Farm safety
Take care during summer harvest, farmers urged
F
armers and contractors are be- ing urged to take care this har- vest after a year which has seen
34 workers killed on farms. The warning follows an NFU Live
event to discuss how farmers can pre- pare for a safe harvest – both on and off the road. It was held in partnership with the National Association of Agri- cultural Contractors (NAAC). The event was billed as an opportu- nity for farmers to delve into road safe- ty compliance expectations – and fi nd out how contractors can better work with growers to improve safety and ef- fi ciency during harvest.
NFU deputy president Stuart Rob-
erts said: “Harvest is one of the busiest periods in the farming calendar. This often means we’re tired and stressed, so it is absolutely critical that we, and our employees, take extra care when it comes to safety. “It’s also vital that we look out for
each other. While it might be uncom- fortable to point out a safety risk to a colleague or friend, we cannot be afraid to highlight where improvements can be made. It may well save a life.” Long working hours, poorly main- tained trailers pressure to get the job done means there is often an increase in road accidents around harvest-time. Heavily laden trailers driven by inex- perienced casual workers can also be a risk factor.
Mr Roberts said: “While we are re- liant on patient, responsible driving from other road users, we must do what we can to stay safe and legal which can
be as simple as making sure we – or any workers – are not too tired. “It’s important to recognise that safety does not have to mean a huge investment in time and money – it is about adopting simple measures, prac- tices and processes that we embed into our everyday work.”
Working alone
Mr Roberts said staff on his farm were encouraged to follow the Safe Stop pro- cedure, ensure colleagues knew of their whereabouts when working alone and communicate regularly with other em- ployees during the day. NAAC chairman Matt Redman
said: “Clear and effi cient working be- tween farmers and contractors is so im- portant when it comes to getting the job done quickly and getting it done safely. “Having a log of daily checks and maintenance is really useful and regu-
It is absolutely critical that we take extra care
“
A farm safety campaign is highlighting the importance of daily trailer checks harvest – and the need to make sure they are road- worthy.
The #CornCart21 was launched by NFU president Stuart Roberts on behalf of the Tilly Your Trailer farm safety initiative. It is raising awareness of the free Head toTow app, which is available at www.tillypass.
co.uk.
The app gives all farmers, farm workers 60 ANGLIA FARMER •AUGUST 2021
and harvest casuals the opportunity to ac- cess daily machinery checks and operators manuals either from their smartphone or by printing them out and using in a more traditional way.
UK trailer manufacturers have signed up to promote trailer safety since the Head toTow app was launched last year. Campaign founder Jane Gurney said: “There has been a huge uptake by operators looking to safe- guard themselves while towing.
lar communication between the farm- er and contractor can go a long way to keeping everyone safe. This can in- clude providing information and maps of any hazards.” Contact details for someone on site
for each party and emergency process- es should also be agreed, said Mr Red- man. Workers should refrain from us- ing mobile phones while on the move – including celebrating unsafe activi- ties on social media. Mr Redman said: “Too often we see improper uses of machinery or peo- ple using mobile phones on roads be- ing promoted on social media and we need to make this something that is socially unacceptable.”
Health and Safety executive fi gures show that 34 workers were killed on farms in the year to 31 March. The fi g- ure compares with a low of 21 deaths seen in the previous year.
Campaign shows benefit of daily trailer checks
“It would be good to think that all em- ployers had the correct knowledge when it came to farm machinery checks – at both the beginning of a shift when trailers are changed between tractors.”
Ms Gurney started the campaign after
her son Harry suffered fatal injuries in a trailer accident in 2014. She added: “A much wider understanding of the help available must be achieved if we are to see a decrease in farm fatalities at harvest.”
Trailers must be properly maintained and roadworthy to be legal
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