Automation has long been a benefit of the industrial revolution in agriculture. Machines that can be powered by fuels or electricity have replaced many of the tasks once done by hand, including planting, harvesting, and cleaning crops. This has allowed farmers to produce more food with fewer people, making it possible to feed more people while using fewer resources. Automation has also made it possible to produce a wider variety of foods, including fruits and vegetables, that were once unavailable or unaffordable to most people. Industrial revolution has led to several benefits, including automation, but it has also introduced some safety challenges.
Automation has impacted safety in agriculture by freeing up humans from some of the more hazardous tasks. For example, early on in the Industrial Revolution, automation was used in textile mills to relieve workers from having to operate heavy machinery. The same principle can be applied to modern-day agriculture; for instance, automated machines can be used to harvest crops instead of humans (Tian et al., 2020). This not only reduces the chances of an accident happening but equally reduces the amount of time that a worker needs to spend in the field. Automated machines also help to keep fields clean by removing debris and pests, which further enhances worker safety.
As a result of the industrial revolution in agriculture, there have been vast improvements in safety across all industries. For example, automated machines are now able to operate with far greater precision than human operators, which minimizes the risk of accidents. For example, the tractor revolutionized agriculture by replacing horses with a machine that could pull heavy loads and cover more ground in a shorter amount of time (Rose, 2020). Today, tractors come equipped with safety features like seat belts, rollover protection systems, and crash-resistant structures to keep the driver safe in case of an accident.
On the other hand, the industrial revolution in agriculture has led to the introduction of new safety challenges. One of the automation’s most significant safety challenges is the potential for increased exposure to harmful agricultural chemicals. Automated machines are able to apply pesticides and herbicides more evenly at a much faster rate and longer distance than manual labor, which can lead to an increase in toxic exposures (Raj et al., 2021).
Pesticides and herbicides can create risks for human health and the environment by contaminating water supplies, poisoning wildlife, and causing cancer. For example, glyphosate–an herbicide used on genetically modified crops–has been linked to cancer in humans (Davoren & Schiestl, 2018). It can similarly contaminate waterways, leading to the deaths of fish and other aquatic creatures. It is not only glyphosate that poses a risk; many pesticides and herbicides have been shown to be harmful to both people and the environment.
Additionally, the widespread use of automated machines has consolidated farmland into large industrial-scale farms. This increases the risk of serious accidents due to machine faults or operator mistakes. There are a number of machines used in agriculture that can kill in case of machine failure. One such machine is a tractor often used to tow implements such as balers, mowers, plows, and tillers. The tractor can easily pull the operator into the machinery if the tow rope becomes entangled with the implement. Another dangerous agricultural machine is the combine harvester (Keskin & Ĺžekerli, 2018).
This machine has a number of moving parts that can easily amputate body parts if they come into contact with them. The rotating threshing drum and beater bar are particular hazards. Finally, the increasing prevalence of automated machines has decreased agricultural workers’ jobs, which can leave them more vulnerable to exploitation and hazardous working conditions.
In conclusion, as a result of the industrial revolution in agriculture, automation has become increasingly relied upon to increase efficiency and output. However, with this increased reliance comes an increased risk for safety issues. Automation has the potential to malfunction or be inadvertently activated, which can lead to serious injuries or fatalities. It is, therefore, critical that safety measures are in place to mitigate these risks and protect workers.
References
Davoren, M. J., & Schiestl, R. H. (2018). Glyphosate-based herbicides and cancer risk: A post-IARC decision review of potential mechanisms, policy and avenues of research. Carcinogenesis, 39(10), 1207-1215. Web.
Keskin, M., & Ĺžekerli, Y. E. (2018). An evaluation of combined harvester accidents in Turkey. Mustafa Kemal Ăśniversitesi Ziraat FakĂĽltesi Dergisi, 23(2), 137-147. Web.
Raj, M., Gupta, S., Chamola, V., Elhence, A., Garg, T., Atiquzzaman, M., & Niyato, D. (2021). A survey on the role of internet of Things for adopting and promoting agriculture 4.0. Journal of Network and Computer Applications, 187, 103107. Web.
Rose, B. (2020). Vineyard tractor technology is on track for change. Australian and New Zealand Grapegrower and Winemaker, (673), 21-22.
Tian, H., Wang, T., Liu, Y., Qiao, X., & Li, Y. (2020). Computer vision technology in agricultural automation—A review. Information Processing in Agriculture, 7(1), 1-19. Web.