Inspector’s visit brought home the reality of the farm safety message
MAJOR ACHIEVEMENT
IWAS really looking forward to the post, I was expecting my payment notification but when I opened the post box here was a notification to say we were going to have a health and safety inspection.
I had to ring a number on the sheet and when I did he informed me that he would be there in 10 minutes.
I try and have all the paperwork up to date but the yard was very untidy after the harvest and sowing was finished. Many of the bits of broken parts were scattered around the workshop floor.
I was in a panic but I realised that there was very little I could do in such a short period.
The inspector arrived and immediately asked for my safety statement and risk assessment document.
I produced my three folders of paperwork including my certificate of completion of a safety course. I could tell he was surprised with all my safety information.
I asked him was it not normal to have all this paperwork. He replied that he had never seen anyone with so much information. I do have a terrible habit of hoarding but it paid off this time.
Every bit of information I had received on my safety course, from the HSA, the IFA and from various insurance companies all got put in a file.
He was very happy with the paperwork side of things but he had yet to go around the yard. That time came, and instead of the giving out that I thought I was going to get, he gave me really good advice as to how I could make things safer.
The new machinery have all the safety features but the old ones don’t. As long as they were in good working order, had good brakes and a proper U-guard over the PTO he was happy.
We had replaced all the swinging doors with roller doors a few years ago and replaced all overhead lights. I didn’t realise at that time, that having glass lights and bulbs over grain in a shed was a definite no no.
We changed them all to the front of the shed and replaced them plastic fronted fittings.
He seemed happy but agreed that the place needed to be tidied up.
An hour later he was gone and I was relieved. I went inside to have a strong cup of tea and a read of the paper.
The headline was another farm accident. It stopped me in my tracks.
I might give out and find it stressful having an inspection but even if it just makes me tidy up the yard, it’s a good thing to consider where are the dangers and how can we farm safer.
There are too many farmers making those sad headlines.
Slugs
INSTEAD OF A GIVING OUT I GOT REALLY GOOD ADVISE ON HOW TO MAKE THINGS SAFER
The biggest problem we have this year is the slugs so I was delighted when the cold weather slowed their advance.
All the crops got off to a good start but then seemed to stop after about a fortnight’s growth. This gave the slug time to do damage.
They were especially bad in winter wheat after rape. If slugs eat the small leaves you still have a chance for the crop to recover, but if they eat the grain there is no hope of recovery.
We were monitoring the fields very carefully and ended up putting out a full rate of pellets in most fields.
In a few patches it was too late, the damage was done. We could see the hollowed out grain. Luckily these were only small patches but we have heard of whole fields getting wiped out.
We are more limited by the pellets that we can use to control slugs as many products we could previously, are now banned.
I think that the ones we can use are much less effective than the previous products.