the rice field during farm work.

The usual procedure was to take out the tractor in the back from the warehouse, turn the steering wheel 90 degrees to the right, change direction, and then go down the slope.

However, on the day of the accident, the tractor was normally pulled back from the warehouse, but fell too low and fell off the cliff. There was no fence to prevent falls.

Police investigations have shown that the error was due to incorrect driving.

My wife, Fumiko (78), who was working in a nearby rice field, told us about the situation at the time.

A routine that has been going back and forth between the warehouse and the rice field for more than 30 years. He says he was used to it and never thought it was dangerous. I still have feelings I can't do.

Fumiko: "I didn't think that my family would die in this way. I had heard and heard that a fatal accident occurred during farming, but honestly, it was all alone. I really can't say anything. ''

More than twice the construction industry

These fatalities during farming are endless in many places.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, more than 300 people die each year nationwide, and about 80% of the deaths are elderly people aged 65 or older.

As the number of agricultural workers continues to decrease year by year, the death toll itself is on a downward trend, but the death toll per 100,000 employees is 16.7, according to the latest (= 2017) country statistics, right shoulder The situation is rising. Moreover, when viewed by industry, it is more than twice as large as the construction industry (= 6.5 people).

By factor, 69.4% of the fatal accidents during agricultural work occurred while using agricultural machinery, such as rolling over while driving a tractor and getting underneath.

In addition, farmers are aging.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the average age of farmers nationwide was 59 in 1995, but the population has rapidly aged and exceeded the age of 65 in 2009, reaching 67 years last year.

Researcher Keiko Minagawa of the National Research Institute for Agriculture and Food Technology, a researcher familiar with the actual situation of accidents during agricultural work, said, It's hard for farmers who work to be aware of the risks, and to prevent a fatal accident, you need to be aware of the risks lurking in places you're used to. " Is.

I can't get my attention

In the face of the current situation of many fatal accidents during agricultural work, the government has not just stood up.

In Oita Prefecture, where about 10 people die every year, we have been distributing leaflets to farmers and holding safety seminars to call on farmers to prevent accidents.

However, many of the opponents are farmers who are proud of their years of experience and knowledge. No matter how much the government official calls for cautions to prevent accidents, it is difficult to hear from them.

Oita Prefectural Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Department Safety Agriculture Team Shuichi Yamazaki “Producers tend to be more conscious of productivity improvement.

From GAP

Do we need more motivation than just calling for safety? Therefore, Oita Prefecture has noticed the certification system "GAP" for producing safe agricultural products.

This certification is given when a farmer or agricultural corporation is found to meet national standards for hygiene and environmental protection.

Once acquired, agricultural products can be preferentially sold to some supermarkets and department stores, as well as providing ingredients to the Olympic Village during the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.

To obtain this certification, you need to pass the examination of a specialized organization, and the examination items include "Safety of the work environment".

For this reason, in Oita Prefecture, if the number of farmers and agricultural corporations acquiring certification increases, safety measures will advance and the number of accidents will decrease. is.

Pre-examination support for certification

As a part of this, Oita Prefecture and JA are focusing on "preliminary screening", which involves visiting farmers undergoing audits, checking safety measures in the same way as production, and advising on improvements if there are any deficiencies.

It was an effort to help them pass smoothly, but I was interviewed to see what they actually were.

I heard about Kitazaki Farm, an agricultural corporation in Bungotakada that produces white leeks and garlic with 20 employees.

The person in charge of the JA visited the preliminary examination on this day. First, the instructor confirmed the layout of the facilities on the farm and a list of dangerous places.

All are required to be presented at the time of screening.

The goal is to visualize where and what dangers are lurking, and to specify measures to share risks among employees.

Noticed and improved

In the preliminary examination, the instructor confirmed one dangerous spot and one safety measure based on this list and map.

Then I noticed that there was an instructor in the tractor storage area.

A device called a "safety frame" had been removed from one of the several units.

The safety frame is a rectangular frame attached to the back of the seat, which is about 1 meter high. When the tractor falls, it becomes a bar to the ground and prevents the driver from getting down.

An executive of the agricultural corporation explained that he had removed it because he would hit the ceiling and get in the way when entering and exiting the house.

Instructors called for improvements to keep bars on for safety except when entering and exiting the house.

According to the agricultural corporation interviewed, it is said that employees' awareness of safety has changed little by little in their efforts to obtain certification.

"Kitazaki Farm" Senior Managing Director Masayasu Kitazaki "Before, they used to be left behind without using a mowing machine and left them in storage, which was dangerous, but recently, this has disappeared. I believe that if you follow it, you will be assured of safety. ''

In Oita Prefecture, more than 180 farms have acquired GAP as of last year, and nearly doubled in five years. The prefecture feels responsive to the initiative and intends to continue promoting it.

Shuichi Yamazaki, Chief of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Division, Oita Prefectural Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Division "I want producers to work on acquiring GAP as an opportunity and continue to work to increase their awareness of safety throughout the process."

To reduce accidents during farming

Risk of fatal accidents hidden in familiar areas and work.

In recent years, in agriculture, efforts have been made to protect the safety and security of agricultural products, but in comparison, measures to protect workers from accidents do not seem to be progressing nationwide.

Through this interview, I felt that this was an issue that the government and agricultural stakeholders should work on seriously.

Oita Broadcasting Station Reporter Rikuya Miyamoto Joined in 2018 Police and Justice Cap Major in Laos at University of Foreign Studies