Thousands of man-hours are spent by countless committees and forests of papers issued to set standards and criteria to ensure land-based machinery is safe to use.

Manufacturers then jump through hoops to comply with ever-more stringent rules and regulations before a machine can be released onto the market. No stone is left unturned (often literally) before a tractor, combine, mower, chainsaw is deemed to have passed international safety standards.

Then a flaw in the system. The machine is sold to a human-being. Someone with all the frailties, the emotions, the rationale, the occasional lack of common sense - in other words, most of us.

At the IAgrE Annual Conference at Harper Adams yesterday, HSE’s chief agricultural inspector, Dr Andrew Turner presented statistics that were depressing and revealing.
After saying that he thought that pretty well everything had been done to ensure that guarding of machinery was to the highest standad, he then revealed figures about the 436 fatalities that had incurred in agriculture over the past 10 years, 39% of which were machinery related.

Furthermore, categorising fatalities due to ‘contact with machinery’ (as opposed to machines overturning or being run-over) 25 of the 31 deaths occured during maintainance or adjustment, and only 6 whilst the machine was actually being used.

The human-factor is to blame in a very high proportion of accidents, not the design nor lack of safety devices. In fact, complacency can set in, according to accident investigator Dr Mark Cooper when the operator feels protected by the extent of guarding or safety features on a machine.

It really is a challenge for engineers to look beyond the technical specifications of machinery when developing safety criteria. Psychology and often irrational human behaviour plays an enoromous role.

And in a rather surreal final presentation yesterday, risk assessment expert Paul Reynolds (NFU Mutual) described the time he was asked to provide a risk assessment for a Claas Dominator combine fitted with a snow plough, high-speed gritting attachment, hot drink maker and flame thrower!

Yes, you’re right. The Clarkson, May and Hammond combo were up to their tricks again to prove how a combine could make a very effective snow-clearance unit.
Top Gear is one of the world’s most popular TV productions, yet you have to wonder at the messages it throws out . .

Chris Biddle.