The Dangers of Working on Farms

According to the Health and Safety Executive, over the last 10 years, almost one person a week has been killed as a direct result of agricultural work, and many others have been seriously injured. It is clear that in the UK agricultural work is dangerous. Although just 1 in every 100 workers are employed in agriculture, it contributes to 1 in every 5 fatal accident at work injuries.

The most common causes of death are:

• Being struck by a moving or falling object, including machinery and vehicles
• Falls
• Asphyxiation or drowning
• Injury by an animal.

Only recently, a 30-year-old man was killed in an accident involving machinery on a farm in Co. Armagh, and in Co. Kilkenny, a 60-year-old man was killed while undertaking repairs to a combine harvester.

In addition to deaths, non-fatal harm can be caused by a wide variety of factors, including breathing in dust, handling chemicals, exposure to noise and vibration and lifting heavy loads as well as working in extreme heat or cold and being subjected to prolonged sun exposure.

Lone working

Lone workers are those who work by themselves, without close supervision. They experience the same hazards as other employees but are more vulnerable, as help from others is not usually close by, should something untoward happen.

In one published case, an experienced large-straw-bale transporter was killed when a stack of bales collapsed onto him. Because he was alone, his family will never know exactly how the accident occurred.

Lone workers are more vulnerable to being harmed by sudden illness or accident, theft, and violence from intruders. These risks must be mitigated for as much as possible, with adequate health and safety provisions. Technology such as mobile phones and GPS technology has in recent years afforded some reassurance and protection to lone workers. However, these resources do not remove from the employer the obligation to ensure a safe working environment for their lone-worker employees.

Potential hazards when fruit harvesting and packing

As with farming and lone working, fruit harvesting and packaging has their own risks to the health and safety of workers. Hazards include:

• Mechanical – machinery such as tractors and hydraulic ladders, and hand tools such as compressed-air pruning guns
• Biological – allergic reactions from moulds and fruit saps
• Chemical – insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides
• Electrical – power cables
• Other – sun exposure, bending and lifting, noise, fatigue.

Health and Safety Law

Under the legislation, employers have a responsibility to protect workers and others who may enter their property. Part of that protection process is performing a risk assessment, which is used to identify and assess potential risks and to take measures to reduce risk. The law is enforced by a combination of the Health and Safety Executive and local authorities. What is more, non-compliance can lead to prosecution.

For example, this year a farming business in Kent was ordered to pay more than £35,000 after a worker was crushed to death by a falling concrete beam. An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive found that the workers had not been properly trained and that the work had not been adequately planned. The business pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

The HSE inspector said, ‘This tragic incident led to the avoidable death of a long-term employee. It could easily have been prevented. Those in control of work have a responsibility to devise safe methods of working and to provide the necessary information, instruction, and training to their workers’.

Injured whilst working on a farm

If you have been injured at work through employer negligence, you may be able to make a compensation claim. Damages awarded will cover pain and suffering and any financial losses. I do understand that some people may find it emotionally difficult to claim against their employer, even if they are entitled to. Bear in mind though that by law, employers generally hold Employers’ Liability Insurance, against which compensation claims are made. This means you are claiming against the insurance company and not your employer, personally.