23 August 2024

Farm safety: Farm construction and work at height

Louise Clarke emphasises the importance of prioritising health and safety on pig farms, particularly during maintenance and repair work, to prevent accidents and fatalities.

A pig farm is a busy place where several tasks are being completed each day and health and safety should not be an afterthought to any of these tasks. Understanding the risks on and around a farm operation makes it easier to avoid dangers, and makes accidents less likely. However, all too often, farmers do not recognise the risks on their farms, which makes it difficult to manage the problem. As a farmer, you are responsible for the health, safety and welfare of yourself, employees and others that may be affected by what you do. This includes contractors, casual or part time workers, trainees, neighbours, and family members. Health and Safety is relevant to all farming businesses including the pig sector and is always an area that warrants our attention.

Unfortunately, the fatality rate in agriculture is far higher than any other economic sector, even though a small proportion of the workforce is employed in farming. Some 16 farm fatalities were recorded by the HSA over 2023, accounting for more than a third of all workplace deaths and representing a rise on the sector’s 12 fatalities the previous year.

Thankfully, now that the pig sector is back in a profitable situation it is a good time to catch up on repair and maintenance that may not have been addressed during the financial crisis. However, it is extremely important that when carrying out this type of work you make safety a priority on your farm and take the necessary steps to safeguard yourself and those around you.

A lot of the work around maintenance and repairs requires us to work from heights. However when doing so it is important to ask yourself if you or your staff are fully competent to do so. Do as much as you can from the ground. If a ladder is deemed to be the best option, the risk assessment should include checking that it is in good condition and that there is a firm, level base to support it to prevent it slipping away or kicking out at the base. It may be possible to secure the ladder by roping it to a suitable support in some situations. If your work involves repairs on a feed silo there should be a ladder on the silo with a fall back cage and the lower portion of the ladder should be removable and secured to ensure that children don’t climb up it after hours. Avoid roof work wherever possible. One of the obvious danger areas here is skylight and asbestos/cement fibre roofs. Overtime skylights may be painted over and when someone is carrying out repairs to the roof they don’t realise the skylight is there and the risk is a 15-20m fall through the skylight. Similarly, it is the same for asbestos roof/cement fibre roofs. Overtime these materials can become very thin, and although the roof might look perfectly intact, this may not always be the case. Working on roofs involves several different risks of falls, including a fall climbing to or from the roof, falling through a roof light, treading on a weak part of the roof and falling off the edge. Where maintenance work at heights cannot be avoided, plan ahead to make sure you have the right equipment and training.

Teagasc, in association with FBD Insurance and the Farm Safety partnership launched a video focusing on “Farm Construction and Work at Height”. This video is well worth a watch to help you plan any work that may need completing on your unit. This video highlights the responsibility farmers have to manage safety during farm construction and when working at a height. It also provides information on when farmers must legally appoint a Project Supervisor Design Process (PSDP) and Project Supervisor Construction Stage (PSCS). The production is part of a ‘Managing Farm Health and Safety’ series of 18 videos which outline best practice for farm health and safety topics. You should take the time to familiarise yourself and those around you of the dangers in relation to farms.