Serious Health Hazards  

Workers receive little education about their rights or basic health and safety. For example, pesticides are often applied by hand directly on the plants or from backpack sprayers carried by workers. Although most countries require use of protective clothing by law, the companies often do very little to implement this. Where protective clothing is provided, it is often inadequate and highly uncomfortable to wear in the oppressive tropical heat. In Costa Rica it is against the law for workers to be out in the plantation when chemicals are being applied but in practice employers not only ignore this legislation and fine workers who fail to continue working during aerial spraying. In Ecuador flagmen (often clothed only in jeans and Tshirts) are employed to guide in the crop spraying planes in the knowledge that they face 'a slow death'. Workers risk cancer, sterility or other serious diseases from pesticide poisoning.

Workplace accidents are also common as workers employed in both the plantations and pack-houses undertake back-breaking and repetitive work in hot and humid conditions. There are unlikely to be medical staff on the plantation and doctors are often employed by the companies and therefore unwilling to identify exposure to chemicals or industrial injuries.

Visit Environmental Impacts to read more about the impact on communities and their environment of intensive pesticide use.