Law firm welcomes new farming health and safety qualifications

Withy King Solicitors is urging farmers to make full use of recently approved health and safety qualifications that aim to reduce the number of work-related accidents and deaths.

Last year, 47 people died in farm-related accidents, while in the past five years the total figure is 231, including nine children under the age of 16 - making it one of the highest fatality rates of any UK industry.

While the first wave of the National Vocational Qualification courses in health and safety horticulture and agriculture was agreed by the Qualification and Curriculum Authority (QCA) last November, the final certification was given in the spring and all levels of accreditation are now available.

Chris Chan, personal injury expert at Withy King, said that increased take up of the qualifications will create a win-win situation for both employers and employees.

She said: “We act for a number of farmers and land owners providing a wide range of legal support, including addressing health and safety law.

“Statutory regulations relevant to farming accidents recognise the potential for greater risk of injury and as such impose strict duties on employers. This, combined with the fact that farm-workers are operating an increasing amount of heavy-duty, complex machinery, means it is more important than ever that effective health and safety training is given.

“Take up of the new qualifications will not only help to reduce the number of incidents but also help to safeguard employers in the workplace. This will have a knock on effect in decreasing the potential number of insurance claims and consequently positively impact on insurance premiums for the industry.”

Tony Brown, employment law specialist with Withy King, said: “Due to the nature of the work, particularly in labour intensive farm businesses, there will always be a percentage of incidents as humans do make mistakes. The knowledge gained through these new qualifications will be essential, however, in reducing this number and the severity of any accidents.”