Agricultural Chemical Exposure Risks and Safety Practices Among Drone Operators in Kanchanaburi Province, Thailand: A Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study

Abstract

Background: The use of agricultural drones is expanding rapidly in Thailand, improving pesticide application efficiency and potentially reducing farmers’ direct exposure to agricultural chemicals. However, drone operators may remain exposed during chemical preparation, loading, equipment cleaning, and waste disposal. Objective: This cross-sectional descriptive study assessed operational safety practices, chemical-handling behaviors, and personal protective equipment (PPE) use among agricultural drone operators in Kanchanaburi Province, Methods: Thailand. Forty operators were purposively selected. Data were collected using a researcher-developed questionnaire covering demographic characteristics, drone operation, safety training, chemical-handling practices, and PPE use. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data. Associations between safety training and selected safety practices were examined using Fisher’s exact test, while relationships involving ordinal or continuous variables were assessed using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient. Results: Most participants were male (72.5%), with a mean age of 33.53 years. DJI drones were used by 95.0% of participants, and the mean operating duration was 5.66 hours per day. Although 82.5% had received drone safety training, PPE use remained inconsistent. Long-sleeved shirts and long pants were commonly worn, whereas chemical-resistant gloves, appropriate respiratory protection, and protective aprons were used less consistently. Most operators followed basic pre-spraying procedures; however, 27.5% reported mixing agricultural chemicals without checking chemical compatibility. Post-spraying practices, particularly equipment cleaning and waste disposal, were also inconsistently followed. Conclusions: The findings demonstrate a notable gap between having received safety training and consistently applying comprehensive protective practices. Specifically, deficiencies were identified in PPE use, chemical compatibility checks, and post-spraying waste management. These results support the need for competency-based training focused on chemical preparation, appropriate PPE selection, equipment decontamination, and waste disposal. Future studies should use larger, probability-based samples and direct workplace observations to identify factors influencing safety compliance.