UFU fully supports new targeted farm safety visits
Tuesday 23 October 2012 - UFU Farm Family Health and Safety Roadshow at AFBI, Hillsborough. UFU deputy president Barclay Bell and Arlene Foster MLA, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment, look over an activity book aimed at teaching children about farm safety on the Health and Safety Executive NI stand. Picture: Cliff Donaldson
HEALTH and Safety Executive supported by the UFU and DARD will begin a targeted campaign of farm safety visits at the beginning of November in an attempt to address the increase in farm fatalities currently affecting the industry.
UFU Deputy President Barclay Bell said: “The advisory farm safety visits from the Health and Safety Executive are an ideal opportunity for farm businesses to scrutinise the safety of their farm. The HSENI team will visit at least 1000 farms in an attempt to highlight any dangers and provide practical assistance to help improve safety around the farm. The UFU would like to re-iterate the need to make farm safety a priority and encourage farmers who receive a visit to actively and positively engage with HSENI with the aim of reducing, and hopefully bringing to a halt work related deaths on our farms.”
The HSENI team will be focusing their efforts on reminding farmers to stop and think safe before starting any job on the farm. During the visits the HSENI team will be looking at the four main causes of farm fatalities represented by the theme SAFE. The following farm safety checklist will be covered during the farm safety visits:
Slurry-storage and mixing
l Are all children and all animals kept out of the area?
l Are all doors and windows open?
l Are tank openings properly covered?
l Remember! Start the mixer and stay out of the building for as long as possible, at least 30 minutes.
Animals - work with livestock
l Are there proper cattle handling facilities which are regularly maintained?
Is there a properly designed bull pen (for dairy breed bulls)?
Are gates and fences regularly checked and maintained?
l Can I use a vehicle (to act as a refuge) when checking grazing livestock?
l Remember! All bulls and any female animal with young are potentially dangerous.
Falls - work at heights around the farm
l Have I got the right equipment for the job?
l Can I access the area safely?
l Are ladders securely footed and tied?
l Remember! Don’t go onto a fragile or corroded roof; you can fall through as well as off the roof.
Equipment- Is it safe and ready for use
l Are all guards in place, in good condition and regularly maintained?
l Do the PTO shaft guards cover the whole shaft?
l Are brakes and steering in good repair?
l Are mirrors clean and in place to ensure all round visibility?
l Remember! Some machines have more than one source of power – isolate any electrical, hydraulic or pneumatic systems before working on the machine.
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