Health and safety in farming.

[Ivorbiggun]

Does anybody think there’s a link between all the serious injuries/deaths on farms and the farm owners/manages total disregard for the laws and the lack of respect for their workers safety or is it the farm workers who are to blame.

 

[B'o'B]

Does anybody think there’s a link between all the serious injuries/deaths on farms and the farm owners/manages total disregard for the laws and the lack of respect for their workers safety or is it the farm workers who are to blame.

Is that a loaded question I see before me?....

 

[Hilly]

Neither, it’s just a dangerous job.

 

[B'o'B]

Neither, it’s just a dangerous job.

Or possibly both?

 

[michael N123]

Go work on the motorways then you’ll understand what danger is

there’s danger in most jobs

 

[Ivorbiggun]

Is that a loaded question I see before me?....

No. Just wondered what people’s views are that’s all

 

[Tarw Coch]

Does anybody think there’s a link between all the serious injuries/deaths on farms and the farm owners/manages total disregard for the laws and the lack of respect for their workers safety or is it the farm workers who are to blame.

Haven’t a clue, how do the death/injury statistics compare between farm owners and their families to those of employed staff?

 

[Spud]

If you remove the under 16 & over 65 sectors, the statistics look different.

Some people seem to lack the ability to take responsibility for their own actions, on both sides.

 

[B'o'B]

Does anybody think there’s a link between all the serious injuries/deaths on farms and the farm owners/manages total disregard for the laws and the lack of respect for their workers safety or is it the farm workers who are to blame.

I suggest you look at the question again, if you cannot see that it is a loaded question then I don't think it is worth taking part in this thread.

 

[michael N123]

to make farming danger free you’d have to get rid of all livestock machinary and buildings and the weather

 

[Spud]

to make farming danger free you’d have to get rid of all livestock machinary and buildings and the weather

And people!

 

[Tarw Coch]

Hang on a minute Michael and Spud, isn’t that George Monbiots latest plan

 

[Spud]

Hang on a minute Michael and Spud, isn’t that George Monbiots latest plan

Haha I guess so. He hates 'factory farming'. Wants to replace us all with industrial food, produced in a ..... factory! ??

Farmers farm. Always have. Always will. It's just how that varies.

 

[Chae1]

I've had a few accidents on farm not involving livestock and would blame myself for both. Just in too big a rush and not considering consequences of actions.

 

[Goweresque]

Does anybody think there’s a link between all the serious injuries/deaths on farms and the farm owners/manages total disregard for the laws and the lack of respect for their workers safety or is it the farm workers who are to blame.

Here is a summary of all the fatalities on farms in 2018/19:

https://www.hse.gov.uk/agriculture/pdf/agriculture-fatal-injuries-1819-summary.pdf

You will see that the number of paid employees killed (11) is massively outnumbered by the number of self employed farm business owners (21), the remainder (7) being a mix of members of the public or children.

Deaths on farms are largely a factor of age (half of the fatalities are over 60, and another 8 were over 50), and the factor that people on farms largely work alone these days, so are unsupervised and able to take risks they shouldn't. Very few or none occur because machinery has been poorly maintained, is missing guards, or employees lack training. The vast majority are down to people taking risks they didn't need to take, but they took anyway to save time and/or money.

 

[Steevo]

Deaths on farms are largely a factor of age (half of the fatalities are over 60, and another 8 were over 50), and the factor that people on farms largely work alone these days, so are unsupervised and able to take risks they shouldn't. Very few or none occur because machinery has been poorly maintained, is missing guards, or employees lack training. The vast majority are down to people taking risks they didn't need to take, but they took anyway to save time and/or money.

Totally agree.

I believe that money/time is a factor however. You go on a building site, and there are specific working practices, PPE, etc. Brand new machines. All fully serviced and maintained by professionals.

How many farms can say that?

 

[Ivorbiggun]

Neither, it’s just a dangerous job.

So which jobs in farming couldn’t be made safer with the right training/equipment and time.,

 

[Spud]

Totally agree.

I believe that money/time is a factor however. You go on a building site, and there are specific working practices, PPE, etc. Brand new machines. All fully serviced and maintained by professionals.

How many farms can say that?

How many farms can afford that?

How ever you look at it, better basic profitability encourages higher standards

 

[Tarw Coch]

So which jobs in farming couldn’t be made safer with the right training/equipment and time.,

None if those working on farms don’t follow that training or use that equipment even if available

 

[Ivorbiggun]

Here is a summary of all the fatalities on farms in 2018/19:

https://www.hse.gov.uk/agriculture/pdf/agriculture-fatal-injuries-1819-summary.pdf

You will see that the number of paid employees killed (11) is massively outnumbered by the number of self employed farm business owners (21), the remainder (7) being a mix of members of the public or children.

Deaths on farms are largely a factor of age (half of the fatalities are over 60, and another 8 were over 50), and the factor that people on farms largely work alone these days, so are unsupervised and able to take risks they shouldn't. Very few or none occur because machinery has been poorly maintained, is missing guards, or employees lack training. The vast majority are down to people taking risks they didn't need to take, but they took anyway to save time and/or money.

So taking the 11 people killed who were employed on farms should farm workers have more power to say actually I’m not doing that because its dangerous with out facing the reprisals from the boss/manager