The agricultural workplace is full of hazards, with farmers at particularly high risk of work related injuries, illnesses and even death. It is vitally important therefore that the right precautions are taken consistently to protect the health and safety of everyone in the farm environment, be they farmers themselves, those that work for them, both employees and contractors - as well as visitors and family members.

1. Digital Re-print - July | August 2012
Health & Safety in the working environment
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2. FEATURE
HEALTH
& SAFETY
in the working
environment
T
he agricultural workplace is full of by Roger Bibbings, Occupational Safety Adviser, Royal
hazards, with farmers at particu- Society for the Prevention of Accidents, United kingdom
larly high risk of work related
injuries, illnesses and even death. It is health damage, for example, lung diseases, to plant when and where, as well as making
vitally important therefore that the right noise-induced hearing loss, skin diseases, regular assessments of risks such as pests and
precautions are taken consistently to and certain cancers associated with chemical plant and animal diseases.
protect the health and safety of everyone use and prolonged sun exposure. When it The management of health and safety is
in the farm environment, be they farmers comes to working out what action needs to no different. This is why a risk assessment
themselves, those that work for them, be taken to prevent these things happening, is integral to ensuring that the agricultural
both employees and contractors - as well carrying out some basic risk assessments is a workplace continues to run smoothly, as
as visitors and family members. good place to start so that you can manage well as providing the business with a cred-
the risks sensibly and maintain a safe and ible action plan for the future. If assessments
Taking farm safety and security seriously is sound working environment. are suitably comprehensive, they will not
a key part of any successful business plan in The law is pretty clear. The Health and only pick up risks from hazards such as farm
the agricultural sector. Get it right and things Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (HSW Act) machinery, electricity and animals, but will
go much more efficiently. Get it wrong, puts a duty on all employers to ensure, so far also help to pinpoint any fire risks and help
even for a second, and things can easily tip as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety assess the best and safest way of storing
into disaster with tragic consequences for and welfare of employees and any others fertilisers and other hazardous substances.
individuals and indeed the whole business. who may be affected by what they do. The
Of course attention has to be focused Management of Health and Safety at Work Hidden hazards >
on the big hazards that can maim and kill, Regulations 1999 backs this up with key Many hazards are obvious but it is vital
but accidents like slips, trips and falls, chronic management tasks. Self-employed people that everyone on the farm, especially new
poisoning, eye injuries, cuts and crushing can also have a duty to look after themselves starters and those who are new to the
all happen in an agricultural setting, so it is and others. But it is not really about the industry, know about hidden dangers such
important to raise everyone’s awareness and law. Taking sensible precautions is the right as oxygen deficient atmospheres in confined
help prevent these accidents from becoming thing to do. And if the resources and effort spaces, such as those found in grain/forage
a regular occurrence. And farming is one are properly directed at the main threats, it silos and bins, slurry pits etc. These enclosed
of the few high-risk industries where the makes good business sense too. spaces can be accidents waiting to happen
workforce has to share its working environ- After all, healthy quality crops and animals and in some cases people have been killed
ment with the family; most farms are homes are what keep the farming industry thriving just because they were ignorant of the
as well as workplaces and the dangers for and they enable farmers and growers to stay hazard. Serious injuries can result from fires,
children especially are ever present. in business. So how much more important near drowning in pools or asphyxiation from
is it that those who deliver these outputs being crushed by bales etc.
Risk assessment > should be healthy and safe too? When carrying out an assessment, ask
It is not just about accidents. Farming Effective agricultural practice is all about yourself: can the work be done another
also brings with it a high risk of work-related good planning, such as focusing on just what way? If it involves substances hazardous to
18 | July - august 2012 Grain &feed millinG technoloGy

3. FEATURE
health like solvents, can it be done outside? people. For example, if tractors, farm vehicles
Alternatively, check the area in question has and other workplace vehicles fall into the
adequate ventilation before starting and in wrong hands, the repercussions can be lethal.
case of the worst case scenario happening, Obviously, these vehicles should be properly
make sure you have proper emergency maintained and suitable training given to all
arrangements in place and provide rescue operators.
equipment. Remember, in agriculture the most com-
mon cause of serious and fatal injuries
Getting caught out > involves moving and overturning vehicles.
But it is often the apparently mundane Proper guarding is absolutely vital, for exam-
and routine things that catch people out. ple, to prevent the terrible accidents that
That is why it is so important to constantly can occur with PTO shafts. Incidents occur
check that work areas are free from obstruc- when the vehicle has been left unattended;
tions such as trailing cables and that buildings always check the vehicle braking system and
are kept in good repair. And remember to make sure it is properly maintained. It is also
think about visitors’ safety as well; once they advisable to use the ‘safe stop’ procedure
have set foot on your premises their safety whenever you leave a vehicle; handbrake
becomes your responsibility. Toilet and on and controls in neutral, before turning
welfare facilities should also be provided and the engine off and removing the key. Each
cleaned regularly as well as a clean drinking vehicle and piece of machinery needs to be
water supply maintained. Microbiological assessed against actual conditions of use so
hazards are critical too. It is not just the well that safe systems of work can be put in place.
known zoonotic infections such as brucel-
losis or ring worm, but the need to maintain Avoiding falls >
awareness of the threat of infection from Falls are the second highest cause
animal wastes and other materials that can of death in agriculture, but most fall
harbour hazardous micro-organisms. injuries can be avoided. To stop your
farm losing out on time and money as
Machinery and vehicles > a result of fall injuries, ensure that all
Farm machinery continues to increase work at height is planned and super-
in size, power and sophistication. Often it vised, with competent people in charge.
is complex and highly expensive. Its use Falls often happen from roofs, ladders,
needs to be restricted to trained, competent vehicles, bale stacks, among others, so it
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Grain &feed millinG technoloGy July - august 2012 | 19

4. FEATURE
is important to be risk aware and follow trained to associate people with feed-
the law: ing, grooming or exercise. Handling aids
Health & Safety in the mill · Avoid work at height where you can such as bull poles and halters are not a
When weighing, milling and mixing · If not, use work equipment or measures bad idea and no one should ever enter
animal feeds it is important that employ- to prevent falls an enclosure when a bull is loose - as it
ers, the self-employed and contractors · If not, use work equipment can kill.
comply with the Control of Substances that minimises the distance and
Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 consequences of a fall. Prevention: education & training >
(COSHH). This law exists to protect Forward planning here goes a long In summary, despite less than 1.5 per
workers’ health when coming into con- way; for example, stacking materials is cent of the working population being
tact with high dust levels produced by the a skill and requires trained staff to carry employed in agriculture, the sector is
moving and processing of grain and seed. out the job safely and properly. responsible for between 15 per cent and
Lung diseases such as asthma can Thorough inspections and correct 20 per cent of fatalities to workers each
ensue as a result of short-term and long- use of ladders for access to the load will year. According to the HSE, in 2010/11,
term exposure to the dust which con- help to minimise the risk of injury, as there were 42 fatalities reported, which
tains bacteria, fungi and insect residues. will ensuring that full loads are secured is consistent with the agriculture average
Controlling the level of exposure is the before leaving the field. A falling bale, for over the past five years. To reiterate,
best way to help prevent occupational example, can kill quite easily, so remain- the main causes of death to workers are
lung diseases from developing. If breath- ing alert is a must when unloading and being run over by agricultural transport
ing in the dust is unavoidable, the use of destacking so that no people are hurt in or a vehicle overturning. This is closely
respiratory protective equipment (RPE) the vicinity. followed by falling from a height and
is advised. Workers should receive train- It is also necessary to check that the being struck by moving or falling objects
ing on how to use RPE properly, includ- ladders which you are using are set up such as bales. So what is the answer with
ing the importance of keeping it clean on level ground, free from obstruction regards to reducing this number of inci-
and stored away from dust. Some dusts, so that they are not leaning against a dents? Fundamentally it lies in education
such as barley, can irritate the skin. fragile surface and secure enough to and training and encouraging individuals
Only trained people should be prevent them from slipping. to make significant changes to their
present during the milling process and behaviour. It also requires leadership by
there should be plenty of ventilation, Livestock dangers > example by farmers themselves and farm
typically five to 10 air changes per Another area that needs to be managers.
hour, with a through draught. The assessed to make it safer and more Do not be afraid to ask for help.
equipment should also be checked for efficient is that of livestock handling. There are many bodies out there; suppli-
signs of damage, ensuring that the dust The handling of cattle in particular needs ers, major customers, RoSPA, the NFU,
extraction and gauges work properly. great care and attention as it always safety groups, and colleges that can all
A ventilation engineer should examine involves a risk of injury. There have been help you to take stock of where you are
the extraction and test its perform- many incidents of crushing, kicking, butt- now and where you can make improve-
ance at least one every 14 months ing or goring of humans by cattle and ments. Remember, safety is no accident.
and non-disposable RPE should also many people have died as a result. But If you fail to plan for safety, then you are
be examined and tested at least once the risk of injury is greater if the animals planning to fail.
every three months. Keeping records have not been handled regularly and
of these examinations and tests for at there should be a culling policy in place
least five years will highlight where pre- for temperamental animals. More InforMatIon:
ventive maintenance may be needed. The Health and Safety Executive Website: www.rospa.com
Ensure you have the up-to-date (HSE) states that all bulls should be For more information on agricul-
safety data sheets for all chemicals tural health and safety, visit www.
and products and plan for as well hse.gov.uk/agriculture/index.htm
as practise emergency procedures.
Include supervisors and managers in
health and safety training and supervise
your workers, making sure they know
what to do if something goes wrong
as well as following the correct
work method. Above all, make sure
you consult them to get their
views, ideas and buy-in.
More information can be
found at: www.hse.gov.uk/
agriculture/resources/coshh/
ag3-animal-feed.htm
20 | July - august 2012 Grain &feed millinG technoloGy

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14 | July - august 2012
&feed millinG technoloGy
Grain July - august 2012 | 21

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Konya / TÜRKIYE
Tel: +90 332 2391016
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e-mail: unormak@unormak.com.tr
WEB: www.unormak.com.tr

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