Get tough on farm safety – TGWU
20 June 2000
Get tough on farm safety – TGWU
FARMERS do not take safety seriously because they believe they are unlikely to be prosecuted over accidents claims a union official.
Transport and General Workers Union regional industrial organiser Tony Gould called for tougher measures from the Health and Safety Executive to improve safety on farms.
Fatalities among adults working on farms have halved in the past 20 years, but have remained stubbornly around the 50 mark for the past few years, despite a falling workforce.
“Farmers are well aware that they can get away with problems and they dont put health ands safety high enough on the agenda,” Mr Gould told the BBC.
He said that only one in 10 deaths in industry brings a prosecution from the HSE
Even if a prosecution was brought, general provisions were such that employers could “wriggle out” by claiming what they were doing was “reasonably practicable”, he claimed.
“Weve reached a plateau from which we dont seem to be able to go any further, and this has now got to be tackled,” Mr Gould said.
He also called for more spot checks from the HSE.
Meanwhile, as part of Child Accident Prevention Week, the HSE has issued a cartoon booklet to warn 5-9-year-olds about the danger on the farm.
The number of child deaths in farm accidents fell from eight to four last year.