Harvest and the virus

[Ivorbiggun]

So guys, we’re only a few weeks of harvest starting, what plans have you got to keep your staff healthy and harvest rolling along.
The R figure is close to 1 in some areas, what’s people’s thoughts on harvest and the virus.

 

[7610 super q]

Self isolate, keep er lit, and crack on.

 

[curlietailz]

Issue everyone with sanitizer and antibacterial wipes
One tractor each
Keep the 2 meter rule
Ensure they have masks
And other PPE
Fill out your Covid compliant sheet thing
Get everyone to sign it also showing they’ve been briefed and have all the necessary kit etc
Crack on

 

[Chae1]

Issue everyone with sanitizer and antibacterial wipes
One tractor each
Keep the 2 meter rule
Ensure they have masks
And other PPE
Fill out your Covid compliant sheet thing
Get everyone to sign it also showing they’ve been briefed and have all the necessary kit etc
Crack on

Where do you get covid compliant sheet?

I've put 100ml hand sanitizer bottles in tractors. Bigger hand pump sanitizer in farm office and piece room.

Doubtful any one will use them, but there if they wish too.

I'm a bit of a weirdo, but pens are one thing that gets me. Carry your own, don't use the one the lorry driver gives to everyone. Keep one in tractor too.

 

[Bald Rick]

Issue everyone with sanitizer and antibacterial wipes
One tractor each
Keep the 2 meter rule
Ensure they have masks
And other PPE
Fill out your Covid compliant sheet thing
Get everyone to sign it also showing they’ve been briefed and have all the necessary kit etc
Crack on

What’s the point if any of that?

Consider this ...

The vast majority - 99.99% - on under 50s are unaffected or mildly afflicted by the virus
The virus does not appear to thrive in fresh air and sunlight
Farming is generally self isolating especially arable operations and operators tend to stick with the same tractors in any case
The chance of a significant viral loading - constant exposure for over 15 minutes with 2m of each other - is unlikely. Time is money esp at harvest

Washing hands before eating is about as far as it needs to go

 

[curlietailz]

What’s the point if any of that?

Consider this ...

The vast majority - 99.99% - on under 50s are unaffected or mildly afflicted by the virus
The virus does not appear to thrive in fresh air and sunlight
Farming is generally self isolating especially arable operations and operators tend to stick with the same tractors in any case
The chance of a significant viral loading - constant exposure for over 15 minutes with 2m of each other - is unlikely. Time is money esp at harvest

Washing hands before eating is about as far as it needs to go

The point is to make sure that me, the business owner, has done everything I can in order to protect myself from potential claims in the future
2025....”No win No fee.... did your employer give you sanitizer ?? No ? We’ll get you a huge insurance payout then

 

[M-J-G]

Stay away from more heavily populated areas and anyone who has been to one.

 

[curlietailz]

Where do you get covid compliant sheet?

I've put 100ml hand sanitizer bottles in tractors. Bigger hand pump sanitizer in farm office and piece room.

Doubtful any one will use them, but there if they wish too.

I'm a bit of a weirdo, but pens are one thing that gets me. Carry your own, don't use the one the lorry driver gives to everyone. Keep one in tractor too.

Covid Compliant sheet on the Govt website
Print it off
Sign it and display
Shows you care

Reducing the spread of respiratory infections, including COVID-19, in the workplace

Public health principles for reducing the spread of respiratory infections, including COVID-19, in the workplace.

www.gov.uk

I clicked on the working outdoors one and safety in vehicles one

I recon every employer needs to do this to cover their arses !!

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5eb97021d3bf7f5d43765cbf/staying-covid-19-secure-accessible.pdf

 

[Bald Rick]

The point is to make sure that me, the business owner, has done everything I can in order to protect myself from potential claims in the future
2025....”No win No fee.... did your employer give you sanitizer ?? No ? We’ll get you a huge insurance payout then

You are not responsible for what your employees do outside of work though.
How do you know that they didn’t go off protesting in London?

Take your point about covering your backside but it’s all a sledgehammer to crack a nut ... esp now the blonde ballbag has realised that the potential unemployment rate could run into many millions so is poised to release the lockdown shackles as fast as he can now

 

[Cab-over Pete]

If you’re an employer just provide everything your employees need, tell them where that is, never run out of it. Ensure they know what’s expected of them and get it all down in a printed document. Get employees to sign and say they’ve understood it.

On a practical level, I think the real sticking point will be cabs. Nobody needs to be sharing an enclosed, forced air space with anybody else, do they? (Beats me why the idiot lantern is full of bellyaching numpties who have done the sum total of sod all for weeks, albeit because they’ve been furloughed, and now they’re whining about when they can cram themselves into a flying tin can for hours so they can do the sum total of sod all somewhere abroad)
I understand that maybe the telescopic loader is a bit of a germ hub, but maybe make it compulsory to operate with the door open if it’s a shared machine and ensure at all times there is a supply of hand gel, gloves, masks and wipes on board.

 

[fingermouse]

I’m part of a workforce of 24 that the various parts of the business here employs
We’ve managed the last 2 months and a bit without any drama
So no reason we can’t manage the upcoming harvest , we do store / dry grain for local farmers and they will have to follow
the few protocols that where put in place from the onset other wise plenty of disinfectant in all trucks / tractors
O and plenty of common sense have kept us all well up to now

 

[betweenthelines]

The point is to make sure that me, the business owner, has done everything I can in order to protect myself from potential claims in the future
2025....”No win No fee.... did your employer give you sanitizer ?? No ? We’ll get you a huge insurance payout then

Virtually impossible to say how anyone caught it.

Most people not tested, lots of footballers testing positive but asymptomatic. So you could be in a staff canteen for an hour a day with 6 workmates and five are coughing but one isn't, could be that only the non coughing guy is infected.

Look at that MP the other day, sweating and coughing in the Commons, self isolated then tested negative!

 

[ewald]

My chances of catching it are pretty low (as explained above), my chances of survival if I do catch it are pretty high

BUT ..... in common with most of you , I don't want to be laid low for a week or two at harvest

Therefore. I am taking practical precautions

If I employed someone I would enforce these precautions - it is not enough in the eyes of the law to tell people to do the right thing - you need to make sure (as far as reasonably possible) that they are complying

There WILL be ambulance-chasing parasitic lawyers out there when this is done and dusted. Cover your backsides (legally speaking!)

 

[topground]

Why has no-one mentioned Vircon during discussions about sanitising to prevent Covid 19?
£2 or less from all good agricultural suppliers buys a sachet that will make up 5 litres easily applied with a hand held sprayer to all manner of agricultural equipment.
If it was good enough during Foot and Mouth it should be good enough for the current pandemic.

 

[Dry Rot]

Got to love this nonsense about 2m social distancing. In the gales we've had up here, you could be 100m down wind and still get a dose. Or 20cm up wind and miss it completely. Use commonsense. Yeah, I know, a rare commodity these days.

 

[Robt]

So guys, we’re only a few weeks of harvest starting, what plans have you got to keep your staff healthy and harvest rolling along.
The R figure is close to 1 in some areas, what’s people’s thoughts on harvest and the virus.

Is the R that high, even back on lock down the gov couldn’t only say it was between 0.5 and 0.9.... hardly very accurate

 

[Ali_Maxxum]

Managed since mid April, start of first cut, up to now with no issues so can't imagine by continuing to go literally nowhere other than work and home is gonna cause any issue.

 

[Zippy768]

If you’re an employer just provide everything your employees need, tell them where that is, never run out of it. Ensure they know what’s expected of them and get it all down in a printed document. Get employees to sign and say they’ve understood it.

On a practical level, I think the real sticking point will be cabs. Nobody needs to be sharing an enclosed, forced air space with anybody else, do they? (Beats me why the idiot lantern is full of bellyaching numpties who have done the sum total of sod all for weeks, albeit because they’ve been furloughed, and now they’re whining about when they can cram themselves into a flying tin can for hours so they can do the sum total of sod all somewhere abroad)
I understand that maybe the telescopic loader is a bit of a germ hub, but maybe make it compulsory to operate with the door open if it’s a shared machine and ensure at all times there is a supply of hand gel, gloves, masks and wipes on board.

"Idiot lantern"????

 

[Steevo]

Is the R that high, even back on lock down the gov couldn’t only say it was between 0.5 and 0.9.... hardly very accurate

The Germans can manage it to two decimal places...!

and the RPA usually work to 4 decimal places...!

 

[kiwi pom]

So guys, we’re only a few weeks of harvest starting, what plans have you got to keep your staff healthy and harvest rolling along.
The R figure is close to 1 in some areas, what’s people’s thoughts on harvest and the virus.

Use a bit of common sense, don't come into work if you're sick (that might not go down well with some bosses) keep your distance from people if you can and try not to do too much vehicle swapping. If the combine driver needs to take a meal break park up for half an hour instead of swapping drivers etc.
Farms aren't always the most law abiding places at harvest anyway so I wouldn't think anyone involved will be too picky.