- Location
- Huntingdon, UK
Apparently March 2015, earlier than I thought, time flies.
It was around the same time HGV speeds were changed
Things that would improve farm safety ?
- Thread starter Clive
- Start date
Apparently March 2015, earlier than I thought, time flies.
It was around the same time HGV speeds were changed
Again it’s good to debate. You can fix your selling price but if people aren’t prepared to pay that due to many reasons such as competition. You then adjust your selling price to be competitive else you don’t sell. Unless you are a brand like rolls or Ferrari where price is the reason people buy then you have to match the market. You could price your spuds at £400 a ton and keep it fixed. You may sell a few. But you match the market and reduce to £200 and you sell the lot... it’s all relative . Not having a go just putting another side acrosss. Life would be boring if we all agreed.
Edit, sorry to go off thread. I’m rather good at that.
My practical tip from days of actually working for a living on farms.
soejd five mins in the morning cleaning windows... it’s cheap and makes a huge difference! Remember what it’s like revsering out of shed on sunny day. Or driving around yard in late evening sun with dirty windows...
soejd five mins in the morning cleaning windows... it’s cheap and makes a huge difference! Remember what it’s like revsering out of shed on sunny day. Or driving around yard in late evening sun with dirty windows...
- Location
- Glen Clova, Angus, DD8 4RD
LOLER applies to any equipment used in commercial lifting operations. It doesn't have to be lifting people although that does bring a much greater degree of regulation.
- Location
- Glen Clova, Angus, DD8 4RD
- Location
- Glen Clova, Angus, DD8 4RD
Very few take notice of the fall back to 20mph for over 2.55m (Quadtrac? Folded big cultivator? ) or even lower over 3m. That applies even to Clive's faster tractors on the A38.
- Location
- North Devon
Reading on different thread how “most” big tractors are above the 2.55m mark now anyway. That was discussing fert spreaders.
Goweresque
Member
- Location
- North Wilts
That doesn't mention telehandlers.
LOLER Frequency (in months)[8]:
| Description | loler Inspection Frequency |
| Equipment for lifting persons | 6 |
| Lifting accessories | 6 |
| Garage vehicle lifts | 6 |
| Cranes | 12 |
| Vehicle mounted lifts | 12 |
| Fork lift trucks | 12 (or 6 depending on risk assessment) |
And this doesn't mention any inspection frequency at all:
LOLER in agriculture
What is lifting equipment in agriculture?
In agriculture, the term covers a wide range of equipment including:
- Tractor foreloaders, fork-lift trucks and telescopic handlers (telehandlers);
- Workshop hoists and rope hoists;
- Cranes on machines (eg on lorries or fertiliser spreaders); and
- Lifting attachments and accessories.
The three-point linkage on a tractor is not considered to be lifting equipment if used to lift implements and machines designed to be operated as such on a tractor.
Lifting equipment for lifting people
People should only be raised on work equipment which is specifically designed for that purpose but can, in exceptional circumstances be lifted by other machines provided that they have a purpose-made carrier, suitably constructed and attached – see HSE guidance PM28 - Non integrated platforms on lift trucks
Nobody should ever be lifted in a telehandler bucket, in a potato box, on the forks of a fork lift truck or similar attachment, to carry out work or used as a means of access eg to get onto the roof of a building or bale stack.
Marking of lifting equipment
Machines used for lifting should have their safe working loads marked on them. Examples are a crane mounted on a fertiliser spreader or a workshop hoist.
Where the safe working load depends on the machine's configuration eg with a telehandler, then the operator will need clearly visible information to keep both machine and loads within the safe working limits for any particular configuration.
Tractor foreloaders used in agriculture will not normally require marking.
Thorough examination
Thorough examination is to protect both operators and other people in the vicinity of lifting operations who may be at risk if the lifting equipment suddenly fails.
Equipment which lifts loads over, or in close proximity to people, should be thoroughly examined.
Lifting equipment such as:
- Fork-lift trucks and foreloaders on tractors without adequate operator protection or where other people are working in the close vicinity will need thorough examination; and
- Foreloaders on tractors with safety cabs, telehandlers, and fork-lift trucks with operator protection and where no other people work in the vicinity will not normally need thorough examination.
You should assess your work equipment and working practices for the risks involved and decide which items need thorough examination in your particular circumstances.
Where lifting equipment requires a thorough examination, you will need to arrange for this to be carried out by a competent person. This will normally be an independent person, such as an engineer, who has the necessary knowledge and experience of the lifting equipment concerned to enable them to detect any defects.
Note the section 'Thorough Examination'. It clearly states that machines that have safety cabs and people do not work in proximity to the machine do not need examination. I work alone and therefore my machine does not need a LOLER inspection.
Its precisely this sort of bureaucratic creep that causes such problems. People who work in H&S 'consultancy' keep pushing the boundaries of what is actually required, making out that all manner of inspections and tests are needed (which they can provide for a fat fee naturally) when the law does not require them at all. All my machinery is inspected on a regular basis by a competent person, me. With over 30 years experience of using such machines.
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- Location
- Lincolnshire.
From my understanding most injuries and deaths attributed to agriculture by the hse don’t occur on the road. So whilst I strongly believe agriculture should be regulated on the road in the same way as the haulage industry I don’t think it will reduce those figures dramatically. What would make a difference is training and as has been constantly reiterated on this thread, assessment of every task. Now that is already the law, it doesn’t have to be written in organisations where there are fewer than 5 employees. IMO it’s time this exemption changed, agriculture has had ample opportunity to put it’s house in order but the minority simply don’t take the existing legal responsibility seriously. Incidentally I don’t think embedding this in the red tractor scheme will affect the attitude of that minority.
- Location
- Huntingdon, UK
The only part of that that exempts telehandlers in Ag is this bit:
- Foreloaders on tractors with safety cabs, telehandlers, and fork-lift trucks with operator protection and where no other people work in the vicinity will not normally need thorough examination.
Don’t you ever load or unload any lorries? As those drivers will be working in the vicinity of the machine
Goweresque
Member
- Location
- North Wilts
Lorry drivers are instructed to stay in the cab.
Agree. It’s attitude rather than lack of money in agriculture that is the main problem.
You only have to look at episodes of this farming life to see people carrying out unsafe practices without a seconds thought of the consequences because it has become normal behaviour to them. In one scene recently we had a baby in a tractor baling with an open door then an older member of the same family dismounting the steps of same moving machine as it turned at the end of a bout.
These types of attitudes are passed down to younger family members and/or work colleagues as normal behaviour so the same types of accidents continue to happen.
- Location
- Huntingdon, UK
I was told that doesn’t matter. Unless they’re in an area where they can only exit when permitted by you, eg locked in a room with no door handle or an alarm that sounds if they exit. If you have had different advice then so be it.
ollie989898
Member
There are people out there who do it. With the right kit it should be perfectly possible. How much they will sacrifice for their work though is up to them.
- Location
- Ceredigion
I was hoping this topic would be more about ideas to improve farm safety, not upteen sermons that just wants you to change channel
Let's stop and think a minute, which it's probably top of the list [emoji23]
Grain Silos used to be a big one, luckily a lot have long gone to the scrap yard , did I stop and think, no I did not , inside the hatch I was looking up thinking why is it not coming down , then all off a sudden in did , luckily taking me out through the hatch with it , what a bloody clown
Let's stop and think a minute, which it's probably top of the list [emoji23]
Grain Silos used to be a big one, luckily a lot have long gone to the scrap yard , did I stop and think, no I did not , inside the hatch I was looking up thinking why is it not coming down , then all off a sudden in did , luckily taking me out through the hatch with it , what a bloody clown
What about front end loaders on tractors? Do they fall under loler regs?
Edit- I asked this question before reading the rest of the thread and have seen it’s been answered
- Location
- Huntingdon, UK
What a lot of people don’t realise is that LOLER can be done by a competent person.
It is basically the voice of reason / a second opinion, need not cost anything and is there to protect the business owner from prosecution.
It is basically the voice of reason / a second opinion, need not cost anything and is there to protect the business owner from prosecution.
we don't use the loadall on fast roads as despite beibg a new, modern, well maintained machine its not safe with such a speed differential on local dual carriageways moving at motorway speeds - we move it between farms on a very safe, air-braked, commercial axel low loader behind a higher speed tractor which is MUCH safer
ALL our machinery is pretty new, maintained to tip-top levels and our accident record / insurance is really very low
- Location
- Huntingdon, UK
What is a 'thorough examination' under LOLER?
This is a systematic and detailed examination of the equipment and safety-critical parts, carried out at specified intervals by a competent person who must then complete a written report. This report must contain the information required by LOLER Schedule 1, including:
What is a 'competent person'?
The term 'competent person' is not defined in law but the LOLER Approved Code of Practice and guidance(paragraph 296 on competent persons) states that:
'You should ensure that the person carrying out a thorough examination has such appropriate practical and theoretical knowledge and experience of the lifting equipment to be thoroughly examined as will enable them to detect defects or weaknesses and to assess their importance in relation to the safety and continued use of the lifting equipment.'
Although the competent person may often be employed by another organisation, this is not necessary, provided they are sufficiently independent and impartial to ensure that in-house examinations are made without fear or favour. However, this should not be the same person who undertakes routine maintenance of the equipment - as they would then be responsible for assessing their own maintenance work.
If you and your neighbour / are confident in your knowledge (and feel you could defend this in court) then as I understand it you could do each others machines. No monetary cost, just a few minutes of your time when you’re in each others yard.
Even the ‘professionals’ we’ve had here never take more than 10 minutes per machine.
This is a systematic and detailed examination of the equipment and safety-critical parts, carried out at specified intervals by a competent person who must then complete a written report. This report must contain the information required by LOLER Schedule 1, including:
- the examination date
- the date when the next thorough examination is due
- any defects found which are (or could potentially become) a danger to people
What is a 'competent person'?
The term 'competent person' is not defined in law but the LOLER Approved Code of Practice and guidance(paragraph 296 on competent persons) states that:
'You should ensure that the person carrying out a thorough examination has such appropriate practical and theoretical knowledge and experience of the lifting equipment to be thoroughly examined as will enable them to detect defects or weaknesses and to assess their importance in relation to the safety and continued use of the lifting equipment.'
Although the competent person may often be employed by another organisation, this is not necessary, provided they are sufficiently independent and impartial to ensure that in-house examinations are made without fear or favour. However, this should not be the same person who undertakes routine maintenance of the equipment - as they would then be responsible for assessing their own maintenance work.
If you and your neighbour / are confident in your knowledge (and feel you could defend this in court) then as I understand it you could do each others machines. No monetary cost, just a few minutes of your time when you’re in each others yard.
Even the ‘professionals’ we’ve had here never take more than 10 minutes per machine.
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