In the process of preparing and conducting the spring sowing campaign, an important role is played by the organization of work to ensure healthy and safe working conditions for employees.

Strict compliance by employers with labor protection requirements directly affects the safety of employees.

According to the operational data of the Department of the State Labor Inspectorate of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, no fatal accidents were registered in 2020 during the preparation and execution of spring field work. At the same time, as a result of the violations of labor protection requirements committed by the victim, an accident occurred, which led to a serious industrial injury.

So, on February 26, 2020, an open craniocerebral injury was received by a tractor driver-driver of agricultural production of the maintenance section of the agricultural department «Tarasenki» of the M. F. Silnitsky agrocomplex of JSC «Vitebsk Broiler Poultry Farm».

On this day, the victim had to carry out repair work to replace the bushings of the wheel balancer of the machine for applying liquid organic fertilizers MZhT-F-6. To do this, he installed the lower part of the jack on a wooden beam, and the upper part — under the balancer of the machine and began to gradually lift it. When trying to put a wooden bar between the axle of the car and the installed stand to increase its height and fix the wheels of the car in an elevated position, the jack fell out from under the balance beam and the raised part of the car fell on the installed stand and the victim sitting under the car, as a result of which the tractor driver was seriously injured.

The labor protection of workers in the organization of production processes should be ensured by the use of:

• safe technological processes and production equipment;
• capital structures (buildings, structures), isolated premises and production sites that meet the requirements for labor protection;
• rational placement of production equipment and organization of workplaces;
• materials that do not have a harmful and (or) dangerous effect on workers;
• emergency protection, blocking and alarm devices;
• safe methods of storage and transportation of materials, finished products;
• methods of handling industrial waste, ensuring the prevention of their harmful effects on the health of workers;
• personal protective equipment and collective protective equipment that ensure safe working conditions for employees;
• methods and means of monitoring the levels of harmful and (or) hazardous production factors.

Production processes must be carried out according to approved technological regulations (instructions), taking into account the requirements of technical regulatory legal acts.

The production equipment must meet the requirements for labor protection and be used for its intended purpose. The equipment must be completed with the operational documents of the manufacturing organizations.

It should be noted that agricultural machines and aggregates are traumatic, so you should pay attention to their preparation for work. When servicing machines and equipment, it is necessary to follow the safety requirements for their operation specified in the manuals for each machine and equipment.

The operation of tractors, self-propelled machines and combines, trailed, mounted and semi-mounted machines, trailers and other equipment must be carried out in accordance with the requirements of regulatory legal acts, including technical regulatory legal acts, technological documentation for these machines.

Employees who have reached the age of 18, have professional training, have passed a medical examination, training and testing of knowledge on labor protection issues are allowed to manage self-propelled combines, tractors, self-propelled machines and carry out their maintenance.

Please note that machines and units that do not ensure safe operation (lack of fences for rotating and moving mechanisms; a workplace that is not equipped according to the established requirements; faulty steering; unregulated braking devices, etc.), as well as those that have not passed the state technical inspection, are not allowed to operate.

Aggregation of agricultural machines and implements is allowed only with those tractors and self-propelled chassis that are recommended by the manufacturer.

Special attention should be paid to compliance with safety requirements when working with agrochemicals, pesticides, mineral fertilizers, and other chemicals.

Thus, all chemicals entering the organization must have a safety data sheet for chemical products.

Employees who have passed mandatory medical examinations, training, internship, instruction and knowledge testing on labor protection issues, provided with appropriate personal protective equipment, are allowed to perform work with chemicals.

Agrochemicals should be stored in specially designed agrochemical complexes (warehouses).

It is prohibited to accept agrochemicals in containers and aggregate state that do not meet the requirements of technical regulatory legal acts to warehouses and issue them from warehouses.

Reception, storage, accounting and delivery of agrochemicals should be carried out by an employee who knows their hazard class, fire-hazardous, explosive properties, the procedure for joint storage, purpose, rules of treatment and first aid measures in cases of poisoning. The rules for first aid in cases of pesticides and agrochemicals entering the body should be given in the instructions for use for specific types of drugs.

Packaging of chemicals should be carried out in special rooms equipped with local exhaust ventilation, and toxic substances — in a fume hood with the use of appropriate personal protective equipment.

Loading and unloading operations at warehouses of agrochemicals, cleaning, washing and neutralization of containers and transport should be mechanized. The choice of means of mechanization (forklifts, electric cars, stackers, crane beams, etc.) should be made taking into account the characteristics of the product (packed, in bulk).

Pesticides should be released from the warehouse in the original packaging, and in small quantities - in a free container that ensures the safety of the drug. It is forbidden to release pesticides in paper, cloth bags and food utensils.

Preparation of working solutions of pesticides and their mixtures, filling of pollinators and sprayers should be carried out only in a mechanized way at specially equipped sites or stationary filling stations.

Work on the introduction of pesticides into the soil should be carried out only with the help of special machines and equipment.

In order to prevent and prevent accidents during the organization of the spring sowing campaign, the Department of the State Labor Inspectorate of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection considers it appropriate to recommend:

1. To the Ministry of Agriculture and Food of the Republic of Belarus, committees and departments for agriculture and food of regional and district executive committees:

• conduct seminars (meetings) with managers and specialists of organizations of the agro-industrial complex (hereinafter referred to as the agro – industrial complex), analyzing the causes of previously committed violations of labor safety requirements, and take comprehensive measures to prevent accidents;
• require the heads of agribusiness organizations to ensure control over the performance by officials and employees of the duties defined by law, as well as to take appropriate measures to implement the requirements of the Directive of the President of the Republic of Belarus of March 11, 2004 No. 1 «On measures to strengthen public safety and discipline», Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus of December 15, 2014 No. 5 «On strengthening the requirements for senior personnel and employees of organizations».

2. Managers and specialists of agricultural organizations:

• to organize the production of tillage, sowing and planting works in strict accordance with the requirements set out in the Rules on Labor protection during the production and post-harvest processing of crop production, approved by the resolution of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food of the Republic of Belarus No. 36 of April 15, 2008;
• when repairing and servicing agricultural machinery, ensure compliance with the requirements of the Rules on Labor Protection during repair, maintenance and storage of agricultural machinery, aggregates and equipment, approved by the Resolution of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food of the Republic of Belarus No. 14 of February 25, 2008;
• develop additional organizational and technical measures to ensure labor protection for the period of preparation and conduct of the spring sowing campaign;
• provide additional training, briefings on labor protection with employees involved in the implementation of spring field work;
• to work on machines, mechanisms and equipment, to allow employees who have professional training, who have passed medical examinations and examinations, training, internship, instruction and testing of knowledge on labor protection issues in accordance with the established procedure, to provide them with the necessary personal protective equipment not lower than the norms established by law;
• do not allow tractors, agricultural machines and aggregates that do not meet the safety requirements, as well as those that have not passed the state technical inspection to be used;
• ensure monitoring of employees 'compliance with labor protection requirements in the organization and structural divisions in accordance with the Instruction on the procedure for monitoring employees' compliance with labor protection requirements in the organization and structural divisions, approved by Resolution No. 51 of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Republic of Belarus dated May 15, 2020;
• do not allow to work (suspend from work) on the corresponding day (shift) employees who are in a state of alcoholic, narcotic or toxic intoxication, who have not passed an instruction, a knowledge test on labor protection, who do not use the personal protective equipment issued to them that ensures labor safety;
• immediately suspend work in cases of a threat to the life and health of employees.

Source: website of the State Labor Inspection Department