Farming & Agriculture Inspections - Workplace Inspection Checklists

In the last decade, nearly one person has been killed every week as a direct result of farming and agricultural work. Many more have been seriously injured making farming and agricultural work a extremely hazardous industry.

Health and Safety is a fundamental requirement in any farming business and must be regarded as an essential part of maintenance and management. Assuming equipment is safe to use is a common problem in the industry, leading to catastrophic consequences. With high numbers and rates of fatal injury, farming, forestry and agricultral work is the riskiest industry sector.

Preventative maintenance and management of dangerous farming equipment can bring the following benefits:

• a reduction in injuries and the resulting financial and personal costs;
• better farming practice to help develop a sustainable farming business;
• longer life for equipment and machinery;
• less chance of damage to machinery;
• reduced repair costs resulting from unnoticed equipment faults;
• less chance of enforcement action and its costs, eg the cost of dealing with an incident and/or fines;
• reduced risk of damage to the reputation of the business.
• improved productivity, good morale and a happier, healthier workforce

Surveys suggest that only 16% of serious injuries are actually reported within the farming and agricultural sector. The HSE estimates that there could be as many as 10,000 untreported injuries in the industry each year (Read more).

Workers have the right to leave work without injury, returning home to their family each night safe and sound. Good workers and business owners understand the benefits of reducing incidents and maintenance costs, and are aware of the financial and other reasons to aim for and maintain high standards of Health and Safety.