The quarterly Health & Safety Update is to assist you in ensuring that you are thinking about topical health and safety matters on your farm and/or estate. Health and safety is a vital part of any business operation.
As we enter the warmer weather of spring, livestock will be being turned out onto fresh pastures and field work will be well underway or completed for most spring crops. Sprayers and fertiliser spreaders will be busy nurturing growing crops.
Overview of Health & Safety Law
The Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 is the overarching legislation for health and safety as it establishes the principle that those who create risk are also those best placed to manage it. The Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require all employers to ensure so far as is reasonably practical the health, safety and welfare of anyone who may be affected by the operation of their business; this includes employees (both full-time and part-time), apprentices, casual workers, contractors, customers, neighbours and visitors.
- Employers’ responsibilities require the identification and management of risk created by their business, this is done by:
- Identifying hazards, and who might be harmed by them and how;
- Evaluating hazards and determining the level of risk;
- Implementing precautionary measures to minimise the risk and reviewing them regularly.
This quarter, our update also covers:
- Sentencing guidelines
- Workshop safety
- HGV CPC Requirements
- Working in areas controlled by others
- Vehicle safety
- Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurences (RIDDOR)
- Seed and fertiliser bags
For further assistance or information on the issues discussed below, please call your nearest Strutt & Parker office, or find out more about the Strutt & Parker Farming department.