Child Safety on Farms
Since the last Farm Safety Partnership members meeting in April two of the work groups dedicated to looking at the themes identified for DSP activity in 2018/2019 have met.
Children Working Group
The children’s working group meet and identified the following key safety messages that all FSP members are requested to promote and communicate to industry for children under the age of 13.
1. It is illegal for children under the age of 13 years to drive a tractor or other self-propelled agricultural machine http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1998/3262/regulation/3/made
2. It is illegal for children under the age of 13 to ride on agricultural machines. This includes tractors, self-propelled agricultural machines, implements and trailers except if the trailer has adequate means to prevent a child falling.
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1998/3262/regulation/3/made
3. The only way to completely stop children under the age of 13 years from being killed or injured is to keep them out of the farming workplace – for young children his means a secure fenced space to play in.
4. Any access to the workplace e.g. for educational purposes – to increase knowledge and experience - must only be under close one to one adult supervision. The person supervising should not be involved in any work activity
Material to further support these messages is under preparation but will not be ready before the end of the summer holidays.
Falls from height
A meeting of the working group looking at falls from height met on 31 July and the following key messages were identified:
Planned maintenance/repair – for long duration work get a contractor with the right equipment and skills to do the job – if that is not possible and the job is done by the farm:
* Have the right equipment e.g. cherry picker or scaffold tower
* Have the skills and competence to do the job
* use access equipment according to a safe hierarchy:
* No. 1 cherry picker or similar
* Scaffold tower
* Man cage
* Ladders last – if using ladders have robust ladders and use safety aids
Routine short duration jobs/ emergency jobs e.g. changing light bulbs
* Design away the need for routine maintenance wherever possible e.g. fit long life and economical LED lights, have more lights fitted than needed so if one goes it can be left as there is not a pressing need to replace straight away
* Is it really an emergency or can it wait till you have the right equipment
* If it cannot be designed away use access equipment according to a safe hierarchy:
* No. 1 cherry picker or similar
* Scaffold tower
* Man cage
* Ladders last – if using ladders have robust ladders and use safety aids e.g. ladder foot stabilisers
A focus on working at height was agreed at the last members meeting to take place during the Autumn.
FPS members are asked to:
1. use the key messages identified for children and falls from height in communications and contacts they have directly with farmers
2. use the key messages in communications they have with their constituent members and so for onward transmission to farmers
3. be ready to inform fellow FSP members at the next members meeting of
a. actions they have taken in promoting key messages
b. any measurement of impact of promotion