Work Improvement in Neighbourhood Development

Global manual for WIND: Practical approaches for improving safety, health and working conditions in agriculture

This global manual is a culmination of the most recent developments in the WIND training programme collected from different parts of the world. It constitutes a practical and effective tool to support continuous efforts to materialize safety and health at work for families and communities. This new version of the manual is aimed at all potential users, targeted at the global level, beyond country and region.

Instructional material | 14 April 2014
The agricultural sector plays an essential role in the socio-economic development of any country. With an economically active population of 1.3 billion, the sector accounts for half of the world’s labour force. Agricultural workers are exposed to a broad range of hazards and risks at work. The risk of accidents further increases with difficult terrain, poorly designed tools, exposure to extreme weather conditions, and the fatigue and poor general health associated with working and living in remote and rural communities. Small-scale farmers are especially vulnerable to these risks at work.

The Global Manual for WIND (Work Improvement in Neighbourhood Development) is designed to assist small-scale farmers and their families in improving safety and health at work and in their everyday life. The uniqueness of the WIND approach lies in facilitating voluntary improvements of working and living conditions, through the active participation of farmers, their families and community members. It also places focus on simple, practical solutions that can be achieved by using locally available, low-cost materials. The Manual consists of 33 checkpoints and includes many low-cost improvement examples with clear illustrations in important technical areas for farmers. It contains an action checklist for agriculture and checkpoints on materials storage and handling, workstations and work tools, machine safety, work environment and control of hazardous agents, welfare facilities, work organization and community cooperation, and environmental protection.