Farm accidents claim four lives in three weeks

Ffermer Bach · Apr 29, 2021

Cowabunga said:
Don’t know about seed but we use a sickle modified with a long steam-pipe handle to open fertiliser bags standing safely to the side. It needs sharpening every 60 to 100 bags opened to minimise the effort required. No stretching over the hopper side and reaching under the raised bag to open them with a penknife allowed under any circumstanced and the boom stops on the skid steer engaged every time without exception in case a pipe bursts.

I saw a picture on here somewhere of a tele handler lifting cylinder, where the cylinder split, dropping the boom, bang, at least if a pipe bursts there can be a check valve in the line to slow the rate of drop, but not in that instance ~scary to think about what the consequences could be. We are all so used to working with hydraulic equipment.

That is a very good idea, using a sickle, I always used to think, this is not safe as I was opening bags with my knife.

Muddyboots · Apr 29, 2021

So how do those who are using a knife on a stick to open fert dogs get on when the wind is blowing and to shake the bag out? Ime there is still quite a bit of fert left in the bag after it’s finished running which again means you are under the forklift.

Cowabunga · Apr 29, 2021

Ffermer Bach said:
I saw a picture on here somewhere of a tele handler lifting cylinder, where the cylinder split, dropping the boom, bang, at least if a pipe bursts there can be a check valve in the line to slow the rate of drop, but not in that instance ~scary to think about what the consequences could be. We are all so used to working with hydraulic equipment.

That is a very good idea, using a sickle, I always used to think, this is not safe as I was opening bags with my knife.

My sickle’s claim to fame is that it was once featured in the farm invention’s magazine. The same sickle, which had already done many year’s service, is still used today.

Mark Hatton · Apr 29, 2021

Bury the Trash said:
Should be amalgamated with the other farm safety thread.

If they can't get good enough or any free labour, it Needs an employed 'organiser' or mod. to sort stuff and keep it tidier, like in the past.

The 'main man' or one if them seems to be more interested in farting around with Facebook sort of threads., instead of doing something more relevant and productive.

We were discussing the way forward around a Health and Safety section only yesterday to keep everything related in one place, keep the content relevant and with its own moderator, just be careful what you wish for!

Cowabunga · Apr 29, 2021

Muddyboots said:
So how do those who are using a knife on a stick to open fert dogs get on when the wind is blowing and to shake the bag out? Ime there is still quite a bit of fert left in the bag after it’s finished running which again means you are under the forklift.

They really should design bags better so no corners are left when emptied. The beauty of the sickle id that it can open bags quickly with an L cut, or a smaller cut for a more controlled flow when the hopper is getting full, leaving time to get back on the loader to either drop the bag to stop flow or move it sideways. A quick couple of shakes with the crowd ram is usually enough to empty the dregs.
My preference is to have a driver and a cutting person. Same precautions apply, in that the lift stop is applied [its a skid steer], sickle used from the side and cutter the steps well away but never behind the loader.

Bury the Trash · Apr 29, 2021

Muddyboots said:
So how do those who are using a knife on a stick to open fert dogs get on when the wind is blowing and to shake the bag out? Ime there is still quite a bit of fert left in the bag after it’s finished running which again means you are under the forklift.

Using a bag crane on the spreader feels pretty safe as the boom comes from the other direction/ its easier to avoid.

john432 · Apr 29, 2021

Cowabunga said:
My sickle’s claim to fame is that it was once featured in the farm invention’s magazine. The same sickle, which had already done many year’s service, is still used today.

Cryman coes hir, or called here a whiwgi.
Long handled stickle, that's what I usually use. Works really well.

Cowabunga · Apr 29, 2021

john432 said:
Cryman coes hir, or called here a whiwgi.
Long handled stickle, that's what I usually use. Works really well.

Its so many years ago that I don't remember whether this one was originally a long handle whiwgi one or not. It probably was because it is straighter than the usual very curved short ones. Anyhow the coes pren [wooden handle] was replaced by the more durable steam pipe. Not a massive diameter one but about the same diameter as the wooden one it probably replaced.

betweenthelines · Apr 29, 2021

Cowabunga said:
They really should design bags better so no corners are left when emptied. The beauty of the sickle id that it can open bags quickly with an L cut, or a smaller cut for a more controlled flow when the hopper is getting full, leaving time to get back on the loader to either drop the bag to stop flow or move it sideways. A quick couple of shakes with the crowd ram is usually enough to empty the dregs.
My preference is to have a driver and a cutting person. Same precautions apply, in that the lift stop is applied [its a skid steer], sickle used from the side and cutter the steps well away but never behind the loader.

Well done @Cowabunga, your last paragraph has given the HSE a nice big stick to beat people with if there's an accident when emptying a fert bag-approved method is now that this task is a two person job!

Cowabunga · Apr 29, 2021

betweenthelines said:
Well done @Cowabunga, your last paragraph has given the HSE a nice big stick to beat people with if there's an accident when emptying a fert bag-approved method is now that this task is a two person job!

Isn't it your preference then? Rather than having to jump on and off the loader machine several times for every load? It's a luxury that I use whenever the labour is in the vicinity. More often than not, nobody is around of course, which brings us back to having a way of communicating in the event of an emergency, whether a phone with a signal or a wearable like a smartwatch and their eligibility as a business expense. Of course they are. Health and safety First! Anything that makes the job safer is a 'good thing'. We should eliminate risk as far as practical, though not necessarily entirely, because that is impractical and in any case virtually impossible once you get out of bed, assuming you haven't been consumed by fire or murdered in your sleep.

Bury the Trash · Apr 29, 2021

Cowabunga said:
Isn't it your preference then? Rather than having to jump on and off the loader machine several times for every load? It's a luxury that I use whenever the labour is in the vicinity. More often than not, nobody is around of course, which brings us back to having a way of communicating in the event of an emergency, whether a phone with a signal or a wearable like a smartwatch and their eligibility as a business expense. Of course they are. Health and safety First!

Not so long ago a local man lost his life when climbing out of the cab of a skidsteer, he jogged a lever somehow as he climbed out ( I dont know the detail) and the bucket came down and trapped him , he had his phone which got him to hospital but he died a long time afterwards from complications of the injuries.

He was a very knowledgeable and experienced farm machinery operator.

Mark Hatton · Apr 29, 2021

betweenthelines said:
Well done @Cowabunga, your last paragraph has given the HSE a nice big stick to beat people with if there's an accident when emptying a fert bag-approved method is now that this task is a two person job!

This seems to be a typical comment regarding the HSE, @betweenthelines, I've picked your comment because it was there, I'm genuinely curious as to why many in agriculture seemingly have such contempt for H&S?

Bury the Trash · Apr 29, 2021

Mark Hatton said:
We were discussing the way forward around a Health and Safety section only yesterday to keep everything related in one place, keep the content relevant and with its own moderator, just be careful what you wish for!

Not being funny but if you have the time to post here it wouldn't take much more time to move this in with other farm safety threads and put up as a 'sticky' in the Agricultural Matters.
In the process reorganise those stickies already there if there are maybe too many , ie Anton's ( interesting) thread put somewhere else.

Just good house keeping I guess.

I digress but its a big issue.

Mark Hatton · Apr 29, 2021

Bury the Trash said:
Not being funny but if you have the time to post here it wouldn't take much more time to move this in with other farm safety threads and put up as a sticky in the Agricultural Matters.
In the process reorganise those stickies already there if there are maybe too many , ie Anton's thread put somewhere else.

Just good house keeping I guess.

I digress but its a big issue.

I agree H&S is a big issue, the fact its being talked about is only a positive thing irrespective of where on the forum its being posted. Once we've decided what we are going to do as regards a H&S section we'll move move threads. I'm sure @Chris F and @Clive will update as soon as a decision has been made, until then lets keep up the discussion.

Bury the Trash · Apr 29, 2021

Mark Hatton said:
I agree H&S is a big issue, the fact its being talked about is only a positive thing irrespective of where on there forum its being posted. Once we've decided what we are going to do as regards a H&S section we'll move move threads. I'm sure @Chris F and @Clive will update as soon as a decision has been made, until then lets keep up the discussion.

A special section might not always get visited.

A permanent place at the top of the Agricultural matters section puts it in a more visable / accessible position .

betweenthelines · Apr 29, 2021

Mark Hatton said:
This seems to be a typical comment regarding the HSE, @betweenthelines, I've picked your comment because it was there, I'm genuinely curious as to why many in agriculture seemingly have such contempt for H&S?

If you check my posts, you'll see that I'm anything but contemptuous of H&S. The post you picked was a tongue-in--cheek attempt to point out that there are often easy solutions to H&S issues. Any SSoW for filling hoppers from big bags should specify it's a two person task.

Mark Hatton · Apr 29, 2021

Bury the Trash said:
A special section might not always get visited.

A permanent place at the top of the Agricultural matters section puts it in a more visable / accessible position .

We're considering all options, it needs to be very visible so everyone can easily access it.

Mark Hatton · Apr 29, 2021

betweenthelines said:
If you check my posts, you'll see that I'm anything but contemptuous of H&S. The post you picked was a tongue-in--cheek attempt to point out that there are often easy solutions to H&S issues. Any SSoW for filling hoppers from big bags should specify it's a two person task.

There was no offence intended, I realise it was a bit tongue in cheek, your post just happened to be be the one I read, I was generalising as there seems to be a lot of similar comments made towards H&S, not just in agriculture by the way, I've experienced it in other sectors first hand, its sadly a topic which needs to be taken more seriously.

Bury the Trash · Apr 29, 2021

Mark Hatton said:
There was no offence intended, I realise it was a bit tongue in cheek, your post just happened to be be the one I read, I was generalising as there seems to be a lot of similar comments made towards H&S, not just in agriculture by the way, I've experienced it other sectors first hand, its sadly a topic which needs to be taken more seriously.

The problem is that H& S in other fields has turned itself into a huge industry, of its own, more admin etc, with a lot of money generated for its mangers but resources wasted, excavator certificates one small example.
Why do we need more of that in Agriculture?

Mark Hatton said:
We're considering all options, it needs to be very visible so everyone can easily access it.

sometimes relatively easy to do small tweaks to a thing are all thats required,...... not necessarily a major job.

Mark Hatton · Apr 29, 2021

Bury the Trash said:
The problem is that H& S in other fields has turned itself into a huge industry of its own, with a lot of money generated for its mangers but resources wasted, excavator certificates one small example.
Why do we need more of that in Agriculture?

sometimes relativly easy to do small tweaks to a thing are all thats required,...... not necessarily major upheaval.

Thats the case in many industries, not just H&S, it's undoubtedly driven buy the blame culture we live in, passing on risk, everyone being more risk aware and risk averse.
Given that farms have machinery, infrastructure and livestock that has the potential to injure, maim or kill you in the blink on eye why wouldn't you want to improve safety, protect your family, staff and business?

I doubt it will be a major upheaval, the intention is to make H&S more prominent, visible and openly discussed, rather than seen as the poor relation hidden away and only talked about on rare occasions.

Farm accidents claim four lives in three weeks

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