Legislation and responsibilities

Employers must safeguard, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of their employees and others who may be affected by the work activity.

Applies to all people at work including the self employed – including farmers and farm employees, contractors, visitors, vets and family workers.

To protect the health, safety and welfare of staff – to provide a safe workplace

Most are subject to “so far as is reasonably practicable” i.e. the protection must be worth the cost

To provide and maintain safe equipment and safe systems of work

Safe use, handling, storage and transport of articles and substances

Provide information, instruction, training and supervision

(if there are 5 or more staff)◦ Provide a written safety policy◦ Carry out risk assessments in writing◦ provide a health and safety law poster entitled

“Health and Safety law: What you should know” displayed in a prominent position and containing details of the enforcing authority.

(“employee” includes part-time, unpaid and family workers )

◦To take care of themselves and others

◦To follow safety advice and instructions

◦Not interfere with any safety device

◦To report accidents

◦To report hazards and risks

All accidents and all incidents of ill-health (caused from work) should be recorded

Accidents include those that resulted in injury or damage and “near misses” – those which COULD have resulted in injury or damage

Some accidents, incidents and illnesses have to be reported to the Health and Safety Executive HSE -These include:

accidents that cause an employee to be off sick for three days or more,

Following a work accident he/she is admitted to hospital for 24 hours or more;

serious injuries; i.e Fracture, unconscious, amputation certain work related illnesses (e.g repetitive strain) accidents to non-employees if they are taken to

hospital from the scene of the accident (even if they are discharged straight away.

Who is recording the information

Who was hurt (or nearly hurt)◦ Name, status (farmer, worker, contractor)

Where and When did it happen (or nearly happen)

If injured◦ What is the injury◦ What caused the injury (Hit, fall, gas, animal attack)

Account of the accident – as factual as possible with any information from witnesses

Employers ◦ must protect employees whilst at work and

provide suitable supervision and training◦ May have to provide written risk assessments

and safety policy

Employees must work safely without risking yourself or others

The law applies to everyone at work and anyone can be prosecuted if they do not act safely

You must report accidents

A risk assessment is simply a careful examination of what, in your work, could cause harm to people, so that you can weigh up whether you have taken sufficient precautions or should do more to prevent harm.

Focus on most significant risk first

Hazard◦is anything that may cause harm, such as

chemicals, electricity, working from ladders, animals, animal faeces, vehicles, machinery etc;

Risk◦is the chance, high or low, that somebody

could be harmed by these and other hazards, together with an indication of how serious the harm could be.

1. Identify the hazards

2. Decide who might be harmed and how

3. Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions

4. Record your findings and implement them

5. Review your assessment and update if necessary

Control measures are put in place to protect workers from hazards and risks that have been identified

The hierarchy of controls (next slide)

Employers are allowed to take costs into account and work their way down the list until a suitable solution at reasonable cost has been identified

Elimination◦ Can you avoid using the equipment/material

Substitution◦ Can you use equipment/materials that are safer

Controlling risks at source◦ Putting on guards, moving controls, refuges in

bull pen

Training, instruction and supervision◦ Safe lifting, Sprayer training, warning signs

Personal protective equipment◦ Safety boots, goggles, gloves

Must only be used as a last resort i.e. when no other protection can be provided at reasonable cost

Examples ;◦ Gloves, goggles, hard hats, hearing protectors,

warm clothing (in cold conditions), safety shoes or boots, respirators etc

Operation - Tedding grass Hazard associated with the activity PTO entanglement What is the risk / how likely is it to

happen Medium – not often near the shaft – only

when putting on/off and blockages

How could the risk be reduced – give two examples

Stop tractor before leaving cab taking keys PTO guard in place

What Personal Protective Equipment should be used, if any

None - just avoid loose clothing when working at machine

How could you communicate the message (including signs)

Safety instruction before first use including the need to stop the tractor before leaving the cab

Reminder signs in the cab or on the machine (normally come on the machine – don’t remove)