Open Farms
Child Safety in Agriculture
A N Other
HM Inspector of Health and Safety
The Sad Facts
• On average, 2 children die on farms
each year
What happens?
• Nearly half of the
accidents involve
children being run
over or struck by
moving vehicles.
What happens?
• The second most
common cause of
death is drowning in
slurry/dirty water
lagoons and in
moving grain.
What do you need to do?
Planning the visit
- which areas of the farm will the visitors
definitely want to see?
-are there other areas of the farm that they
might wish to see during their visit?
- make sure children will be effectively
excluded from hazardous areas that they
will not be visiting on the farm (normally
this will be achieved by fencing, warning
signs, and supervision)
What do you need to do?
Planning the visit (continued)
- identify the hazards that exist in the
areas that the children will be visiting
- put appropriate precautions in place
to prevent accidents and ill health.
What might this mean in practice? . . . .
Virtual farm inspection
HSE inspector Charlie Callis
takes us on
a farm inspection
Virtual farm inspection
(Vehicles)
• Segregate your visitors
from tractors and other
farm vehicles
• Inform employees of the
visit, and of the
arrangements for
segregation
• Co-ordinate deliveries,
contractors etc so that they
don’t conflict with the visit
Virtual farm inspection
(vehicles)
• Leaving cab doors
unlocked and keys
in the ignition is a
recipe for disaster.
• Lock cab doors and
remove keys from
those vehicles
without cabs.
Virtual farm inspection
(falling objects)
• Make unstable items
safe by securing
them or laying them
flat
• This heavy item has
been tied to a rail at
the top.
Virtual farm inspection
(falling objects)
• Make sure bale
stacks are built and
dismantled so that
they remain stable
Virtual farm inspection
(falling objects)
• Stack wheels and
tyres safely.
• Here they have
been laid down on a
pallet.
• If you lean them
against a wall –
make sure they are
secured with rope
or chain.
Virtual farm inspection
(falling objects)
• Make sure that
items such as
buckets are stored
securely when not
in use, to avoid
them toppling over.
Virtual farm inspection
( other storage)
• Storage areas may
seem as fascinating
as an adventure
play park to
children.
• Keep yards tidy and
stored items stable
so they cannot
topple over onto a
child.
Virtual farm inspection
(falls from height)
• Ladders should be
stored securely:
– lie them down on the
ground or;
– secure a board over
the bottom rungs.
• Remember to look
at your fixed
ladders in the same
way.
Virtual farm inspection
(falls from height)
• Think about other
areas where
children can fall.
• This loading ramp is
almost 5 feet high
at the end.
• Consider guard rails
or other methods to
prevent access to
the open edge
Virtual farm inspection
(falls from height)
• Prevent access to
fragile roofs
Virtual farm inspection
(slurry storage)
• Slurry stores must be
secured against child
access
• This slurry pit gate has
been covered with
mesh to prevent a child
climbing up it.
• Remember to make
sure the mesh is of a
small enough size to
prevent a young child
gaining a foothold.
Virtual farm inspection
(grain storage and handling)
• Moving grain in
reception pits has
caused many child
fatalities.
• Here a mesh guard has
been fitted over the pit
to allow the grain to
flow through but
prevent anyone been
drawn down to the
auger.
Virtual farm inspection
• Keep sheep dips
covered when they
are not in use.
• Children have
drowned in dips that
have filled with rain
water.
Virtual farm inspection
(livestock)
• Take effective steps to
exclude children from
pens of large animals
• This gate is fully
panelled and offers no
hand or foot hold to
allow access into the
pen
Virtual farm inspection
(livestock)
• Remember feed
troughs can present
easy access
• Here the troughs
have been raised
and covered with
lids to prevent
access
Virtual farm inspection
(Chemicals, pesticides and vet.
Medicines)
• Keep chemicals
etc in locked
stores
• Dispose of use
containers,
needles etc
safely
E.coli 0157
Use the Industry
Code of Practice to
prevent or control ill
health through
animal contact.
http://www.face-online.org.uk/codeofpractice
Virtual farm inspection
(fire)
• Take steps to prevent
fire (segregate
combustibles, prohibit
smoking near to them,
etc)
• Plan what should be
done in the event of a
fire.
• Inform staff and
visitors
Virtual farm inspection
(carrying passengers on farm
trailers)
• If you are going to
carry passengers
around the farm read
HSE’s Agriculture
Information Sheet No.
36.
• You may well need to
convert a trailer to
passenger use
permanently.
What do you need to do?
Planning the visit - supervision
- confirm what arrangements the
school has for supervision of the
children during their visit.
-Make arrangements for the party to
be met by a responsible person at a
specified time and place
First Aid
• Appropriate first aid
equipment and suitably
qualified people must
be provided to enable
first aid to be given to
employees if they are
injured at work
• It is recommended that
you also consider the
needs of visitors
• You should check your
public liability insurance
policy on this point
First Aid
• Further free
guidance on first aid
is available:
– “First aid at work –
your questions
answered” – INDG
21a
Getting the message across
Getting the message across
Further information – AIS 23