Be safe this potato harvest
With the number of on-farm deaths higher in agriculture per 1,000 than in the construction or manufacturing sectors, 1. the Potato Council is urging growers to plan their approach to health and safety this harvest.
Last year the Potato Council (formerly the British Potato Council) with support from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), National Farmers Union (NFU) and Grimme UK launched a Safe Potato Handling DVD with optional subtitles available in Polish, Portuguese, Latvian and Lithuanian.
The DVD covers the important aspects of safety and crop handling in the long chain of events getting potatoes from field to fork. This has been distributed to Potato Council registered growers and members of the National Association of Agricultural Contractors. The presentation specifically produced for the farm team involved with in-field and in-store potato grading, integrates the importance of health and safety with correct use of farm equipment and preserving potato quality and increasing sold yield.
The Potato Council's supply chain manager Phil Bradshaw says: "As the lifting season commences this is the perfect time to show the twenty minute presentation to the whole team involved in your on-farm potato operation. The practical safety advice was developed by consulting with farm owners, managers, and operatives. This is an ideal refresher to staff and powerful training tool for new or casual employees that re-enforces the basic messages in a visual format appropriate for farm workers, even if their first language is not English. Non-English speakers can view the DVD with subtitles and read the documentation in their native language."
HSE inspector Tony Mitchell says: "HSE figures show that 34 workers were killed in Agriculture 2006-07, the same as the previous year and there were many other serious injuries. The Safe Potato Handling DVD is a valuable tool for managers and supervisors to raise awareness amongst workers and help reduce the risk of accidents and improving the efficiency of potato harvesting, which will benefit their business. The people best placed to make the workplace safer are the staff and managers who work in them. As you prepare to lift the 2008 crop, this is the ideal time to play the DVD and plan your whole team approach to health and safety."
The DVD has sections for different levels of staff that highlight specific responsibilities. The supervisor can sit his staff down – select the correct option for language, work area and roles – and watch the film which covers all angles of the specific operation. At the end of the DVD, a test can be taken to check understanding and viewing repeated if appropriate. Personal details can then be manually entered on a printed certificate, signed and dated and securely filed as a formal record.
Barry Baker from Grimme UK says: "Safety has advanced on machinery and equipment over the years. Very often the main operator has been shown how to use a certain piece of equipment. But it is vital everyone who comes into contact with specific machinery understands and is aware of the risks and how the equipment should be operated and used safely. The DVD provides the solution and highlights the communication that is required for the whole farm team during harvesting and grading to ensure the operation is conducted safely."
A library of printable advice sheets are available on the DVD and supplement the film footage. These include a daily check list for casual farm staff. For further copies of the Safe Potato Handling DVD, call Phil Bradshaw on 07776 492274.
