Steps to improve farm safety are often simple and inexpensive, so try to find at least one example below that you could apply on your farm.
- NFU Council member for Essex, Robert Stacey, recently attended a pre-harvest safety workshop organised by NFU Mutual with employees and a neighbour. Robert found the three-hour session a timely of what can go wrong on farm at this time of year and thought it was well-presented with some thought-provoking videos.
- NFU Council member for Derbyshire, Andrew Wood, takes a little time before undertaking any task on farm to consider whether or not the task can be completed safely and what the dangers are to him and others. Andrew encourages his employees to do the same and take their personal safety seriously.
- NFU Crops Board Chairman, Tom Bradshaw, holds an annual pre-harvest health and safety briefing for all staff as a reminder of the risks involved and actions that can be taken to mitigate them. Tom also ensures that all of his employees wear high-vis clothing when on farm and keeps a bowser filled and a cultivator ready on the tractor in case of fire.
- NFU Council member for Nottinghamshire, Andrew Baugh, is going to fit a white board in his staff room and build a risk assessment each week with all having the opportunity to contribute.
- NFU Council member for Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, Jeff Powell, insists that all employees take a proper lunch break to rest and recharge, especially at this time of year. Jeff has also checked the brakes and lights of all tractors and trailers and rectified any problems. Anyone working alone on Jeff’s farm must also carry a mobile phone with them.
- NFU Council member for Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and Rutland, Chris Parker, asks all employees to set their watches five minutes ahead of time and start the working day five minutes early. Chris says this reminds everyone that they have five minutes to stay safe whenever they look at their watch.
Be sure to keep checking this page as it will be updated as and when we receive more examples from our members.
If you are an NFU member and would like to share an example of what you are already doing to improve farm safety, please email aWFuLmx1ZGdhdGVAbmZ1Lm9yZy51aw== with a brief explanation.