Farm Safety Series: Agricultural vehicles still 'deadly' modes of transport

Farm transport and machinery continues to be a main cause of life changing and life ending injuries on GB farms, accounting for 40 per cent of all farm worker fatalities in the last decade. In the last five years, 74 people have died in vehicle and machinery related incidents, and a third of all fatalities on farms in the last 12 months (April 2020 to April 2021) were moving vehicle related (13), new data from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has revealed.Of those 13, six people died in all-terrain vehicle (ATV) and quadbike incidents compared to tractor (two), tractor with implements (two), skid steer loaders (two) and a telescopic handler (one), a concerning trend in recent years which will be explored in more detail by Farmers Guardian in another farm safety special later this year. A further six people were killed by contact with machinery, which included pto (one), excavator bucket (one), lawn tractor (one), tractor and flail topper (one), tractor and spray boom (one) and trailer tailgate (one).A new report by the University of Aberdeen also found stress and fatigue were the key causes of agricultural incidents.Others in the industry cited poor maintenance of machinery, the monotonous nature of jobs and technological advancement of vehicles in terms of size, speed, capability and functionality. National Association of Agricultural Contractors chief executive Jill Hewitt said added time pressure, due to scarcity of good staff, causing additional strain on current workforces, or weather extremes, must not be used as an excuse for fatalities and serious injuries on-farm."It takes seconds to put on a helmet or switch off a machine, but it takes years to get over the death of a family member, child or colleague," she said.Institution of Occupational Safety and Health rural industries group chair Tina Morgan stressed it was unacceptable for vehicles to be operated in unsafe conditions and called for the continual practice of maintenance, rather than it being an annual occurrence, with unsafe vehicles removed immediately until repaired or replaced. "As there is no legal requirement for an MOT or similar type of annual inspection for agricultural vehicles, trailers and implements, this situation will continue," Ms Morgan said. "Besides the physical loss of a loved one, the family will have to live with the fact that the death occurred on the farm and they have to pass the spot almost daily."The loss of a family member who plays a key role in running the business can also have serious financial implications, HSE policy sector lead for agricultural transport and machinery Eve Macready Jones warned. "Costs from a criminal prosecution, civil litigation or through raised insurance premiums after an incident where someone is injured or killed will directly affect the business," she said. Devastating She added the personal cost can also be devastating if a key worker is left incapacitated by an injury, with the burden falling onto family members to care for them and continue running the business."The farmer, the family and the business may all suffer," she said. While voluntary schemes such as the TillyPass, which calls on owners and operators to check the maintenance of the machinery they are towing, are gaining traction within the sector, more needs to be done to reach the ‘risk takers', with HSE calling for farmers to speak out when bad practice is seen. Ms Macready Jones added: "Good health and safety management is a key requirement of a sustainable farming business and is a key factor in a successful run farming business."Follow the simple control measures when operating machinery: wearing a helmet when operating a quad bike, undertaking training for all types of machinery, carrying out regular maintenance checks in accordance with a safe system of work, ensuring adequate guarding of machinery, and crucially, by deploying the safe stop method."Stephanie Berkeley, Farm Safety Foundation manager, urged farmers to use the safe stop approach and ensure tractors, telehandlers and associated equipment are switched off when carrying out routine tasks or making routine checks and maintenance."We all need to play our part to improve attitudes and behaviours in the industry to working with vehicles," she said. "Making a few simple checks could actually save a life - maybe your own." Machinery maintenance are your records easy to access?