The recent spate of fatalities involved

Safe stop

Machinery and vehicles are involved in half of farm accidents, with crushing by slow-moving machines the most common scenario. Follow the HSA-recommended routine below when stopping your tractor – better still, make a note of it and display it in the cab:

  • Bring it to a stop at a safe place
  • Apply the hand brake
  • Disengage
  • Lower implements
  • Engine off
  • Remove key
  • Dismount
  • Click here for more tractor safety advice.

    Wear a helmet

    Quads are so easy to drive that they may feel like toys, but they are not, as several fatal farm accidents have shown in recent times. Always wear a safety helmet, slow down on rough terrain and make sure new users take the time they need to practice in a safe area.

    Calving safely

    Always let someone know of your whereabouts if going to the calving shed alone. Separate the calf from the cow for naval dipping and tagging. Always keep an eye on a freshly calved cow on the way out and carry a stick to keep her in check if she becomes aggressive. If tension rises, don’t take chances and find an exit.

    Call for help

    Feel you have too much on your hands? It’s time to reach out for help. It may be too late to organise formal labour for the busy spring season, but family members, neighbours and friends, agricultural students, part-time labourers or relief milkers may be available around you. Remember, working day and night with no relief multiplies your chances of having an accident.

    Eat well

    It’s easy to skip lunch on a busy day, but it will only add to fatigue and heighten the risk of accidents. If there is no time to cook, a quick trip to the local pub or a ready meal from the convenience store will do you good.

    Click here for more well-being advice this spring

    Turn the lights on

    There may be a stretch in the evening, but will you notice the grate in the middle of the yard when a cow starts calving at 3am? If you didn’t have time to fit proper lighting ahead of the busy spring season, place temporary battery-powered lights along the route of night-time jobs and make sure dangerous tools and machinery are out of the way at the end of your day.