Safety Induction for Pre-Harvest
When staff are taken on to help through the busy harvest period, you must make sure they are given a clear health and safety briefing before they start work. This will reinforce the importance of health and safety issues which will protect workers and reduce the risks of an accident or incident occurring.
Below is a checklist in which employers should work through with farm staff:
Checklist | Completed |
Double-check all contact details of workers | |
Ensure you have next of kin information | |
Circulate all workers phone numbers | |
Consider asking staff to use what3words | |
Ensure everyone has copies of or have seen the farmyard/field maps (identifying overhead powerlines, first aid kits, isolation points, toilets and fire extinguishers) | |
When busy, consider using whatsapp groups or CB’s | |
Ensure staff fill in a medical questionnaire (this will determine any allergies or illnesses that you need to be aware of) | |
Identify jobs they are not allowed to do and explain why | |
Stress the importance of reporting near misses or accidents and who to report them to | |
Ensure staff are competent to do the task in hand | |
Explain what to do in the event of an accident or emergency | |
Explain site rules (lone working policy, smoking policy, reporting of defects policy) | |
Ensure staff take relevant breaks | |
PPE must be worn and provided – if necessary | |
Ensure correct protocol is in place for approaching vehicles especially where drivers vision is impaired) | |
Staff must use the safe stop procedure (engage handbrake, controls in neutral, switch off engine, remove key) | |
Stress the need for staff to keep to speed limits and careful driving styles | |
Daily checks must be carried out on all machinery before use |