Collaboration is a word that is sometimes overused when talking about driving a change however, when we were approached by The Institute for Agriculture and Horticulture (TIAH), farming and growing’s new professional body, we knew that this was one collaboration we wanted to embrace.
TIAH’s vision was to develop a series of interactive health and safety modules that workers and managers could access at their own pace and leisure which would help drive improvements in attitudes and behaviours in the industry. While it’s the farm owner’s name above the door, farm health and safety is the responsibility of everyone working in a farm or horticultural business.
Health and safety starts with you so it’s important that you do all you can to work safely and that means acquiring the skills to stay safe and stay farming…
Tess Howe, TIAH
We spoke to Tess Howe, TIAH Head of Membership and Partnerships, who explained TIAH’s motivation for creating their new course:
“The statistics around fatalities and life-changing injuries in farming are staggering and, in many cases, accidents could have been avoided if health and safety rules had been followed properly,”
“A few minutes of preparation can save a lifetime of regret, so we wanted to support the work of the Farm Safety Foundation and HSE by making easy-to-use resources available for all farm workers. We hope this will help reverse the depressing statistics and embed a greater culture and awareness of health and safety best practice across all farming and growing businesses.”
And for good reason: according to the latest report from the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) 21 farm workers lost their lives on GB farms over the past year.
That is why TIAH collaborated with The Farm Safety Foundation and other experts to develop the TIAH Essential Skills Foundations in Farm Safety.
Who should take this course?
Anyone working on a farm or horticultural production site but it’s particularly suitable for farm workers/operators.
What are the aims of the course?
- Knowledge is safety: Our aim is to equip more people with the right information about health and safety. The more we know, the safer our farms are.
- Cultivating habits: This course is all about making safety practices second nature to us. It’s about transforming our farms into safer environments, every single day.
- Best practices: Promoting industry-leading health and safety practices, ensuring they become the standard on your farm.
- Safer farms: Farm accidents are too common, and we’re determined to change that. This course plays a vital role in reducing those numbers.
- Recording for progress: Keeping records can seem like a chore, but it’s a crucial part of improving our safety long-term.
- Know your legal responsibilities: It is vital to understand how you are responsible for the safety of yourself and your colleagues to ensure you are compliant with the law.
What does this course include?
The course is split into four core modules, plus an optional module on reducing risks when working with livestock. Each is designed to help all farm workers improve their recognition of hazards, understand how to effectively manage risks, and adopt best practice around reporting of incidents. They’re interactive and fun to use and can be completed at your own pace. You will receive two CPD points for every module you complete, and gain a certificate after completing the whole course.
What are the modules?
- The importance of farm safety
- Why farm safety is crucial and the possible consequences of unsafe working
- The critical elements of health and safety legislation and your responsibilities
- Understanding the financial and moral implications of not operating safely
- The risks in farming and the risk assessment process
- The common hazards and risks in farming
- The role and process of risk assessments
- Roles, responsibilities and reporting incidents
- The responsibilities you and your employer have regarding health and safety
- Understanding the importance of near-miss reporting and a farm emergency plan
- Reducing farm worker health risks
- The range of health risks farmers may face
- An introduction to Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) regulations and the hierarchy of controls when working with substances hazardous to health
- Practical ways to work more safely and reduce health risks
- Farm safety review quiz
- Designed to review what has been learned the course
- Reducing risks when working with livestock
An optional module for those working with livestock.
- Understand the risks when working with livestock
- Understand how the hierarchy of controls can be applied when working with livestock
- Practice doing a simple risk assessment for a task where you are working with livestock
To Learn more visit TIAH Essential Skills Foundations in Farm Safety
