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Industry: Agriculture

Introduction:

Injuries and illness can ruin lives and businesses. Solutions are often simple and cheap and the people best placed to make farms safer are farmers and their employees.

Health and safety is a fundamental requirement for any business and should be regarded as an essential part of farm business management.

Taking risks is an underlying problem in the industry and those working on their own are especially vulnerable along with children and older farmers.

Ask the Expert here   Resources on this topic can be downloaded here

Key Messages/Current Issues:

  • Machinery/Equipment

    HSENI reminds farmers and contractors of the importance of operating hedge cutters safely on or near the public road. AIS21 gives more information on this issue.

    • The complexity of modern machinery and their use could contribute greatly to incidents on farms.

    • Machinery and equipment must be suitable for the job, maintained so they can be used safely and fitted with the correct guards required by law.

    • Be aware of overhead power lines when using high reach machinery or equipment both in the farm yard and out in the fields.

    • It is illegal for children under the age of 13 years to operate, ride on or drive agricultural machinery. This includes driving tractors and being carried as a passenger.

  • Kids/Older Farmers

    • Children are particularly vulnerable because of their immaturity, lack of awareness of risks, and inexperience.

    • Young children must be well supervised and kept away from places where vehicles are moving. A segregated play area is essential where children live close to a working farm yard.

    • As we get older our reactions are slower which will have an effect on our response time, this is crucial when in certain situations


    View the Stay Farm Safe Microsite

    Advice Visiting Open Farms

  • Livestock

    • All bulls should be ringed

    • Housed bulls should be kept in a properly designed bull pen

    • Cull aggressive bulls before it’s too late

    • Handle freshly calved cows with great care

    • Safe, well designed facilities are essential for testing livestock

    • Releasing housed livestock in spring is a high risk activity

    • Where possible check grazing livestock from a safe distance or use a vehicle as a refuge

Key Legislation

The Health and Safety at Work (Northern Ireland) Order 1978 (HSW Order)

The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000

The Agriculture (Safety of Children and Young Persons) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006

The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999

Please note that these links are to the original legislation on the OPSI website, visitors should verify for themselves whether legislation is in force or whether it has been amended or repealed