Objectives and scope

AuthorInternational Labour Organization
Pages3-4
Meetings-MESHA-Final Code-2010-10-0355-1-En.doc/v2 3
1. Objectives and scope
1.1. Objectives
1.1.1. The overall objective of this code of practice is to help promote more of a
preventive OSH culture in agriculture globally. In particular, it should help to:
(a) raise awareness of the hazards and risks associated with agriculture and how they can
be effectively managed and controlled and accidents and diseases prevented;
(b) prevent occupational accidents and diseases and improve the working environment in
practice in individual agricultural enterprises;
(c) encourage governments, employers, workers and other stakeholders to cooperate in
their efforts to prevent accidents and diseases to workers in agriculture;
(d) raise awareness of OSH issues concerning particular groups of workers, such as
women, young workers and migrant workers;
(e) promote more positive attitudes and behaviour towards OSH in agriculture
throughout the sector; and
(f) ensure that good workplace health and safety practices are applied to all workers in
the workplace regardless of age or gender in accordance with the Discrimination
(Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111).
1.2. Scope
1.2.1. For the purposes of Convention No. 184, agriculture is defined as
agricultural and forestry activities carried out in agricultural undertakings including crop
production, forestry activities, animal husbandry and insect raising, the primary processing
of agricultural and animal products by or on behalf of the operator of the undertaking as
well as the use and maintenance of machinery, equipment, appliances, tools, and
agricultural installations, including any process, storage, operation or transportation in an
agricultural undertaking, which are directly related to agricultural production. In the
Convention, however, the term agriculture does not cover: (a) subsistence farming;
(b) industrial processes that use agricultural products as raw material and the related
services; and (c) the industrial exploitation of forests.
1.2.2. This code of practice is applicable to the same wide range of activities as
described above, but with two exceptions. Firstly, the code does not apply to forestry, since
there is a separate ILO code of practice dealing with OSH in that sector. 1
1.2.3. Secondly, while the Convention does not apply to subsistence farming, some
of the provisions of this code may be helpful in preventing accidents and diseases even in
very small enterprises, including subsistence farms. However, not all the provisions of this
code will be relevant for subsistence farmers.
1 Safety and health in forestry work, ILO, 1998.

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