During the event we heard from the Police on road safety compliance expectations, the HSE on safety, and a leading agricultural contractor on how farmers can work better together for safety and efficiency.听
More than 200听members registered for the event which featured:
- NFU Deputy President Stuart Roberts
- Avon and Somerset Police Road Safety Officer听 Dan Cox
- NAAC Chair Matt Redman
- H.M. Inspector of Health and Safety from the听HSE听Agricultural Policy team听Eve Macready -Jones.
NFU Deputy President Stuart Roberts, who chaired the event, highlighted the importance of looking out for each other throughout the harvest season. He said:
鈥淗arvest is one of the busiest periods in the farming calendar. This often means we鈥檙e tired and stressed, so it is absolutely critical that we, and our employees, take extra care when it comes to safety.
鈥淚t鈥檚 also vital that we look out for each other. While it might be uncomfortable to point out a safety risk to a colleague or friend, we cannot be afraid to highlight where improvements can be made. It may well save a life.
鈥淚t鈥檚 important to recognise that safety does not have to mean a huge investment in time and money 鈥� it is about adopting simple measures, practices and processes that we embed into our everyday work. For example, on my farm we always follow the Safe Stop procedure and always make sure a colleague knows where we are when we are working alone and communicate with them regularly during the working day.鈥�
NAAC Chair Matt Redman said:
鈥淐lear and efficient working between farmers and contractors is so important when it comes to getting the job done quickly and getting it done safely.
鈥淗aving a log of daily checks and maintenance is really useful and regular communication between the farmer and contractor can go a long way to keeping everyone safe. This can include providing information and maps of any hazards, contact details for someone on site for each party and agreeing emergency processes.
鈥淲e also need to ensure that the industry is using social media to encourage safe working rather than normalising and, as we see in some cases, celebrating unsafe activities. Too often we see improper uses of machinery or people using mobile phones on roads being promoted on social media and we need to make this something that is socially unacceptable.鈥�
Farm safety advice leaflets
We've got a range of practical guides covering farm safety topics which include:
- Farm vehicle health check and check list
- Trailer buying guide
- Farm safety focus on transport
- Farm safety focus on machinery
Can-Am is committing to educate new and existing users with seven golden rules as part of its global responsible rider programme:
- 听Always wear the correct personal protective equipment such as a helmet, boots, long sleeve shirt and trousers when out riding.
- 听Prepare an itinerary before setting off and communicate it to the people close to you (colleagues, friends or family).
- 听Follow the recommendations for use that are specified by the manufacturer in the operator鈥檚 guide as well as on the safety labels placed on the vehicle.
- 听Follow maintenance instructions as recommended by the manufacturer.
- 听Inspect the vehicle before use to make sure it is in good working order.
- 听Take along communication devices and breakdown equipment.
- 听Be mindful of the animals you come across and do not damage their natural habitat.