Every year, several thousand accidents involving personal injury occur in the agricultural sector. This often results in shorter or longer absences for the person affected. Most accidents involve cutting sharp objects, being touched by an object or being trapped under something. Also important causes of injury are falls from a great height, intoxication by manure gases and contact with animals. To prevent this, Stigas identifies the risks and provides advice on how to take measures.
Pay attention to children playing
The greatest risks of sustaining an accident at work occur in arable farming and livestock farming. Accidents are often the result of the lack of the right facilities or insufficient use of them due to negligence. The lack of good agreements also sometimes plays a role. The combination of business and family is certainly also a major risk factor that often occurs in agriculture. Children playing near cutting tools and dangerous machines can be disastrous.
Prevention is better than cure
Constant alertness is necessary, which is also regularly pointed out in campaigns. Linked to these actions, experts also provide advice for improvement. Research often takes place after an industrial accident has occurred in order to make improvements to prevent it.
Stigas for more safety in the agricultural sector
An organization that deals with safety in the agricultural sector is Stigas. Stigas’s rule is that someone who works healthily and safely enjoys their work more and is sick less often, which increases productivity. Stigas identifies the risks together with the employer and employee and examines which measures are necessary for improvement. The organization is also concerned with absenteeism due to illness and the most efficient possible reintegration.
Information by Stigas
When providing information, they focus not only on the farmers themselves, but also on possible partners and children. Stigas also organizes information meetings about the risks and prevention measures and has made a number of videos about the most common risks. Two common industrial accidents are caused by reversing tractors and large machines and by forklift trucks.
Reversing tractors and large machines
Driving backwards with such machines, such as a combine harvester, is difficult because the driver often cannot see what is behind the machine. The chance of accidents is therefore very high. Accidents can be prevented by good reversing protection. Sun protection warns the driver if someone appears in the blind spot. There are even systems that ensure that the machine stops as soon as someone comes within a certain radius or if something or someone is hit. Sufficient mirrors and a reversing camera are also great to see what is happening behind the machine. And of course, children must be kept at a distance and there must be no guests in the yard that the driver is not aware of.
Forklift risky device
Accidents involving forklift trucks can have very serious consequences. Risks that may arise include falling loads, collisions due to improper use and a truck tipping over on uneven terrain. If you take a short bend too quickly, a small bump can cause the forklift to tip over. It is also very important to ensure a safe working environment and to work in accordance with the manual and only by well-trained employees. The forklift must also be well maintained and be equipped with a seat belt as well as safety bars or a closed cabin.