When it comes to farm healthy condition and safety risk assessments, it is
important to be proactive about the health and safety aspects of your farm
business and surroundings. All accidents can be avoided if the risks are
properly managed. In order for you
to identify and so avoid accidents on your farm, it is vital to undertake a
risk assessment. This will enable you to see which areas of your farm pose the
greatest risk to health and safety. Once you have identified and clarified these
potential risks, you can then take practical steps to avoid accidents.
The management of health and safety at
work regulations require that all employers or the self-employed assess their
own risk, and the risk to anyone working for them regarding their working
environment. The law requires you to take all reasonably practicable steps to
avoid accidents in the workplace.
This does not mean that you are
required to completely eliminate all health and safety risks on your farm, but
rather that you take all steps that are reasonably practical to ensure you and
your staffs work in a safe environment. This means practicing sensible risk
management and introducing controls that are proportionate to the risks.
Buildings health and safety in the farm
Because of the nature of farming and
the potential hazards that a typical farm may present, the Department for
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has also worked in partnership with the HSE
to develop guidance for all farmers.
You
as a farmer should;
- Be certain that all buildings are kept in good repair and that floors are not overloaded, especially in feed lofts
- Provide handrails on stairs and ramps where needed
- Make sure there are safety hoops or rest stages on long vertical fixed ladders
- Keep all workshops tidy
- Equip inspection pits with accessible escape routes and cover pits when not in use
- Provide adequate lighting and replace any old lights
- Ensure there is good drainage and non-slip flooring for wet areas
Confined spaces in the farm
The farming workplace can provide a
number of confined spaces like fuel storage tanks, grain silos and slurry pits
and so on. These can present numerous risks that include drowning, asphyxiation
and toxic gases. Accidents in confined spaces often result in multiple loss of
life. To avoid any risks, you as a farmer should;
- Complete any work from outside the space whenever possible
- Enter confined spaces only when absolutely necessary and then only with adequate ventilation and after having tested that the atmosphere is safe for entry
- Fully assess the risks and decide on what control measures are necessary before entering a confined space
- Plan for emergencies including arrangements for rescue
- Be sure that sumps, slurry tanks, reception pits and spaces under slatted floors are properly ventilated and tested before entering
Construction in the farm
Any new buildings that are constructed
in the farm, or that undergo significant modifications, must be undertaken in
accordance with the Construction which is the design and management Regulations
taking account of the relevant standards. Your local authority will have
building inspectors that can advise whether planning permission and building
regulations may apply to your proposed building work in the farm. If you are
constructing a steel-framed building, these have a higher risk of collapse
during their building process. You will need to take special precautions for
this work.
Farm building roofs
Most farm buildings have a fragile
roof. They were designed to keep the weather out, and not to bear weight.
Fragile roofs should never be walked across unless suitable means to do so are
in place to prevent injury from a fall. Once you have determined that work
needs to be done, you will have to plan and carry out a risk assessment before
work can begin in the farm. Decide if you have the skills needed to do this
work safely, then select and use suitable access equipment. Any staging
equipment or scaffolding must meet correct specifications.
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