26 July, 2012

In the fifth of our series of blogs looking at safety on the farm, Philip Wilson looks at the importance of safely working at heights and the simple steps which can be taken to reduce the risk of a potentially devastating fall.

According to the Health & Safety Executive (HSE), falls are the biggest single cause of workplace deaths, and the second highest cause of death in agriculture. The HSE's 2010/11 figures show a total of 48 deaths across all industries, and seven in agriculture - and we're not just talking about working on roofs or climbing ladders; falls from less than 2 metres above the ground can prove fatal.

The HSE's recent 'Shattered Lives' campaign was well named - those who survive a fall will often have suffered broken bones or in some cases paralysis, and can be left unable to work for long periods of time, if not permanently.

In agriculture, the risk of suffering a serious injury as a result of a fall is exacerbated by the fact that farmers often work alone, which not only increases the risk of an accident happening but also makes it harder to get help if an injury occurs.

Looking through the HSE's lists of farm accidents in the South West involving falls makes depressing reading - with people losing their lives or suffering life-changing injuries in what must have started out as seemingly innocuous circumstances.

For example, a man dying after falling through a plastic skylight while working on a dairy roof in North Devon; a feeds driver for a Devon firm severely injured falling from the top of a lorry onto a concrete floor while removing the cover from his vehicle's load; a farm worker suffering severe facial injuries after falling 5m through a shed roof in Cornwall; a man breaking his back, arm and ribs after falling 3m whilst working on a barn in Somerset; a young construction worker suffering life-changing injuries after falling 6m through the roof of a farm building near Bath; a farm worker suffering two fractures to his skull after falling through a barn roof he was repairing in North Devon.

Farmers owe it to themselves and their families to ensure their own safety but also have a legal obligation to do everything that is reasonably practical to prevent employees and visitors to the farm suffering from a fall.

The law states a three-step process which must be followed:

• Avoid work at height where you can; and if not
• Use work equipment or measures to prevent falls; and if not
• Use work equipment that minimises the distance and consequences of a fall

There are several areas of work on the farm where falls are likely to happen if the correct precautions are not taken, which include working on roofs, working on vehicles, working with bales, work platforms on fork lift trucks and working on scaffolds and ladders.

At Cornish Mutual we have put together a detailed health and safety guide to working at heights, and also produced a working at heights safety video, which help to explain the steps you can take to minimise risk.

Some of the key points to always bear in mind are:

• Make sure any work at height is properly planned, workers have completed any necessary training to carry out the job and all possible precautions have been taken to prevent a fall
• Make sure any equipment being used is in correct working order and is fit for the job, and make sure employees have the correct clothing and safety gear for the work (such as steel toe capped boots and hard hats)
• Use properly erected scaffolding or properly designed work platforms rather than ladders whenever possible
• Never walk on fragile roofs or roof lights without platforms or covers which will support your weight have been provided

For further information on the legal requirements and employers' obligations in relation to working at height, see the HSE's Work at Heights Regulations.

For more information about Cornish Mutual's 'FarmSafe' campaign, visit www.cornishmutual.co.uk/farmsafe