HSE to clamp down on farms this 2019

[B'o'B]

Oh ffs. Yes welding fumes obviously presenting the incredible risk to yourself given how much welding you do compared to 10 blokes in a sealed factory all welding for 9 hours a day constantly for 48 weeks a year. I suppose he expects a fully equipped fume extractor rig for your open fronted shed and the 20 hours of welding you might do a year?

These folk must be nuts.

It hazard not risk. If welding was a pesticide it would be banned

 

[milkloss]

Oh ffs. Yes welding fumes obviously presenting the incredible risk to yourself given how much welding you do compared to 10 blokes in a sealed factory all welding for 9 hours a day constantly for 48 weeks a year. I suppose he expects a fully equipped fume extractor rig for your open fronted shed and the 20 hours of welding you might do a year?

These folk must be nuts.

It is all a bit nuts but you can get disposable welding masks for a tenner each. They last a month when opened and then dispose if you don’t want to worry about coshh rules.
Edit: only if you open the packet though

 

[Matt77]

Oh ffs. Yes welding fumes obviously presenting the incredible risk to yourself given how much welding you do compared to 10 blokes in a sealed factory all welding for 9 hours a day constantly for 48 weeks a year. I suppose he expects a fully equipped fume extractor rig for your open fronted shed and the 20 hours of welding you might do a year?

These folk must be nuts.

The fully equipped fume rig was mentioned basically an air fed helmet was enough for the operator but if someone else was expected to walk in there then it changed it all.

 

[YELROM]

Couldn’t find any other threads on here about it but I’ve just had the dreaded letter: HSE inspection in a month.

We’re not risk takers (I know, I know, this is infinitely debatable) but it is safe to say that in no way are they going to be happy with what they find here.
We’re talking electrical, telehandler tickets, bike tickets, grinding tickets, the old boy that’s got the use of a workshop with self installed car ramps and lathe. Silage pit with no rails and the odd dodgy sleeper, pond with no life ring, pat tested appliances. Bunded oil and fuel storage, liftng equipment certification, welding/gas equipment certification/renewal, escape gaps round the cow yards. Not sure how far to take it.

How have others got on with their prearranged inspections and are they to the book or realistic? Any tips because I’m crapping myself over this a little?

Do you get a letter stating a date and time for the inspection or just a letter informing you that you will get an inspection in the next 30 days

 

[milkloss]

Do you get a letter stating a date and time for the inspection or just a letter informing you that you will get an inspection in the next 30 days

A specific date. Which is nice but adds to the pressure of being perfect.

 

[Bruce Almighty]

We've recently bitten the bullet & had Health & Safety fire risk assessments, policy etc done by NFU

Cost a lot of money but with other enterprises, diversification & tenants here now I hope it's well worth it & following it could prevent incidents ?

 

[ARW]

I think the farming industry is all for more H & S but there’s one huge problem, H & S costs are huge, construction passes the cost on for safe working practice, farming cannot.
Maybe H & S can go round farms improving things but the tax man can pay and keep food cheap for the fatty’s

 

[Highland Mule]

I think the farming industry is all for more H & S but there’s one huge problem, H & S costs are huge, construction passes the cost on for safe working practice, farming cannot.
Maybe H & S can go round farms improving things but the tax man can pay and keep food cheap for the fatty’s

Nope, not buying that. You're basically advocating doing something unsafely because you don't want to spend the money. If you can't run a business properly, give up and let somebody who is socially responsible do it instead.

 

[kiwi pom]

I think the farming industry is all for more H & S but there’s one huge problem, H & S costs are huge, construction passes the cost on for safe working practice, farming cannot.
Maybe H & S can go round farms improving things but the tax man can pay and keep food cheap for the fatty’s

Don't agree, there's cowboys in all industries that will save money on H&S in order to put in cheaper quotes for jobs. Companies that do things the right way still go under because they cant compete.

There is currently plenty of farming businesses that spend a lot of time and money on H&S. Do they get more for their produce than someone who completely ignores it? If everyone does there bit, then everyone is at the same level. Get rid of the cowboys.

 

[ARW]

Don't agree, there's cowboys in all industries that will save money on H&S in order to put in cheaper quotes for jobs. Companies that do things the right way still go under because they cant compete.

There is currently plenty of farming businesses that spend a lot of time and money on H&S. Do they get more for their produce than someone who completely ignores it? If everyone does there bit, then everyone is at the same level. Get rid of the cowboys.

Yes I suppose your right I didn’t see it from that point of view

 

[milkloss]

Yes I suppose your right I didn’t see it from that point of view

I understood the fundamental point you were trying to make and agree. Some construction pricing will have a quote for the job and a quote for the health and safety management of said job. That is how the next most dangerous industry to ag handles the situation and I don’t see why we shouldn’t try and copy that method.

 

[roscoe erf]

JESUS f**kING CHRIST

 

[milkloss]

Trying to catch up with some of the stuff we need to do. We have a footpath running through our yard and it’s not realistically possible to separate pedestrians from where machinery might be working. Footpath actually goes through an alleyway inside a building where cattle get fed/bedded for example.

What would be the ‘best effort’ in preventing an accident without moving the footpath or the building? I know long term one of those things should happen but assuming this won’t happen before our visit what do you think we should do? A temporary ‘no pedestrian access’ sign for 15 mins maybe that could be deployed whilst work is being carried out?

 

[theboytheboy]

It's a complete joke that we can't move footpaths around farmyards. And to the edge of fields etc

 

[Ffermer Bach]

It's a complete joke that we can't move footpaths around farmyards. And to the edge of fields etc

big issue with footpaths and fields, yards, buildings. I think our MP's need to look at the issue and actually govern, instead of virtue signal, I think farmers should fence off footpaths from stock, but also be able to easily re route footpaths to enable this to happen. This would make the countryside far safer for walkers and owners. Of course if a footpath is fenced off, it will soon become overgrown with brambles, who I wonder is responsible for clearing these, I believe it is the local council

 

[Ukjay]

If everyone does there bit, then everyone is at the same level. Get rid of the cowboys.

But in a world where there is always someone willing to undercut you just to make the sale, will we ever get rid of cowboys... Very doubtful imho.

 

[ollie989898]

Trying to catch up with some of the stuff we need to do. We have a footpath running through our yard and it’s not realistically possible to separate pedestrians from where machinery might be working. Footpath actually goes through an alleyway inside a building where cattle get fed/bedded for example.

What would be the ‘best effort’ in preventing an accident without moving the footpath or the building? I know long term one of those things should happen but assuming this won’t happen before our visit what do you think we should do? A temporary ‘no pedestrian access’ sign for 15 mins maybe that could be deployed whilst work is being carried out?

Surely in that instance talking to the local footpath people and suggesting an alternative route would be best? Yes you will have to provide a better footpath (Ie hardcore?) than the existing version but getting folk away from your yard is surely better for all concerned?

 

[bitwrx]

In the last 18 months we've had contractors turn up here with no PTO guard twice (different outfits), and broken u bolts on a trailer axle. A proper trailer mind, a few yr old Bailey, with air brakes. Not that they were using the air brakes. Apparently, it wore out the brakes too much. This is the same outfit that had a man die at work in a preventable accident within the last decade.

Frankly, some parts of the industry need a bit of a kicking from the HSE.

(Before anyone asks, yes I would happily pay the 20p/hr, or whatever a PTO guard or some decent pre-work checks cost. Not that it should be extra. It should already be worked into the price!)

 

[Robt]

we really do need a change of attitude in our industry. If we dont do it voulterrily then it will be imposed at a high cost! farmers of all ages and experience are dying each year so the ''common sense'' approach isnt working..

 

[Wooly]

we really do need a change of attitude in our industry. If we dont do it voulterrily then it will be imposed at a high cost! farmers of all ages and experience are dying each year so the ''common sense'' approach isnt working..

When you look at the statistics of Agriculture deaths, it shows half of all deaths were people over 60 and about a quarter of them over 70 when most other industries workers would be long retired.

7 out of 39 were members of the public, mostly walking on footpaths. If that isn't a reason to sort out of re-routing a few paths, if H and S were really serious about tackling the issue.

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

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