Farms get safety "blitz"

A "farm blitz" by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) last month found hazards so serious that over a dozen prohibition notices were issued, requiring work to be stopped immediately

Maurice Regan, regional organiser for the T&G general union which represents farm workers in East Sussex, said: "There can be no compromise on safety and no excuses for breaches of safety regulations designed to protect farm workers."

HSE inspectors also issued 22 enforcement notices. Eleven related to transport, including trailer brakes, missing doors and mirrors, and driver training. Most of the others concerned poor guarding standards on a variety of agricultural machines.

The inspectors also visited agricultural or forestry premises. A five-year-old child was found riding on a telescopic handler, a cross between a tractor and a fork-lift truck. In another case, a man operating a chainsaw was not wearing any protective equipment.