Farmers urged to stop and think as harvest season gets underway

E63:09 4 August 2009

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is urging all farmers to take care as the 2009 harvest gets underway.

In the past five years, 82 workers suffered fatal injuries between July and October, with deaths during these four months accounting for almost half of all deaths in agriculture since 2004/05.

The warning comes as HSE gears up to begin the next phase in its campaign to raise awareness of the dangers in agriculture in a bid to reduce death and injury.

The 'Make the promise. Come home safe' campaign, which launched in November 2008, generated almost 7000 supportive responses from farmers.

HSE's head of safety for agriculture, Alan Plom said:

"Farm work is one of the UK's most dangerous ways to make a living and never is this more evident than during harvest when farmers are working to immense time pressures. There is always the temptation to cut corners when it comes to safety.

"Our message to farmers is to stop and think. Stopping a machine and making sure it comes to a standstill costs nothing more than a few seconds of time. Those seconds may prevent an injury that lasts a life time.

For a safer harvest season, farmers can take some simple measures:

• One in eight handbrakes on tractors are defective. They are easy to check and generally simple to adjust. It is best done now before the harvest period reaches its peak.
• Before you attempt to clear a blockage on a machine make sure it is brought to a complete stop, the handbrake applied and the engine shut off - every time.
• Check that the guards covering dangerous parts of machinery like chains and sprockets, vee belts and pulley drives are in place on all your machines, including augers and graders.
• Deaths and injuries happen when people are rushing to get the job done and trying to make up time after bad weather conditions or breakdowns. Take a few seconds before you act.

Farmwise, a free, comprehensive guide to managing health and safety in agriculture.

Is available in English or Welsh, at www.hse.gov.uk/languages/welsh/index.htm

For more general information visit www.hse.gov.uk/agriculture/index.htm

Notes to editors

1. In the five year period from 2004/05 to 2008/09 there were 82 deaths during the harvest period (July-October) out of a total of 184 deaths. Not all of the harvest period deaths were the result of harvest activities - some were related to livestock and forestry or other activities.
2. HSE is working closely with the industry to help it reduce the number of work-related deaths and injuries. HSE produces health and safety guidance for farmers, organises free health and safety awareness days, provides information and advice through farm visits, by telephone and at agriculture shows. It also monitors the health and safety performance of the industry and, where necessary, takes enforcement action against employers who endanger lives.

For more information on HSE myths please visit http://www.hse.gov.uk/myth/index.htm

Press enquiries

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