Safe maintenance in agriculture
Healthy Workplaces – European Campaign
on Safe Maintenance
http://hw.osha.europa.eu
Summary
Introduction
Maintenance tasks in agriculture
Hazards related to maintenance in agriculture
Most common causes of maintenance-related accidents
in agriculture
Preventive measures
Legislation
More information
Some characteristics of the sector
Agriculture - one of the most hazardous
sectors
Non-fatal occupational accidents rates 1.7
times higher than the average and the number
of fatal accidents 3 times higher
Family work and a large degree of selfemployment
Migrant workers, seasonal workers, temporary
contracts
Maintenance tasks in agriculture are diverse
Including maintenance of
machines, equipment and vehicles
farmyards and buildings
silos, bins, slurry tanks and grain tanks
electrical installations
drainage and irrigation systems
paved and unpaved roads
Hazards related to maintenance in agriculture (1)
Because of the wide variety of tasks, there are many
different hazards involved, including:
Mechanical hazards related to the maintenance of
machinery, such as crushing, entanglement and highpressure fluid injection
Electrical hazards when working with defective
equipment or during maintenance of electrical
installations and equipment, or repair of broken electric
fences
Hazards related to maintenance in agriculture (2)
Thermal hazards related to the use of welding or
heating equipment during maintenance, or
maintenance of equipment with hot surfaces or
operating fluids
Chemical hazards related to the use of dangerous
substances during maintenance, or maintenance of
equipment containing dangerous substances
Fire or explosion hazard during maintenance of
facilities or equipment containing dangerous and
explosive substances such as tanks, bins and silos,
or fuel tanks
Hazards related to maintenance in agriculture (3)
Biological hazards during maintenance of installations
contaminated by biological agents, slurry tanks, ditches and
sewage infrastructure
Ergonomic hazards, such as awkward postures, poorly
designed tools
Hazards related to working in confined spaces
Falls from height, slips, trips
Most common causes of accidents
Transport - being struck by a moving vehicle
Struck by moving or falling objects
Falls from height, slips, trips
Asphyxiation or drowning
Contact with machinery or the material being machined
Injury by an animal
Bad work practices are a factor in many machinery
accidents
What increases the accident risk
Lone working in a remote location
Lack of protective equipment
Financial constraints, time pressure and fatigue
Lack of awareness / training / information
Subcontracting, seasonal workers, migrant
workers
Preventive measures
RISK ASSESSMENT!
Try to eliminate risks. If risks cannot be completely
eliminated, try to minimise them
Follow safe work procedures
Use appropriate equipment, including personal protective
equipment
Never do a job you are not competent to do!
Check machinery / vehicles / equipment before use
Carry out a basic check of machinery / vehicles /
equipment / tools before each use
Check for mechanical defects
Check that guards are in place and not damaged
Check wheels and blades for cracks
Check electrical cords, connections, earthing
Never use machines / equipment / tools which
are not properly maintained!
Machinery maintenance
Machinery and equipment should be maintained in good
working condition following the manufacturer’s
recommendations and must be regularly checked by a
competent person
Many accidents on farms happen during maintenance of
machinery or clearing blockages
Stop the machine before any intervention – remove the key or lock
off power
Make sure the machine has come to a complete stop
Secure anything which could move or rotate
Remember that energy is stored in, for example, springs or
hydraulics
Use the right tools for the job
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions
Replace the guards when the job is finished
Check the machine before restarting
General workshop safety
Keep the workshop clean and tidy
Make sure there are no slipping and tripping hazards
Make sure there is enough space for storing tools and
materials
Remove waste, dust, and old equipment
Store and charge batteries in a well-ventilated area away
from sources of ignition
Avoid chlorinated solvents for degreasing and put
degreasing baths in well-ventilated areas
Make sure arc welding is done in a protected area
Keep noise levels from plant controlled
Keep tools in good working condition
Make sure adequate PPE is provided
Working in confined spaces
Avoid entering confined spaces
If entry is unavoidable, follow a safe system of work
Put in place adequate emergency arrangements before the
work starts
Test the air before entering and monitor it during the work
Provide adequate ventilation
Use adequate equipment - personal protective equipment,
lighting, communications gear
Only workers having the competence for the job should be
allowed to do it
Working at height (1)
Falls often happen from roofs, vehicles, machinery,
ladders, and unsuitable access equipment.
Avoid working at height
If working at height cannot be avoided, use suitable
equipment to prevent falls or to minimise the distance and
consequences of a fall
Use fall-arrest safety equipment such as safety harnesses
as a last resort
Use ladders only when there is no safer alternative, and only
for simple work of short duration
Make sure that tools and materials can be safely raised and
lowered to and from the roof or working platform
Put in place emergency rescue arrangements
Working at height (2)
Fragile roofs
Fit appropriate warning signs to buildings that have fragile roofs
Always assume that roofs are fragile unless you can confirm
otherwise
Never walk on any fragile roof - use appropriate crawling boards
and/or roof ladders secured as necessary
Work on fragile roofs should only be carried out by persons who
have been specifically trained and who are experienced in such
tasks
Machinery
Don't climb on any area of the machine unless it is designed for this
purpose
Wear well-fitting, slip-resistant safety footwear when working on
vehicles
Personal protective equipment (PPE)
Engineering controls and safe systems of work
must always be considered first
Provide and ensure the use of PPE as a last
resort
PPE has to be suitable for the work and
conditions, and must give adequate protection
EU legislation
Safety and health in agriculture is not covered by a specific EU
directive but various EU directives address certain safety and
health issues in the sector.
Council Directive 89/391/EEC, the “Framework Directive”, sets out
the risk assessment process and the general principles of risk
prevention
The framework directive is supplemented by individual directives,
also relevant for maintenance in agriculture
Council Recommendation concerning the improvement of the
protection of the health and safety at work of self-employed workers
More information at
http://osha.europa.eu/en/legislation/directives/the-oshframework-directive/the-osh-framework-directive-introduction
Some Member States have developed a specific legal
framework for occupational health and safety in agriculture
More information
Maintenance in agriculture - a safety and health guide
http://osha.europa.eu/en/publications/reports/maintenance-inagriculture-a-safety-and-health-guide/view
Farmwise
http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg427.pdf
Bonnes pratiques de sécurité dans le secteur agricole (partie 1)
http://www.beswic.be/preventagri/fr/publications/leaflets
Bonnes pratiques de sécurité dans le secteur agricole (partie 2)
http://www.beswic.be/preventagri/fr/publications/leaflets/bonnespratiques-2.pdf
No second chances - A farm machinery safety step-by-step guide
http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg241.pdf
Maintenance work - machinery and equipment
http://www.hse.gov.uk/agriculture/topics/maintenance.htm
Machines
http://www.inrs.fr/inrs-pub/inrs01.nsf/IntranetObjectaccesParReference/INRS-FR/$FILE/fset.html
Managing confined spaces on farms http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/ais26.pdf
Why fall for it? Preventing falls in agriculture
http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg369.pdf
http://www.hse.gov.uk/agriculture/topics/falls.htm
A EUROPEAN CAMPAIGN ON SAFE MAINTENANCE
HEALTHY WORKPLACES
GOOD FOR YOU. GOOD FOR BUSINESS
THANK YOU!
http://hw.osha.europa.eu