Amman: The Ministry of Labor on Sunday launched, in cooperation with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and local and international partners, a guidance manual on occupational safety and health in the agriculture sector. Acting Director of the Occupational Safety and Health Directorate at the Ministry of Labor, Iman Abdallat, along with Ministry of Agriculture Secretary-General Mohammad Hiyari, Deputy Dutch Ambassador Pier de Vries, ILO Jordan Country Coordinator Amal Mowafy, and General Federation of Jordanian Trade Unions President Khaled Fanatsa, announced the manual as a testament to Jordan’s commitment to ensuring safe and healthy workplaces.
According to Jordan News Agency, Abdallat emphasized that a safe work environment is a fundamental human right and a crucial factor in enhancing productivity, reducing economic losses from accidents and injuries, and fostering livelihoods and food security. Over the past two years, the ministry has updated regulations, instructions, and decisions related to occupational safety and health (OSH) to align with labor market changes. This initiative complements the Agricultural Workers Regulation No. 19 of 2021 and its 2025 amendment, which organize rights and obligations in the sector, including working hours, leave entitlements, minimum wage, housing, OSH requirements, and a prohibition on child labor in hazardous agricultural work.
Abdallat further noted that the ministry is striving to cultivate a positive national safety culture that is linked to productivity outcomes. In alignment with this, Hiyari stated that the Ministry of Agriculture is committed to enhancing farmers’ skills and working conditions to boost productivity and quality of life, highlighting that worker safety is essential to the sector’s sustainability.
Hiyari underscored the various risks faced by farm workers, including unsafe chemical use, machinery, harsh weather, and inadequate protective equipment and training. He stressed the manual’s importance as a practical reference, prepared by the ILO in collaboration with the Ministry of Labor and national experts. Mowafy added that ensuring the safety and health of agricultural workers is pivotal to decent work and sustainable development. The manual provides practical, comprehensive guidance for employers, inspectors, agricultural extension officers, and workers to identify and mitigate workplace hazards, reduce accidents and occupational diseases, and adhere to national and international OSH standards, thereby promoting decent, safe, and productive workplaces across Jordan’s agricultural subsectors.