Health & Safety visits

lakill Farm

Hi all,

With the increased deaths on irish farms in recent years, the HSA seem to be determined to increase inspections. Im not against them doing same, as im more in the league of seeing a problem and fixing it for my own safety, than the league of "ill fix it when i get hurt or fined"

So what areas should i be looking at. I have my HSA farm book filled out and back about 3 months ago "the rag" had interviewed a few farmers post HSA inspection but it was wasnt clear what they really were checking. I also spoke to a HSA inspector at the ploughing this year but he was more into giving free pens out that talking safety improvements.

The improvements i made so far (in 16 months of farming)

*bought chainsaw trousers, gloves, helmet and wellies
*filled new armoured electric cables in yard & LCD switch on fuse board
*put in a proper earth bar x 2 for the mains electric fence
*always wear muffs & glasses or face shield when strimming or grinding
*replaced the elecric light switches and soclets to outdoor versions

To do
*fix the handbrake on the tractor
*new cattle crush and holding pen
*upgrade the agitation point in one tank

Have you had an inspection?

What areas have you improved or intend to improve in the future

reilig

lakill Farm wrote: »

Hi all,

With the increased deaths on irish farms in recent years, the HSA seem to be determined to increase inspections. Im not against them doing same, as im more in the league of seeing a problem and fixing it for my own safety, than the league of "ill fix it when i get hurt or fined"

So what areas should i be looking at. I have my HSA farm book filled out and back about 3 months ago "the rag" had interviewed a few farmers post HSA inspection but it was wasnt clear what they really were checking. I also spoke to a HSA inspector at the ploughing this year but he was more into giving free pens out that talking safety improvements.

The improvements i made so far (in 16 months of farming)

*bought chainsaw trousers, gloves, helmet and wellies
*filled new armoured electric cables in yard & LCD switch on fuse board
*put in a proper earth bar x 2 for the mains electric fence
*always wear muffs & glasses or face shield when strimming or grinding
*replaced the elecric light switches and soclets to outdoor versions

To do
*fix the handbrake on the tractor
*new cattle crush and holding pen
*upgrade the agitation point in one tank

Have you had an inspection?

What areas have you improved or intend to improve in the future

We have had no inspections, and have not heard of anyone around us having one.

Like you, we did a whole new electrical fit out a few years ago - replaced the 1960's wiring in the sheds with modern cables, lights and sockets. We put down underground armoured cable and put hazard tape over it.

I have the chainsaw gear, and I have the training done for it.

Have invested a lot in the last few years in cattle sheds - one has a large modern crush which has a semi - automatic sculling gate. It also has holding and separation pens. The other shed has caving pens and calving gates.

Our land is almost all joined together, but it is in a narrow strip as opposed to being in a round block. It is over 3 miles from end to end. We have made some new roadways which help a bit. I have also figured that in such a long stretch, an electric fence doesn't work as well. I have erected a lot of barbed wire fences over the last 2 years - I have run the electric fence on pigtails off these posts, but the electric fence is no longer the sole barrier.

Our farm planners ran a health and safety course a few years ago where they helped farmers to complete their health and safety statement. I got ours done too and the planner helped me to identify measures as part of his reps visit. (This was at no additional cost to my annual planner fee).
the planners also run a health and safety evening every year which is free - this helps to keep us up to scratch.

jeff greene

I'm not apposed to what the HSE are doing, its a good thing! but to me common sense is what's missing really in most farm accidents. All the pto covers won't stop lads trying to free blocked balers while running or nonchalantly walking into a field with a bull etc.

JohnBoy

no, but it would be a start.


We have reams of work to do.

spent this year more focussed on passing dept inspections, next year is HSE!

The slurry store needs work. the fence needs to be repaired in some places and it needs a taller, meshed, gate. An old dirty water tank needs to be filled in. I also want to put some sort of gate/barrier behind the scraping in points that a tractor scraper will be able to push back, but a child/dog wont.

Most of the wiring within buildings needs to be redone, as does the fuseboard. Thankfully at least there's underground armoured wires, but we'll probably need to replace one of those for a heavier one to the workshop.

I'm taking down an old hayloft in the next few weeks and replacing it with a proper floor, it's currently made up of timbers with bales on top. fine until you get down to the last row of bales and break a leg.


I'm fairly anal about PPE, have chaps, hardhat and steels for using the saw, am pretty good about turning stuff off completely before working on it, and generally dont get off a tractor without turning it off.


So basically yeah, lots more to do for us.

locky76

I used the HSA's on line application the other day to prepare a safety statement specific to my circumstances and found it to be excellent, a really comprehensive review and not just a box ticking exercise.
Next job is to fill it out with the wife as a second pair of eyes highlights further things etc.
The link is:
http://www.eazysafelc.com/LearningCentre/farmers/00_login.htm
I'm involved in safety statements in my 39 hour job and this really prepares a proper one which will highlight and minimise risks on the farm.

lakill Farm wrote: »

Hi all,

With the increased deaths on irish farms in recent years, the HSA seem to be determined to increase inspections. Im not against them doing same, as im more in the league of seeing a problem and fixing it for my own safety, than the league of "ill fix it when i get hurt or fined"

So what areas should i be looking at. I have my HSA farm book filled out and back about 3 months ago "the rag" had interviewed a few farmers post HSA inspection but it was wasnt clear what they really were checking. I also spoke to a HSA inspector at the ploughing this year but he was more into giving free pens out that talking safety improvements.

The improvements i made so far (in 16 months of farming)

*bought chainsaw trousers, gloves, helmet and wellies
*filled new armoured electric cables in yard & LCD switch on fuse board
*put in a proper earth bar x 2 for the mains electric fence
*always wear muffs & glasses or face shield when strimming or grinding
*replaced the elecric light switches and soclets to outdoor versions

To do
*fix the handbrake on the tractor
*new cattle crush and holding pen
*upgrade the agitation point in one tank

Have you had an inspection?

What areas have you improved or intend to improve in the future

Username John

locky76 wrote: »

I used the HSA's on line application the other day to prepare a safety statement specific to my circumstances and found it to be excellent, a really comprehensive review and not just a box ticking exercise.
Next job is to fill it out with the wife as a second pair of eyes highlights further things etc.
The link is:
http://www.eazysafelc.com/LearningCentre/farmers/00_login.htm
I'm involved in safety statements in my 39 hour job and this really prepares a proper one which will highlight and minimise risks on the farm.

Hmmm, why do they make you register?
And what do they do with your details, once registered? Maybe I am just being too suspicious, but I dont like it...

lakill Farm

Username John wrote: »

Hmmm, why do they make you register?
And what do they do with your details, once registered? Maybe I am just being too suspicious, but I dont like it...

I agree, however according to the HSA officer at the ploughing this year, the HSA has this online survey contracted out and HSA cant access the details off the contractor . I asked the same question also, and herself almost killed me for been rude :eek:.

locky76

Username John wrote: »

Hmmm, why do they make you register?
And what do they do with your details, once registered? Maybe I am just being too suspicious, but I dont like it...

lakill Farm wrote: »

I agree, however according to the HSA officer at the ploughing this year, the HSA has this online survey contracted out and HSA cant access the details off the contractor . I asked the same question also, and herself almost killed me for been rude :eek:.

I don't agree, when it comes to H&S ignorance is no excuse, whether the HSA have access to your safety statement or not is immaterial.
They won't compromise the entire system either by using it in individual cases either...

emaherx

We had a visit from the HSA during the Summer.
Our yard is in fairly good order, only things they found wrong were.

One tractor was missing a U Gaurd, and Muck spreader was missing an O gaurd. Two gates were tied up in the yard using bailing twine, They didn't like this either.

We were asked to rectify issues found and send photographic eveidance of the repairs. Nothing more was required. (which we did) For the unsafe Gates we just took them down altogether until we had time to install propper brackets.

We were actually complemented on the general condition of the place.

Charlie Charolais

Is there a financial penalty if you fail the HSA inspection?

Charlie Charolais

Do you find the armored cable safer/more cost effective than putting a regular cable in a red duct?

reilig

Charlie Charolais wrote: »

Do you find the armored cable safer/more cost effective than putting a regular cable in a red duct?

It depends on what type of cable you put in the duct. I'm no electrician, so I'm not too up to speed on it, but I have plugs for welding in all my sheds - it takes the armoured cable to allow me to do this. Its also easy to lay - no ropes through ducting to pull cables etc.

lakill Farm

Yes its cheaper , but i guess its down to your needs. I dropped mine down 2.6ft along with a half inch HG water feed in a 18inch wide trench. Job for life to a slatted shed.

But you wanted in time to put in cameras or such it would be more efficent to put in a duct.

i forget the lenght of a trench i had. I think 48 meters
Armoured cable was €120 all in
The other stuff was €80, plus a roll of ducting is €80 so :rolleyes:. I tell the sparky what i want and he gets the prices and we go from there.

Oh and i hit armoured cable during the summer with the digger and it was fine :eek:, after a call to herself to turn off the power in the house and call the sparky. Better to be safe than sorry.

Charlie Charolais wrote: »

Do you find the armored cable safer/more cost effective than putting a regular cable in a red duct?

lakill Farm

reilig wrote: »

It depends on what type of cable you put in the duct. I'm no electrician, so I'm not too up to speed on it, but I have plugs for welding in all my sheds - it takes the armoured cable to allow me to do this. Its also easy to lay - no ropes through ducting to pull cables etc.

Reilig the key to ducting is getting that reel of fiberglass feed thing in a hire shop. I was putting in cat10 and elecric feed to my automtic gates and used it in a 60 meter duct with 3 x 90 degree turns and it took 20 mins to put in 3 cables and 2 spare ropes for the future . Cost of hire €10

PPPPPP - Prior planning prevents piss poor performance

JohnBoy

ropes for the future is the most important thing to put in any duct alright.

Juniorhurler

We had one of these. They told us to mark exit points clearly on the sheds. They also found the old 4000 with no PTO guard. This they didn't like. Everything else was o.k and the inspector was a gent. We e-mailed him the photos of the work and that was it. All in all very painless, but the yard at home would be fairly tidy.

lakill Farm

Juniorhurler wrote: »

We had one of these. They told us to mark exit points clearly on the sheds. They also found the old 4000 with no PTO guard. This they didn't like. Everything else was o.k and the inspector was a gent. We e-mailed him the photos of the work and that was it. All in all very painless, but the yard at home would be fairly tidy.

Had ye had a previous accident that would have triggered the inspection?

Did they call without warning or had you received a letter/call?

emaherx

Charlie Charolais wrote: »

Is there a financial penalty if you fail the HSA inspection?

You are given time to rectifiy any problems as we were, but I'd imagine that if you ignore their advice then action will be taken.

lakill Farm wrote: »

Had ye had a previous accident that would have triggered the inspection?

Did they call without warning or had you received a letter/call?

We had no previous accidents, these are random checks that are happening around the country.

The inspecter called on a day when we were out making silage (away from the main farm) and left a message that she would be calling back the next day, so I guess had we been home at the time we would have got no warning. But the way it happened we got to do a bit of a spring clean before she turned up the next day.:D

In fairnness she was quite plesant, We really couldn't fault anything she said. She told us our farm was well kept compared to many of the places she had been.

Complemented us on the things which we had in place.
Farm Safety statement completed.
Signage around the place.
updated wiring in sheds.
Genraly good handling facilitys (except for a few gates which were secured with twine):o
secure agitating points
condition of most of the machines. (One U gaurd and one O gaurd was missing)
beacons on the tractors.

The O gaurd I had honestly just taken off of the machine to repair its bracket but she still wanted evidance of its replacement, which was fair enough.

She gave us a copy of her report and asked that we send photographic eveidance of the repairs. Which we did and that was the end of it.