By Agnes Kyotalengerire
In the bid to promote a safety culture, comfortable, cost-effective personal protective clothing; an essential component of safe crop protection handling practices, has been launched in Kenya.
Developed in alignment with government regulatory bodies and standards, and certified by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the new protective garment is a collaboration between the Pest Control Products Board (PCPB), the International Center for PPE (ICPPE) at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, BASF, and Syngenta to address operator safety.
Over 110 farmers throughout Kenya participated in a wear study and gave feedback on comfort, durability, colour, and other design preferences.
Speaking during the launch on August 21, the chief executive officer of the pest control products board, Fredrick N. Muchiri, said handling and using pesticides should be done with adherence to safety measures, among them effective use of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment).
“As a board entrusted with regulating pest control products in the country, we remain committed to ensuring the PPEs used in our country meet the right standards, are affordable, and are available in our markets. We will continue to partner with relevant stakeholders in training Pest Control Service Providers on safety measures when handling and using Pest Control Products in our country,” Muchiri said.
A farmer representative Ambrose Kirobi said personal protective equipment (PPE) is vital to sustainable farmer productivity.
“Farmers who use PPE correctly are motivated to carry out farming activities, they deliver better output,” Kirobi said added: creating more awareness of the correct PPE to use remains a fundamental goal for all agricultural stakeholders.
The personal protective clothing is made of breathable, reusable textile materials.
“One of the challenges with users not wearing appropriate protective clothing is due to heat stress and comfort. This is an even bigger issue in tropical climates. Our approach with the new ISO-certified garment is to balance protection and comfort,” said the coordinator of the ICPPE Initiative, Shaw Anugrah.
The new personal protective clothing is certified under KS ISO 27065 C1, which defines performance requirements for minimum protective clothing worn by operators applying crop protection solutions and for re-entry workers.
A certified ISO laboratory has tested the fabric and garments, which perform similarly to garments worn in most operator exposure studies.
“By investing in personal protective clothing, we are not only protecting the health and safety of our farmers and the communities in which we operate. We are committed to ensuring a sustainable and responsible future for the world around us,” said Gift Mbaya, the Country Cluster Head and Head of Agriculture Solutions, BASF East Africa Ltd.
“At Syngenta, we are committed to the safety of farmers and farm workers. We undertake extensive stewardship initiatives and are proud to be associated with the launch of the first
Kenyan-made certified personal protective clothing. This innovative protective garment enhances responsible crop protection handling practices and promotes a safety culture among farmers and operators across the country and potentially beyond. Every farmer deserves access to quality protective gear, enabling them to work sustainably”, said Business Area Head in East and Southern Africa Given Mudenda.
The launch of the ISO 27065-certified personal protective garment in Kenya represents a significant milestone in promoting safe agricultural practices, fostering a culture of safety among farmers, and contributing to the long-term sustainability of the agricultural sector.
This collaborative effort between various stakeholders, including industry members of Crop Life Kenya (aak GROW), ensures that Kenyan farmers have access to comfortable, affordable, and locally-made protective gear.
As the adoption of this protective gear upsurges, it will inspire a broader shift towards prioritizing safety and responsible practices for Kenyan farmers, their communities, and the environment.
Uganda farmers speak out
Dr Dick Kamuganga, President Uganda National Farmers Federation
As Ugandan farmers, we welcome the initiative, we will learn from the Kenyans and we invite our own government also to see a deliberate effort to institute such an initiative because, in the long run, it promotes safety, quality and acceptability of our products, domestically and internationally.
Joseph Male, founder of Avail Group-Fruits of Faith Farm
Having personal protective garments developed and manufactured locally, is a good initiative. Currently, Uganda is not manufacturing personal protective garments for farmers as all the PPEs are imported.
If there are initiatives that could lead to the development of such garments for Uganda, that would be awesome. Having it locally made makes it very accessible and affordable to the farmers, which is very important.
Charles Kiggundu, farmer, Bwassandeku mixed farm Kalungu district
We would not have such a product on the Ugandan market apart from the imported ones. We would be happy to have such protective gear to safe guard us from the adverse effects of pesticides and herbicides. We are willing to team up with the manufacturers in Kenya to promote the product especially if it is effective.
LEAD PHOTO CAPTION: Over 110 farmers throughout Kenya participated in a wear study and gave feedback on comfort, durability, colour, and other design preferences. Courtesy photo
