Some work activities, including those in the agricultural sector, can be hazardous if adequate control measures are not in place to protect workers’ integrity. But how do we determine the appropriate measures to avoid risks?

The answer lies in our country’s regulations. In 2009, the Official Mexican Norm of Labor and Social Welfare, NOM-030-STPS-2009 was published, replacing its 2006 version.

At Veggies From Mexico, we encourage you to familiarize yourself with this standard. Below are key aspects included in NOM-030-STPS-2009:

To achieve the standard’s objective, all workers must be involved, including the employer and the designated person responsible for health and safety in the workplace. Their responsibilities include:

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The employer must:

• Designate a person responsible for carrying out occupational health and safety prevention activities.
• Give the responsible person access to all work areas and job information to identify hazards.
• Provide training to personnel performing activities related to this standard.

The person in charge of occupational health and safety must:

• Create the diagnosis process framework and the health and safety program.
• Make sure to include in this program control measures such as immediate responses to serious risks, health promotion actions, and attention to health emergencies.
• Establish the necessary procedures and records to comply with the program.
• Monitor compliance with the program.

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The next step is to identify and evaluate the hazards through the occupational health and safety diagnosis.

The occupational health and safety diagnosis should include:

• Hazardous physical conditions.
• Physical, chemical, and biological agents.
• The applicable regulatory requirements.

All these factors are associated with facilities, machinery, tools, materials, and the surroundings of the workplace.

To perform the diagnosis, it is recommended to use the tool “Risk Analysis,” based on the international standard ISO 31000:2010 by the International Organization for Standardization, which can be used to effectively identify these hazards and their risk levels. To learn more about this tool, look for the “Learn More” section in the bulletin to expand on the topic.

Based on the findings of the diagnosis process framework, the occupational health and safety program should be designed and implemented.

The occupational health and safety program should include:

• The preventive actions must be continuously implemented.
• The dates for implementing the actions.
• Those responsible for implementing each action.

The resulting preventive actions must be constantly evaluated, considering the information provided by the workers or the Health and Safety Commission, to reduce the risk of accidents or illnesses.