Health and Safety on a Farm
All employers with three or more employees must prepare a safety statement as it is a legal requirement under the 2005 Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act. However, if there are fewer then 3 employees, then a Risk Assessment will suffice.
A Safety Statement is a working document detailing with how health and safety issues are addressed in the workplace. However, there is a requirement on the employer it keep it to date.
A Risk Assessment is a list of all hazards and the their associated control measures in place to reduce the risk of accident occurring.
Preparing and implementing a Code of Practice will help reduce the risk of both minor and serious accidents from occurring on the farm. This may in turn lead to a reduction in insurance costs. In the event of an accident occurring, having proof that a code of practice has been implemented will reduce the level of liability that the farmer is exposed to, and it may provide protection against compensation claims.
However for a Risk Assessment or a Safety Statement to be of any use, family members and other people who work on the farm must be aware of its contents, and it must always be up to date.
Farmers take short cuts with regard to farm safety in order to reduce costs. Putting in place all the required safeguards can cost a lot of money, and in addition it takes time to sort out.
These days a large proportion of farmers have full time jobs, and only have limited time in the evening to do the typical farm tasks. As a result, measures to ensure that the farm is a safe place to work tend to slip down the list of priorities, and may not be done at all. In addition, a large proportion of farmers are the older generation, and as a result they have dangerous habits, and do not tend to use Personal Protective Equipment.
Health and Safety is too important to be put on the long finger. All necessary precautions should be taken as an accident only takes a split-second to occur.
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