Version No:

1

OG Status:

Fully open

Author Section:

Agriculture & Food Sector

Issue Date:

26.02.09

Review Date:

31.03.10

Target audience:

FOD DIOs, HSAOs and inspectors involved in SHADs

Summary

This SIM outlines the programme of ‘non-farming’, i.e. arboriculture, forestry and aquaculture (fish farming), Safety and health awareness days (SHADs) planned for 2009/10. It provides targeting guidelines and links to guidance for those involved in organising and running SHADs or follow-up visits.

Aim

These ‘non-farming’ SHADs seek to raise awareness of key health and safety issues and promote a climate of culture change amongst their very different target audiences, with the aim of reducing the high incidence rates of fatal and major injuries in these industries.

Justification

SHADs continue to be HSE’s main intervention method in agriculture, including forestry and arboriculture. Research has shown that they are an effective influencing tool and the format, content and target audience is tailored to maximise the impact of the limited programme of events in each industry.  The concept has now been extended to aquaculture (fish farming), in liaison with FOD Scotland. This is the fifth year of the programme for Sector-led arboriculture and forestry SHADs and the second year for aquaculture SHADs.

These ‘non-farming’ SHADs are listed as discretionary work for FOD, under item 15 ‘Forestry’ in Annex 8 in the FOD guidance on planning proactive work.  They are crosscutting, contributing principally to the transport, falls from height and MSD programmes and targets, as well as ill health/disease reduction.

A separate instruction is to be issued for the programme of farming SHADs.  For convenience, a separate combined instruction has been produced covering all 3 types of ‘non-farming’ SHAD, but as the format and target audiences of these SHADs are all very different, specific details on each type of SHAD are given in the following appendices:

• Appendix 1 Arboriculture
• Appendix 2 Forestry
• Appendix 3 Aquaculture

Audience / Industry

The target audience of each of these SHADs differ, reflecting the nature of the industry and current issues:

• Arboriculture SHADs – aimed at ‘clients’ such as local authorities, government departments, public bodies and other organisations, construction companies, etc, employing arborists or managing tree work, eg on parks and estates, highways maintenance, land clearance on roads and building sites.  They are particularly suitable for those responsible for engaging and supervising arboricultural contractors (tree surgeons, etc);
• Forestry SHADs – primarily for forestry works managers, landowners and others managing forestry work sites, eg site safety coordinators, contractors & sub-contractors;
• Aquaculture SHADs - for selected managers and owners of fish farms – Scotland only.

For further information see the relevant appendix.

Messages

The key messages for each of the SHADs have been tailored for the audience/industry involved and are detailed in the relevant appendix.

Activities required

A limited number of SHADs are planned in 2009/10.  These are organised and delivered mainly by the sector.  FOD involvement is ‘discretionary’, but local support would be welcomed to help identify the target audience and raise awareness of events. Follow-up visits could usefully be carried out after arboriculture SHADs e.g. as part of a wider 'contractor management' audit of LAs or other large clients, to help gauge their impact.

No visits to working forestry sites should be carried out by HSE staff unfamiliar with safe working/inspection practices (i.e. have attended an HSE ‘forestry appreciation’ course).

Timing

See relevant Appendix for specific information on each SHAD.

Diversity

Inspectors should be aware of who (in terms of diversity e.g. men, women, disabled etc) is the target group in the sector they are dealing with. Give consideration to, and factor into the approach, any issues that may surround this audience such as literacy issues, English as a second language and disability (access needs).

The Diversity pages give more information on these areas.

Further information and contact

Arboriculture SHADs – Frances Hirst Ag and Food Sector tel 01604 738314 frances.hirst@hse.gsi.gov.uk

Forestry and Aquaculture SHADs – Simon Parry, Ag and Food Sector. tel 01905 743600   
simon.parry@hse.gsi.gov.uk

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