It’s hard to keep up with all the new machines and equipment being introduced for 2020. There were plenty of them on display at the recent British Turf Management Exhibition (BTME) in Harrogate and the Agritechnica trade fair last November in Hanover, Germany. Many new electric vehicles have come on the market and they seem to be the buzz word at the moment.

The growing season is not too far away and soon farmers, contractors and groundsmen will be getting their equipment in order for the busy weeks ahead. Some will venture into purchasing new machines, so dealers will be busy stocking their premises up with the latest equipment, in the anticipation of new orders. This will mean delivering them to the customer’s premises and demonstrating how they work.

With that in mind dealers have a responsibility of care when delivering machinery to clients. When showing them how the equipment works they should inform them of the dangers and risks associated with machinery, the usual things like making sure pto shafts are guarded; not wearing loose clothing, using earmuffs when operating machines and so on. Time should be allocated by the dealer rep to highlight all dangers.

I mention this on foot of the recent findings by the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) on fatalities in the workplace. Sadly the number of deaths in 2019 rose to 46, which is an increase of 18% from 2018. Of these, 18 were farm related, making it the most dangerous sector. It was also noted that machinery related accidents were the highest cause of fatalities (19), which also includes the construction sector. Incidentally, Co. Wexford recorded 7 work related deaths, making it the highest number in any county.

HSA chief executive Dr. Sharon McGuiness said, after the release of the report “Most workplace deaths are preventable and that fatal incidents generally occur when shortcuts are taken, but the mentality of placing people’s lives in peril in the race to finish a job – or save money- needs to stop. Lives depend on it.”

Dealers should also look at their own work premises to assess danger. It is compulsory that an annual review of the company Safety Statement is carried out. The statement must be based on a risk assessment carried out every year on your workplace. It should include risks to your employees as well as to your customers.

You should tailor it to any specific risks identified. Near misses should also be recorded in the Safety Statement. What that means is if an incident occurred but no injuries happened, that incident must be recorded. For example if a heavy object fell off a high shelf and landed beside someone causing no harm, that must be noted and, more importantly, steps taken not to allow it to happen again. Next time someone could be in the path of the falling object.

God forbid, but if a serious accident were to occur on your premises, and you did not have a completed and updated Safety Statement, when the HSA visit to investigate the accident, you could find yourself in serious trouble.

Let 2020 be a safe and profitable year for you.