FARM SAFETY
Legal Requirement The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005, places a legal duty on employers to prepare and work to a safety statement, However, farmers with 3 or less employees will be able to fulfil their statutory duty under the 2005 Act simp
Legal Requirement
The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005, places a legal duty on employers to prepare and work to a safety statement, However, farmers with 3 or less employees will be able to fulfil their statutory duty under the 2005 Act simply by completing a Risk Assessment Document.
At the end of 2006, some 160,000 copies of the HSA Agriculture Code of Practice were dispatched to farmers. The Code of Practice consists of three documents:
- Code of Practice for Preventing Injury and Occupational Ill Health in Agriculture
- Risk Assessment Document
- Safe System of Work Plan
Farm Safety on-line Risk Assessment System
This system allows farmers to complete their farm safety statements on-line in a user-friendly fashion. By using this system, farmers can keep their risk assessment statements up to date.
Further Information
- Health and Safety Authority Legal Page
- Teagasc Legal Page
- The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005
Slurry
Drowning is by far the most common cause of death involving slurry. Take the following precautions to protect against drowning in slurry:
- Open slurry tanks should be protected by an unclimbable fence or wall at least 1.8m high with locked gates.
- Covered or slatted tanks require access manholes that children cannot open. A safety grid should be fitted below the manhole to give secondary protection.
Gases released by the agitation of slurry can cause gas poisoning. The following precautions should be taken when agitating slurry:
- Only agitate where there is good air movement
- Evacuate all livestock
- Make sure no person is in or near the building
- Open all doors and outlets to provide a draught
- At least two people should be present and stand up wind
- Never stand over slats or near tank access points when agitation is in progress
- Avoid vigorous agitation in confined places
- Keep all people away from the agitation point for at least 30 minutes after starting agitation
- Never enter or allow others to enter the any tank or confined place without breathing apparatus
- Agitation points should be placed outside the building
Further Information
Health and Safety Authority Agriculture Code of Practice
