South West Scotland farmers urged to sign up for safety event

Date:

10 November 2009

Release No:

SCO/186/09

Farmers from across Dumfries and Galloway are being encouraged to attend an event that will arm them with the advice they need to make their farms safe places to work and help reduce accidents.

The Health and Safety Executive is running a free Agriculture Safety and Health Awareness Day (SHAD) next week (17-18 November) as a way for those working on farms get practical advice from LANTRA instructors with an industry background.

Farming is still one of the most dangerous occupations in Great Britain with 26 deaths in agriculture in 2008/09 alone.

The Dumfries and Galloway SHAD at Barony Agricultural College, Parkgate takes place over two days, with a choice between a half-day session in the afternoon of Tuesday 17 November or one on the morning of Wednesday 18 November

The sessions will have demonstrations covering the daily hazards that workers in the farming industry face, such as tractor and power take-off shaft safety, handling livestock, using quad bikes safely, manual handling, working at height and the potential risks of handling grain or pesticides.

Free information and guidance will also be available to take home.

HSE health and safety awareness officer, Nikki Jack said: "Any farmer receiving an invitation to this event should make every effort to attend and treat it as a welcome opportunity to improve health and safety in their business.

"HSE is working in partnership with very experienced, well-qualified trainers from LANTRA in running this event and together we aim to provide practical solutions to the health and safety challenges that farmers face."

Registration times for the morning and afternoon sessions are 09.30 - 10.00am and 12.45 - 1.15pm. Invitations have been sent out, but should you have not received one and still wish to attend, please contact Nikki Jack on 07770 822 099.

Notes to editors

1. The Health and Safety Executive is Britain's national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to reduce work-related death, injury and ill health. It does so through research, information and advice; promoting training; new or revised regulations and codes of practice; and working with local authority partners by inspection, investigation and enforcement.
2. Similar events focussing on agricultural, arboriculture and the woodworking industries have been run by the HSE over the last few years. They have been particularly successful in attracting small businesses to learn of the health and safety risks they face every day at work.
3. Information on health and safety and the agricultural sector is available on the HSE website at http://www.hse.gov.uk/agriculture/index.htm
4. For further details of latest HSE statistics in Scotland, see the Summary of statistics of occupational ill health, safety and enforcement 2008/09 at http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/regions/scotland/index.htm

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