During Farm Safety Week (19-23 July), YFCU is urging the farming community to use the appropriate equipment for all jobs, as it might just save a life.
Figures show that farming has the poorest safety record of any occupation in the UK. Far too often injuries and fatalities are caused due to the lack of proper equipment and machinery. HSENI is encouraging the farming community to consider that the cost of a fatality is much more than the cost of using the correct equipment, even if it means hiring additional plant. Falls from height remains one of the main causes of fatalities and major injuries on our farms and many are due to the lack of the proper equipment being used.
HSENI Chief Executive Robert Kidd said: “Falls from height can lead to life-changing injuries or even death. It is important that the equipment used when working from heights is correct, up to the appropriate standard and free from any defects. Hiring the correct equipment can be costly, but it could prove to be a life-saving investment.
“Many of the incidents on our farms are avoidable. I am urging the farming community to consider those risks, carry out a risk assessment, and then, if necessary, hire the proper equipment for the job. It could just save a life.”
You must be suitably competent to work at height and the correct equipment must be used for the job. External scaffolding and internal fall protection must always be implemented if there is a chance someone could fall internally or externally when working on the roof structure.
Further information on working at heights can found on the HSENI website at https://www.hseni.gov.uk/essentials
