Made Moon Blog

Several improvement notices have been issued to Scottish farms following a HSE inspection drive which detected unsafe use of ATVs here. The inspection was undertaken right before the opening day of the Royal Highland Show.

Of the farms inspected almost 62% were found using ATVs without proper safety precautions including unsafe driving, lack of maintenance, insufficient checking prior to driving the vehicle. HSE inspectors visited 58 farms over a two week period. Thirty six improvement notices have been issued. Of these 25 notices were issued for usage of the vehicle by drivers who lacked proper training. Ten of the notices pertained to using the ATV without head protection, while one poor maintenance notice was also issued.

HSE Inspectors found that ATV vehicles like quad bikes were used with scant focus on safety precautions in many farms. Considering that 2 people die every year in accidents involving ATV vehicles and over 1000 are hurt on an average in such mishaps, such lack of proper attention to safety is shocking. In the 4 year period ending 2008-2009, three fatalities were reported in Scotland among farm workers in similar mishaps involving ATVs.

Michael Moore, Scotland Secretary of State has said that these cases of inadequate safety precautions should serve as a reminder to the agricultural community that there is much room for improvement here. Agriculture has been found to be one of the least safe professions in Britain and farmers need to do more to change this. Simple precautions can make a difference between life and death here, he said.

Meanwhile, Paul Stollard, HSE’s Scotland Director pointed out that quad bikes are a major cause of accidents each year. Nevertheless, in spite of repeated warnings and safety guidance, the recent inspection shows that farmers have yet to take initiative to improve safety on their farms. Basic safety measures like using helmets, checking the vehicle’s brakes, tyres or throttle before using it can save the user’s life, he said.

Companies need to be sure that they are giving the correct instructions to employees with regard to health and safety issues; the range of accredited IOSH Courses, by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, can assist companies in training staff to be aware of the proper health and safety procedures for all kinds of workplace situations.