Agriculture E-bulletin – Issue No. 5

Welcome to the fifth edition of HSE’s Agriculture E-bulletin.

The aim of the E-bulletin is to provide you with a free regular update of news and information from the Health & Safety Executive, keeping you informed of the latest issues affecting agriculture and it’s associated industries.

Below, you will find brief information on a number of topics or issues, each linking to more detailed articles on our website – simply click on the article’s title to read the full text or to access the linked documents.

We plan on issuing futher E-bulletin’s on a quarterly basis and would also welcome any suggestions/contributions for future articles.

Working in the UK from Overseas?

Your health and safety at work in agriculture and food processing - HSE has produced a new leaflet, in the form of a pocket card, aimed at migrant workers which provides basic and essential information on their rights and responsibilities under UK health and safety legislation.

Mechanical condition of agricultural vehicles

A research project jointly funded by HSE and DfT (Department for Transport) has been completed and the report is available from the HSE website. The research confirms that agricultural vehicles need to be maintained in better condition.

Revised leaflet - "Why fall for it? Preventing falls in agriculture"

The leaflet ‘Why fall for it? Preventing falls in agriculture’ has been revised to take account of the requirements of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and includes an update on the duties under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007.

Cattle and public access

Each year there are a number of incidents where members of the public are injured by cattle, sometimes fatally. Two information sheets are available from the HSE website, AIS17EN Cattle and public access in England & Wales [40kb] and AIS17S Cattle and public access in Scotland [40kb] . These have been revised recently to take account of the differences in open access legislation between regions. These guidance notes suggest reasonably practicable measures that can be taken to reduce the risk to the public, particularly where bulls or newly calved cattle are grazed.

Training and qualifications in health and safety now eligible for CPD points

A new suite of health and safety qualifications aimed at reducing the level of accidents and ill health in the industry are now available. Working closely with HSE, awarding bodies NPTC and Lantra Awards have produced this unique package targeting agriculture and horticulture.

Lone working – prosecution following death to a gamekeeper

A 53-year old gamekeeper, sustained serious injuries to his pelvis when the quad bike he was driving overturned on a slope. However, his absence was not detected until 52 hours later, at which point a search was initiated and his body found some 200 yards from the scene of the accident. The estate’s trustees were recently prosecuted by HSE and fined £3,000.

Feed blocks – supply of ‘intermediate’ weight products to end

Livestock feed block suppliers have agreed to stop selling intermediate weight feed block products by 1 January 2009. The move comes about following discussions held between a Working Group of the Agricultural Industries Confederation’s (AIC) Premixture and Mineral Feed Committee and the Health and Safety Executive.

Forestry update

A campaign of forestry inspections have just been completed in Scotland, Wales and the North East of England. Although standards on site were generally favourable, a number of issues did arise where managers and contractors felt uncertain of their legal and practical roles and responsibilities.

Forestry leaflet – AFAG 804 ‘Electricity at Work: Forestry & Arboriculture’

The Arboriculture & Forestry Advisory Group (AFAG) have recently agreed a revision to leaflet AFAG 804 ‘Electricity at work: Forestry and arboriculture’. The change relates to the guidance given in paragraph 20 of the leaflet which gives advice on timber extraction operations near overhead power lines.

Safety and Health Awareness Days (SHADs)

HSE has announced that it is to continue the successful series of Farming, Forestry and Arboriculture Client SHADs in 2007/08. These are based on practical demonstrations by experienced industry trainers, illustrating basic cost-effective precautions to avoid the most common causes of injury and ill health.