Pedestrians in farmyard, H & S.

[Grass And Grain]

This is something i worry about.

I want to be safe, and I want to be compliant with H & S rules, but not certain how to achieve this.

There was a sad case a couple of months ago (thread on here somewhere, but i can't find it), here's another link...

https://www.itv.com/news/border/201...100-000-after-death-of-partially-deaf-worker/

So, i start to think about my own farmyard. Tractors and telehandlers moving about into the farmyard, in the yard, between several different buildings, with a whole plethora of potentially different routes.

At the same time we are walking about the farmyard. Again, we are likely to be walking in a whole manner of different directions between different buildings.

What can be done to make us all safe and compliant with the law?

At the moment, our policy is that pedestrians give way to machinery and get out of the way. The reasoning being, that the tractor/telehandler driver won't always see or hear the pedestrian, but the pedestrian would hear/see the machine.

Just not certain that that would stand up if there was an accident.

 

[7610 super q]

Not having public footpaths through the middle of the yard would help.

 

[Tarw Coch]

Your present policy sounds like common sense, unfortunately that won’t stand up in court.
I don’t know what the correct answer is but I suspect it won’t be practical.

 

[samsung]

Yes. Its time footpaths chamged . We had a case near us , rambler knocked down and died.
We have a footpath right through our yard.
Wrote to our MP , about getting it moved. Very costly and no help from authority .
We do have a permitted alternative route, which we can encourage people to take.S

 

[Exfarmer]

I would think for a start placing signs on the footpath, warning of an extremely busy working farmyard, beware large machinery, please wear Hi vis . Also advise removing headphones while passing through. dogs must be on lead and children under very close supervision. Do not make it threatening as you will soon be told to remove it.

 

[Gordy1]

Would it be possibly to erect temporary barriers up while machines are operating like they do in diy stores, ( do not enter machinery operating)

 

[Lincs Lass]

Seen many farms and business that have a dedicated entrance for pedestrians ,reps ,postie and everybody else ,No unauthorized entry signs ,, even escort visitors around and supply them with a hazzy vest if need be

 

[Formatted]

ERIC PD is the Health and Safety mnemonic

• Eliminate - Can you stop people from walking across?
• Reduce - Can you reduce the amount of people walking across?
• Isolate - If you can't stop them from walking across, can you create a safe walking area that is protected via fence or barrier around the edge of the yard?
• Control - Can you sign post safe walking areas? You should put up warning signs, complaint with legislation about vehicle movements. Can you put beepers on all machinery regardless of direction of travel, to be turned on in the yard?
• Personal Protective Equipment - Not really possible with public
• Discipline - Give everyone a bullocking who doesn't follow the signs, safe walking area or an employee doesn't use warning buzzer.

Important that whatever you do, you write it down. You do a risk assessment, show what hazards you have seen and you document what you have done to control them. You should have records of training you have provided your staff and copies of their driving licenses. When/if an accident does happen you can show the HSE you have done your best to control the hazard.

 

[Grass And Grain]

Useful post @Formatted . Thank you.

A real headache for people who have a public footpath through the yard (Hadn't even thought of that problem).

Just ourselves is what i meant, when i used the word pedestrians.

I just don't see barriers or pedestrian routes as practical when we need to walk all over the place.

We certainly need the training and written record of it.

 

[milkloss]

I’m going to be the moaner on this one. We have two yards each on a different level, stock are kept on both levels and a good tarmac road between the two (200 yards). We have a footpath that enters at one end past the access to the top lot, follows the road and through an alley way where cattle have mangers and out to the field. This involves walking past the open face of three silage pits and through the only two field close enough to do calving in with easy access to the crush/yards.

Cattle are fed/bedded with machine, straw/silage/sh1t is all moved with a telehandlerpossibky with three quadrant bales in the grab at times.

Reckon we ought to give up and grow houses!

 

[Princess Pooper]

I’m going to be the moaner on this one. We have two yards each on a different level, stock are kept on both levels and a good tarmac road between the two (200 yards). We have a footpath that enters at one end past the access to the top lot, follows the road and through an alley way where cattle have mangers and out to the field. This involves walking past the open face of three silage pits and through the only two field close enough to do calving in with easy access to the crush/yards.

Cattle are fed/bedded with machine, straw/silage/sh1t is all moved with a telehandlerpossibky with three quadrant bales in the grab at times.

Reckon we ought to give up and grow houses!

similar to us, footpath straight through stackyard where all machinery & bales are stored, all youngstock yarded, fed,bedded every day in winter, path is on a diagonal between forage/machinery and sheds. We have to move cows and newborns from there and run youngstock in and out of sheds.

 

[roscoe erf]

I would think for a start placing signs on the footpath, warning of an extremely busy working farmyard, beware large machinery, please wear Hi vis . Also advise removing headphones while passing through. dogs must be on lead and children under very close supervision. Do not make it threatening as you will soon be told to remove it.

so are you not admitting that you know about the hazard and other than signage have done nothing to mitigate it ?

 

[rusty]

We managed to get the footpath through our yard diverted just after F and M in 2001. Took about 3 years and was very burocratic . Rights of way officer was bloody useless , the type not capable of getting a job in the private sector because they would be quickly sacked!

 

[ollie989898]

You dont need a barrier just yellow lines on the floor for pedestrians. If they stray from that area its on them.
You all have public liability insurance anyway.

 

[Grass And Grain]

Found this...

http://www.hse.gov.uk/workplacetransport/separating.htm

Dont think it is easy to apply to a farmyard, but had better give it a go.

 

[Grass And Grain]

You dont need a barrier just yellow lines on the floor for pedestrians. If they stray from that area its on them.
You all have public liability insurance anyway.

Our yard is a mixture of hardcore and mud!

 

[Formatted]

You dont need a barrier just yellow lines on the floor for pedestrians. If they stray from that area its on them.

What happens if a vehicle strays into your lane? You should have safe zones in areas where vehicles and people mix. You could have a run-away trailer or a bad driver.

Dont think it is easy to apply to a farmyard, but had better give it a go.

Are farms not work places? Why do farmers think they are except from guidance?

 

[Bongodog]

This is something i worry about.

I want to be safe, and I want to be compliant with H & S rules, but not certain how to achieve this.

There was a sad case a couple of months ago (thread on here somewhere, but i can't find it), here's another link...

https://www.itv.com/news/border/201...100-000-after-death-of-partially-deaf-worker/

So, i start to think about my own farmyard. Tractors and telehandlers moving about into the farmyard, in the yard, between several different buildings, with a whole plethora of potentially different routes.

At the same time we are walking about the farmyard. Again, we are likely to be walking in a whole manner of different directions between different buildings.

What can be done to make us all safe and compliant with the law?

At the moment, our policy is that pedestrians give way to machinery and get out of the way. The reasoning being, that the tractor/telehandler driver won't always see or hear the pedestrian, but the pedestrian would hear/see the machine.

Just not certain that that would stand up if there was an accident.

The problem I see with your policy is that it relies on the potentially vulnerable pedestrian to avoid the machinery, what if the pedestrian is distracted or even hard of hearing ? Really it needs machinery drivers to be able to see where they are going.

 

[Grass And Grain]

The problem I see with your policy is that it relies on the potentially vulnerable pedestrian to avoid the machinery, what if the pedestrian is distracted or even hard of hearing ? Really it needs machinery drivers to be able to see where they are going.

I suppose this is one of the problems with telehandlers, rear and side view vision is difficult for the driver. In fact, sometimes front view vision is obscured with big bales if you are carrying the load at a low centre of gravity.

This is one of the practical reasons why i think it is a good policy for the onus to be on the pedstrian member of staff to keep out of the way. Pedestrian crossings might seem good on paper, but where telehandlers and lack of driver vision is an issue, then I'm coming to the conclusion that pedestrian rights of way are not only no good, but even dangerous!

Just trying to think about the whole situation.

 

[tepapa]

Are farms not work places? Why do farmers think they are except from guidance?

Yes farms are work places so why do the GP think they have a right to wonder through a farm yard just because the previous generations created a path to walk to church/the shop . In today's standards it should be mandatory to divert footpaths around farm yards not be a three year paper head ache. Time for our government to start making its own laws again.