Could stopping and thinking before acting save more lives?
With Farm Fatalities rising over 70% in the last 12 months which lets face it is a shocking devastating and worrying statistic and it recently being farm safety awareness week, what can you do to protect yourself, your families and your workers?
This time of year can be exhausting for agricultural workers, with pressure of the weather being somewhat unpredictable and needing to race the clock to get things completed it is understandable sometimes risks can be taken
It is widely acknowledged that farming can be a very dangerous occupation, daily challenges are faced with contributing factors of long hours, fatigue, stress and isolated working conditions in many circumstances.
A quote from a Health and Safety Executive Inspector was hard to ignore….’In 20 plus years of doing his job he had only investigated ONE incident which could not have been genuinely unavoidable’
Quite a statement you will agree?
We all know farms can be hazardous places machinery constantly on the move, feed wagons and milk tankers in and out at all times of the day and night.
By taking the time to read if you haven’t already, or if you have take the time to refresh your memory on things like SAFE STOP when using a farm vehicle could save an incident from happening.
Take a minute to put a helmet on before jumping on a quad bike
No one wants to be thinking if only I did it that way, that may not have happened.
With these incidents on the rise, we can only expect more potential visits from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
Incidentally it was just announced in the Farmers Weekly 3rd May 2021 their costs per hour have risen from £124 to £154 per hour.
Fees For Intervention were introduced in 2012, meaning businesses are charged for the costs of an investigation from the time a material breach is identified to the point when a decision is made on the enforcement action. Farmer’s Weekly estimate that on average, an inspector will spend 6 hours on one investigation. Meaning the average cost of one investigation is £950
At PSP Group, we have access to a product called ‘Rural Protect’ which you may have read about, the product has many features and benefits, one of which is fees for intervention cover which essentially will cover the cost of the HSE Fees if they arrive at your farm for an inspection. Please be aware it will not cover any ‘fine’ costs but it will cover court costs if needed limits will apply.
The policy can be sold in isolation and the premiums start at around £300 per annum, it is very quick and easy for us to obtain a quotation for you, don’t waste any time give us a call today 01566 777710.
