Things that would improve farm safety ?

[Mydexta]

Is a part of the problem the fact that nowadays so much is done by so few so quickly???

everything is bigger and needs to be worked faster and folk can’t or don’t have time to stop???

 

[Clive]

Is a part of the problem the fact that nowadays so much is done by so few so quickly???

everything is bigger and needs to be worked faster and folk can’t or don’t have time to stop???

so maybe we need rules that MAKE us stop .? Hence my suggestion re max working hours in a 48hr period and 1 mandatory day off per week ?

 

[nonemouse]

dont use PTO on such implements ? Our trailed sprayer is hydraulic so it’s possible

One of our tractors will do several hundred hours a year, with no operator present, slurry mixer pump, roller mill, mobile drier and emergency generator, are you going to outlaw all these machines ?

I think the mandatory 1 day off a week would finish most small/medium livestock farms off.

 

[johnb5555]

Deaths
agriculture-fatal-injuries-1920.pdf (hse.gov.uk)

Injuries
agriculture (hse.gov.uk)

 

[melted welly]

I want to try and figure out a rota scheme for time off, so we all get a fair share of time off.

It would involve buy in from all involved, as some are protective over “their” jobs, some seem to have the monopoly on time off and some don’t want to do stuff that’s “not my job”.

In my idealistic vision we have a rotation of working late/weekends etc, which includes me in it, total hours worked remain similar, but individuals hours reduce.

one day I’ll work it out.

Agree about the old farmers and machinery, they just get dangerous, whether always they’ve always behaved that way or get more lackadaisical and carefree as they get closer to their natural demise I don’t know.

 

[Dry Rot]

I can’t recall EVER having a HSE visit

I can't recall EVER mentioning A&E in my post! (That'll be youth rushing in without looking again!).

 

[Hilly]

I think it’s probably very linked to the poor safety record agriculture has though sadly

Lack of money in the job for so many decades has developed money saving make do mend etc mentality which sometime s is ok sometimes dangerous but would take lots of proffit and time to change that mentality, it’s engrained is us all just some more than others perhaps .

 

[betweenthelines]

A decent price for our produce would cut accidents by 90%.
OK, so 10% would still cut corners if they were millionaires.
No other industry rushes continually to beat the weather that I can think of....

Can you provide any figures to confirm that the accident rate in farming moves in line with farm profitability?

No.............because you are talking bollox

 

[betweenthelines]

And for those running a business ...?

Farmers ran businesses before mobile phones were invented

Again, you are talking rubbish.

 

[Jam Tomorrow]

Farmers ran businesses before mobile phones were invented

Again, you are talking rubbish.

That’s not worth a serious response

 

[simmy_bull]

Its not a question of money per se, but money brings corporatism, and corporatism brings H&S. Its noticeable that the vast majority of farm fatalities are owner occupier/workers or family members, not paid third party employees. Most other dangerous industries do not have the owner being the manager and the worker. They have shareholders, paid management and paid employees. Farming can't afford that and is not profitable enough to attract the large corporations to buy up farm land and take over, which they would do if there was more money in it. Farming survives as a peasant activity, and as such has the peasant attitude to H&S - it'll be alright, I've done it like that for years.

The other thing as I keep banging on about is to enforce a strict retirement age for farming of 60. If you are caught working on a farm after that age you would be committing a criminal offence and would be prosecuted. You could own the farm, and/or be a business partner, but not be involved in the day to day management or working thereof. That would cut more than half the farming deaths in an instant. It would also mean that farming lost the awful mantra 'One day son this will all be yours' that elderly tyrants hold over their sons (and daughters). If they HAD to retire at 60 the next generation would get a chance. Or there would be lots more farms available to rent for younger entrants. Either way it would be a Good Thing. And I speak as someone aged 50..........

Not a chance. If they weren’t allowed to work they would rule from the kitchen table with a rod of iron. Or just keep the cheque book close to hand to keep an eye on it.
Or maybe they would just come outside and see what’s happening without actually “working”!

 

[Bloders]

Another vote for Education here.
However, to do the topic any justice at all, you need to review the statistics from past farm accidents. Catergorise them, and then work on that.

 

[7610 super q]

Can you provide any figures to confirm that the accident rate in farming moves in line with farm profitability?

No.............because you are talking bollox

Either you get it, or you don't. Either you want an adult conversation about causes of farm accidents or you don't.

 

[Hilly]

Ban limousin and Saler cattle and save lives .

 

[bigw]

Statistically its the older generation that are more liable to have a fatal accident so perhaps mandatory early retirement! There is generally a really poor mentality to H&S of farms.

 

[betweenthelines]

1. People who operate machinery should be subject to the same working hours regs as lorry drivers (oddly enough bus driver regs are less strict than those of lorry drivers)

2. Every farmer and farm worker should be required to attend 1 day's Health and Safety Awareness per year.

3. The biggest problem for H & S in farming is attitude -can't afford it, haven't got time, only idiots have accidents, I've never had an accident-etc. etc. Until that changes nothing will get better.

 

[Goweresque]

Not a chance. If they weren’t allowed to work they would rule from the kitchen table with a rod of iron. Or just keep the cheque book close to hand to keep an eye on it.
Or maybe they would just come outside and see what’s happening without actually “working”!

If that was ending up being the case make it more draconian then - no being a farming business partner after 60. If you own a farm over the age of 60 you must rent it to someone else on a tenancy, you must have no control over the farming activity on the land. It wouldn't even have to be done via criminal law, you could just make the tax so high on elderly farming partners they would have to give up, they couldn't afford to continue.

 

[e5c0rt.mk1]

If that was ending up being the case make it more draconian then - no being a farming business partner after 60. If you own a farm over the age of 60 you must rent it to someone else on a tenancy, you must have no control over the farming activity on the land. It wouldn't even have to be done via criminal law, you could just make the tax so high on elderly farming partners they would have to give up, they couldn't afford to continue.

Might as well just shoot them while you're at it.

 

[JeepJeep]

1. People who operate machinery should be subject to the same working hours regs as lorry drivers (oddly enough bus driver regs are less strict than those of lorry drivers)

Service bus drivers are totally different despite what any think they know all about everything says. Domestic rules can be an accident waiting to happen. Done enough rotas schedules etc to know the ins and outs and keeping it legal.

 

[Salopian_Will]

Judging by a lot of the comments on the telehandler ticket thread, which is currently ongoing, I would add a further vote to education. We need a change in mindset to ensure there is a moment's thought about the risk before tackling the task, rather than press on regardless.

I wouldn't necessarily say that it is a case of lack of profitability or rushing that causes the current mindset but a 'can do' attitude, which is also a farmers' greatest strength.