While farm safety is regularly discussed and promoted by agricultural organizations and government, the issue of farmer health is often overshadowed, even though it is no less important to agribusiness.
A new report by Teagasc pig specialist Michael McKeown discusses why taking care of your health is so important for farmers.
McKeown compares people to cars, highlighting that while people bring their cars in for service two to three times a year, “as we know, it’s bad for the engine if it’s not serviced regularly…it can take years between our doctor visits, and even then, we only go when there’s a problem.”
Health concerns
McCune went on to be a martyr Research by Dr. Breda Smith in farmers’ mortality rates to highlight the poor health status of farmers.
Her research found that farmers had five times higher cardiovascular problems, three times higher cancer, and seven times higher mortality in the working age group than white-collar workers.
McKeown added that hog workers “may be more active than the average farmer” because tractor work is not a big component.
However, McKeown noted that most of this activity is slow walking, which does not raise the heart rate.
In addition, farmers spend most of their time walking in Wellington boots or work boots, which McKeown warns “can put additional stress and wear on their ankle, knee and hip joints,” due to poor foot support.
According to Teagasc Consultant, stress poses a major health risk in pig farming.
“The sector often experiences periods of low or no profitability for several months.
“The temporary solution during these periods is often to work harder and longer hours to try to achieve/maintain a certain level of profitability.
“Unfortunately, this reduces the time available for downtime in the evenings or weekends which contributes to increased stress.” McKeown explained.
He returned to his analogy of the human body and its engine, highlighting that while the body can handle short bouts of stress, over longer periods it can lead to ill health, both mental and physical.
Here are some health tips suggested by McCune:
- The most important thing is to ‘book the body’ for a medical examination with your GP. Blood pressure and cholesterol are accurate early warning indicators.
- Ensure that all employees have appropriate footwear with good support. Look at the soles of your work boots frequently and replace them at the first sign of uneven wear.
- When industry profitability declines again, make sure you recognize your stress levels. Connect with those around you – a problem shared is a problem halved.
