While the risks associated with heavy machinery and livestock on farms are well known, agricultural workers are being reminded of another, less visible danger: harmful dust particles that can lead to serious lung conditions.
The Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI), in partnership with other agencies, used this year's Balmoral Show to raise awareness about the dangers of dust exposure and its impact on respiratory health.
Each year, more than 300 people in Northern Ireland die from work-related illnesses, according to HSENI.
The organisation is using the Balmoral Show to spread the crucial message of lung health and offer farmers practical advice on how to protect themselves from dust exposure.
Bryan Monson, deputy chief executive of HSENI, emphasised the importance of face-to-face communication at events like the Balmoral Show.
“There’s nothing like coming to Balmoral to meet people and give them useful advice about how they can look after themselves,” he said. “Our aim is to raise awareness about lung health, especially among farmers, who face unique risks due to the nature of their work.”
Recent research commissioned by HSENI revealed the serious risks that farming poses to respiratory health. Farmers are often exposed to a wide variety of dusts, chemicals, and gases, all of which can significantly damage the lungs over time.
These risks are not always well understood by those working in the industry.
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"For farmers, unfortunately, they're exposed to an awful lot of different dusts and chemicals, and those can affect and damage people’s lungs," Mr Monson explained. "It's not something that's always well-known or understood, so this year, we want to raise awareness of lung health and highlight some simple actions that farmers can take to protect themselves."
One of the key strategies Mr Monson advocates is reducing exposure to dust. "People will immediately think of wearing a dust mask, and that can certainly help," he said. “But beyond that, working in well-ventilated areas, staying upwind of dusty activities, wetting down dusts before brushing them or moving them, and using pelleted forms of feeds and chemicals rather than loose forms can all reduce exposure."
The risks of dust exposure to lung health were further highlighted by Dr Sean Roe, a senior lecturer in medicine at Queen’s University Belfast.
Dr Roe explained that many farmers dismiss early signs of respiratory issues, such as coughing, watery eyes, or sniffing, as minor annoyances. However, he stressed that prevention is far better than trying to treat lung conditions once they have developed.
"Prevention is really the best way of dealing with it because in the long term, once you start to do permanent damage to the lungs, it’s very hard to treat," Dr Roe said. "If the dust is inhaled and stays in the lungs, it can cause scar tissue to form. The problem with scar tissue is that it’s not as flexible as healthy tissue, and this can lead to a condition known as pulmonary fibrosis."
Pulmonary fibrosis causes the lungs to become smaller, stiffer, and less elastic, making it harder for them to expand and contract properly. Over time, this condition can develop into chronic farmer’s lung, a severe and often debilitating respiratory condition.
Farmers are being urged to take immediate steps to protect their lung health and to recognise the early signs of respiratory issues before they cause permanent damage.
