The Agriculture Sector Intervention Plan sets out the actions HSE will take to drive improvements in the industry.
HSE’s Agriculture Sector Intervention Strategy
In September 2017 HSE published its sector and health plans covering 19 industry sectors. The plans set out the strategic priorities for these sectors and the actions HSE proposes to take. Recognising that the agricultural sector (encompassing crop and animal production, forestry, logging, fishing and aquaculture) has a poor record of managing health and safety risks, this document sets out in more detail the actions HSE will take over the next three to five years to drive improvements in the industry.
Background
Around 340 000 people work in the agriculture sector, accounting for around 1% of the GB workforce, yet it accounts for 20% of worker deaths. On average, the industry kills 32 people each year including 4 members of the public. In addition, around 4% of workers are injured in non-fatal incidents each year, and a similar percentage of workers suffer an illness they believe to be work-related. This equates to 13 000 workers injured and 15 000 workers made ill each year.1 While the total number of fatal injuries has been falling over time, the fatal injury rate for agricultural workers has shown no clear trend, although there are some signs of improvement in the last five years. Through 2016 and 2017 the industry has shown some significant signs of increased awareness and activity to address farm safety.
Examples arise in:
● the discussions at the NFU and NLBC Councils;
● engagement of NFU Regional Groups in an HSE/NFU safety event;
● social media activity stimulated by the farming community;
● campaign activity by the Young Farmers Clubs;
● the penetration and voice of Farm Safety Week;
● the emerging discussions at the England and Wales Farm Safety Partnerships as they acknowledge the need to work to a more coherent strategy.
If these signs of improvement are to flourish and grow, HSE needs to build momentum and drive industry-wide improvements in health and safety performance.
Building momentum
Agriculture is a priority sector for HSE. Significant improvements are needed in all areas of health and safety performance, particularly in reducing the rate of fatal injury, reducing cases of occupational ill health and seeing increased ownership and action by the industry to address its poor performance. HSE’s regulatory role in this industry is an important one – the causes of death, injuries and ill health are well known, and the means of preventing these are equally well known and straightforward. Many, if not all, of the shortcomings that lead to death, injury and ill health are addressed by existing legal requirements, all of which have been in place for decades. HSE’s intervention strategy, and the actions of other industry stakeholders, must first and foremost promote legal compliance, underlining the link with an efficient and effective business. The sector plan has five broad headings to focus HSE’s regulatory and engagement activities to secure effective management and control of risk. Each of these headings are expanded on below to highlight work under development and the specific actions to secure legal compliance. These areas will be developed to include evaluation of our activities to define and refine future approaches.
Read the full document by clicking download.
HSE’s Agriculture Sector Intervention Strategy
In September 2017 HSE published its sector and health plans covering 19 industry sectors. The plans set out the strategic priorities for these sectors and the actions HSE proposes to take. Recognising that the agricultural sector (encompassing crop and animal production, forestry, logging, fishing and aquaculture) has a poor record of managing health and safety risks, this document sets out in more detail the actions HSE will take over the next three to five years to drive improvements in the industry.
Background
Around 340 000 people work in the agriculture sector, accounting for around 1% of the GB workforce, yet it accounts for 20% of worker deaths. On average, the industry kills 32 people each year including 4 members of the public. In addition, around 4% of workers are injured in non-fatal incidents each year, and a similar percentage of workers suffer an illness they believe to be work-related. This equates to 13 000 workers injured and 15 000 workers made ill each year.1 While the total number of fatal injuries has been falling over time, the fatal injury rate for agricultural workers has shown no clear trend, although there are some signs of improvement in the last five years. Through 2016 and 2017 the industry has shown some significant signs of increased awareness and activity to address farm safety.
Examples arise in:
● the discussions at the NFU and NLBC Councils;
● engagement of NFU Regional Groups in an HSE/NFU safety event;
● social media activity stimulated by the farming community;
● campaign activity by the Young Farmers Clubs;
● the penetration and voice of Farm Safety Week;
● the emerging discussions at the England and Wales Farm Safety Partnerships as they acknowledge the need to work to a more coherent strategy.
If these signs of improvement are to flourish and grow, HSE needs to build momentum and drive industry-wide improvements in health and safety performance.
Building momentum
Agriculture is a priority sector for HSE. Significant improvements are needed in all areas of health and safety performance, particularly in reducing the rate of fatal injury, reducing cases of occupational ill health and seeing increased ownership and action by the industry to address its poor performance. HSE’s regulatory role in this industry is an important one – the causes of death, injuries and ill health are well known, and the means of preventing these are equally well known and straightforward. Many, if not all, of the shortcomings that lead to death, injury and ill health are addressed by existing legal requirements, all of which have been in place for decades. HSE’s intervention strategy, and the actions of other industry stakeholders, must first and foremost promote legal compliance, underlining the link with an efficient and effective business. The sector plan has five broad headings to focus HSE’s regulatory and engagement activities to secure effective management and control of risk. Each of these headings are expanded on below to highlight work under development and the specific actions to secure legal compliance. These areas will be developed to include evaluation of our activities to define and refine future approaches.
Read the full document by clicking download.
