Content Officer

This potato-harvesting season, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is urging farmers and contractors to exercise caution while working.

The death of a 34-year-old man in Fife, who was killed while working on a powered up potato harvester, has prompted the HSE to seriously look at cases of farming accidents.

The HSE is also investigating an incident involving a Lincolnshire worker who suffered serious cuts while clearing a potato harvester, and another accident in which a Cambridgeshire farmer’s arm was crushed when it was pulled into the cleaning rollers.

Tony Mitchell from the HSE’s agriculture and food division pointed out that in the past seven years, there have been three deaths and many serious accidents suffered by potato harvesters.

He said it is important that proper methods are followed for cleaning harvesters, fixing them or removing blockages. He added that it was necessary to switch off the machine before starting to work on it.

Although Mitchell agreed that farmers were under considerable time pressures and weather conditions always kept them on their toes, he stressed that they should not resort to taking short cuts and thereby endanger their health and even their lives. He said that accidents seriously affect the incomes of farmers and weigh heavily on their families.

Government figures reveal that in the past five years, 82 workers have suffered fatal injuries between the harvesting months of July and October. The number of workers’ deaths during these months makes up almost half of all deaths in agriculture since 2004-05.

The HSE’s campaign ‘Make the promise. Come home safe’ is an effort to encourage farmers to stop and think about their safety. The campaign, which already has 15,000 farmers registered, aims at reducing death and injuries in the agricultural sector by increasing awareness of the potential risks.

For training and support for any organisation in attaining their health and safety objectives, click on NEBOSH Certificate to learn about the importance of promoting a positive health and safety culture in the workplace environment and for information on training programmes leading to the award of the NEBOSH National General Certificate in Occupational Safety and Health.