Safety on the farm
A 10-year period between 1999/2000 and 2008/09 saw an overall total of 436 killed through agricultural work activities, which works out at almost a death every week with many being self-employed rather than employees during the time of the accident. The primary reasons behind the deaths were being hit by farm vehicles or being inside a vehicle as it overturned, falling from height and being struck by moving or falling objects like hay bales or trees.
Those who work in the sector are also prone to certain health conditions, especially zoonotic infections, which may be transmitted between animals and humans, muscoskeletal disorders, hand-arm vibration, vibration white finger and whole-body vibration and also respiratory diseases.
The HSE, in exploring the sector generally, identifies three particular areas in agriculture, namely machinery, farm transport and preventing falls. In terms of machinery, it states that this is mainly responsible for many deaths and significant injuries within the sector with reasons varying from some machinery being used for a job for which it is unsuitable and others, with dangerous parts, where guards have either not been provided or have been left off altogether, this can lead to many workplace accident claims.
Power take-off shafts have also been seen as responsible for many accidents which have resulted in fatalities, often with machines that have been in use while stationary, for example slurry handling or feed milling. In agriculture, similar to other industries where machinery is currently being used, it has to be suited to the task, it must be properly maintained and have any dangerous parts safeguarded.
Farm transport is of particular importance as moving and overturning vehicles tend to be the single biggest reason for fatal and serious accidents in the industry. Therefore, transport has to be tightly controlled to stop any dangers to pedestrians. The HSE recommends that farms make certain that every vehicle's braking system is regularly checked to ensure that it is definitely in working order, to ensure that a 'safe stop' procedure is used whenever a worker leaves a vehicle and any raised implements or loaders to be lowered to the ground.
Falls are the second most common reason for deaths in agriculture, with approximately eight people every year being killed due to a fall from height. It is additionally a standard reason behind serious injury with falls occurring in a number of different ways; from vehicles, roofs, ladders, bale stacks and lofts among others, but most might be avoided by taking special care and therefore the HSE recommends that jobs at height should be avoided wherever possible. Additionally, it says that where it needs to be undertaken, work equipment or measures need to be used to prevent falls and if this is not possible, to use work equipment that decreases the length and consequences from a fall.