12 April 2019
Farmers, foresters, students, employers, employees, family members – if you are someone who relies on farm tractors, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and machinery, it is your responsibility to ensure that all drivers and operators are trained and competent to do their job. It’s also essential to ensure that all vehicles and equipment in use is well maintained and compliant with the law! If you don’t, you could be risking life or limb! You could also be risking the future of your business, because there are heavy penalties for those who fall foul of the legal requirements.
This is the stark message Farming Connect will be taking out to the industry this spring in a series of short practical demonstrations in a new Farm Health & Safety Roadshow which will run throughout the day at Welshpool Market (29 April); Carmarthen Market (3 May) and Dolgellau Market (10 May).
The events are part of an ongoing awareness campaign launched last year by the Wales Farm Safety Partnership (WFSP), a collaboration of all the key agricultural stakeholders in Wales, who are working together to reduce the tragically high statistics of farm fatalities and injuries in Wales year on year.
Every year, people involved with agriculture die in tractor, ATV and machinery accidents. There are many major traumatic and often life changing injuries, including amputations, fractures and crushing accidents. On average, 32 fatalities occur on British farms every year. Many thousands more incidents or ‘near misses’ go unreported. In a lot of cases, farmers themselves can control some of the most common risks by implementing simple but essential safety checks and procedures and ensuring individuals are properly trained for the tasks they do.
Jimmy Hughes, one of Wales’ leading land-based trainers and assessors who heads up a training business in mid Wales, will attend each of the roadshow events. Mr Hughes will explain why moving and overturned vehicles are one of the major causes of death and serious injuries on farms and demonstrate what steps and procedures you can put in place to reduce the risks.
“By taking our roadshow to busy marketplaces, we’re making it very easy for farmers to stop by briefly to see for themselves what presents the most significant risks,” said Mr. Hughes.
Mr Hughes will demonstrate how to carry out crucial maintenance checks and tasks safely, when all power is isolated, covering all key areas of operation including PTO guards.
A visit to the roadshow will also give you the chance to speak to a member of the Welsh Government’s Farm Liaison Service; a Farming Connect development officer and one of Farming Connect’s approved farm ‘health and safety’ mentors, who provide up to 22.5 hours of fully-funded confidential on-farm guidance. They will all be giving out valuable advice and free literature, including HSE’s ‘What a good farm looks like’ booklet on how you can make your land-based business a safer place to work and make sure you comply with the law.
Einir Davies, development and mentoring manager with Menter a Busnes, which delivers Farming Connect on behalf of Welsh Government, says that both the WFSP and Farming Connect are determined to support the industry and to help farmers take positive steps to identify and reduce the most common risks.
“Most farmers are aware that they sometimes take short cuts and don’t always follow the correct procedures, particularly when they’re working alone or under pressure so we urge you to take advantage of all the information, guidance and training on offer, it could save your life or that of someone close to you,” said Ms Davies.
Eligible farmers registered with Farming Connect can apply for a wide range of training courses on many different aspects of farm safety during the next skills application window which is open for an extended period from 9am Monday, 6 May to 5pm Friday, 28 June. All funded by up to 80%, they include working at heights; first aid at work; the safe use of pesticides; telescopic lift trucks; tractor and ATV driving; chainsaw maintenance and use; felling and processing trees; woodchippers etc.
You can also undertake a fully funded e-learning module on farm Health & Safety, which is a requirement if you want to apply for any Farming Connect machinery handling courses. For further information on all training courses or a list of approved training providers click here; for e-learning options click here, and to download some of the latest literature on farm safety click here.
For more comprehensive advice on farm health and safety visit: http://www.hse.gov.uk/agriculture/index.htm or www.yellowwellies.org