Partnership between Sistema Farsul and Bayer promotes information and protection for those in the field

The Farsul-RS System, through the State's National Rural Learning Service (SENAR-RS), in partnership with Bayer, carries out the Campo e Saúde project, for the second consecutive year. In this new phase, a series of first aid training is being promoted focusing on accidents that may occur in the field. The program plans to serve around 5 rural workers in several municipalities in Rio Grande do Sul.

The topics are being covered in lectures lasting 2 to 3 hours, by SENAR-RS, in which the correct procedures are explained in case of accidents such as chemical poisoning, snake or other venomous animal bites and injuries with work tools or twists and falls, always focusing on the health of open-air work.

This is the second partnership between SENAR-RS and Bayer, aimed at the health of rural workers. Between May 2015 and May 2016, 348 lectures were held in 99 municipalities in Rio Grande do Sul, serving 10.859 producers, rural workers and their families. The topic covered was the safe and appropriate use of agricultural pesticides and exposure to the sun.

In the opinion of System superintendent Farsul Gilmar Tietböhl, “working and living in the countryside require special health care. By disseminating information capable of guaranteeing the safety of farmers, the partnership between Bayer and the Farsul System, through Senar/RS, contributes to improving the quality of life in rural Rio Grande do Sul”.

The Field and Health project's service roadmap will be defined by SENAR-RS, based on requests from producer and rural worker unions across the State. Health professionals were trained by the institution and will be responsible for giving lectures from July to December 2016. SENAR-RS is committed to transmitting relevant information free of charge to producers and farmers in Rio Grande do Sul.

According to Adriana Ricci, Stewardship Manager at Bayer, this partnership is in line with the company's ideals, which is constantly concerned with the well-being and health of rural workers. “This work is very important, as SENAR-RS provides coverage to our training and, in this partnership, we are able to increasingly increase the number of people reached with the information.”

Agricultural activity is a task that demands a lot of attention and care with the correct and safe use of equipment in the field. “We know that the potential risk factors are the most diverse: lack of knowledge, attention and awareness about the danger, habits, incorrect work methods, the use of technically inadequate equipment, among others. Therefore, we believe that, through this partnership, we will contribute to the understanding of the risk involved in the daily lives of rural workers, in addition to alerting and raising awareness about the importance of using PPE (personal protective equipment) to prevent accidents”, concludes Adriana.