Ideas on making farm safer without the grant

Hugh 2

Heard a good one the other day ( new to me anyway)

Run reenforcing bars under skylight to make them safe.
I believe they can be put in under existing corrugated sheeting without lifting sheet or pulling nails.

Might not be as elaborate as the cages specified by the grant but if you use enough they should be good enough to stop someone falling through.

If you are replacing an existing sheet I am not sure would you be better with these bars or something like chicken fencing wire.

Count Mondego

Even better, fu#k them out and put in a proper sheet. Can't understand the need for skylights when light bulbs are available. Removed all of ours this year and they're no loss.

Hugh 2

Count Mondego wrote: »

Even better, fu#k them out and put in a proper sheet. Can't understand the need for skylights when light bulbs are available. Removed all of ours this year and they're no loss.

Ok thats an idea.
I will look at sheds again with that in mind
Maby I might by biest twords bright airy sheds.

Bodacious

Good thread. Bit stupid that you have to spend 2460 min to get the grant .. All I wanted was leg hoist and headscoop ... Small investment to make my life safer !e800

sh1tstirrer

If you were fencing off an open slurry tank could you put the fence up yourself or would you have to get a builder to do it to get the grant?

frazzledhome

A good tidy up would remove a lot of trip and fall risks. Hanging gates, pto, handbrake, trailer lights and brakes. Handrail on loft steps. Box with safety glasses, ear defenders and first aid kit. Fire extinguisher in plant room

It's usually the little things that cause the most hardship.

A safe area for kids, a designated parking area. We cleaned up a corner and all visitors and ourselves park there, clears a lot if clutter.

A lot of these can be done with very little cost

kowtow

Bodacious wrote: »

Good thread. Bit stupid that you have to spend 2460 min to get the grant .. All I wanted was leg hoist and headscoop ... Small investment to make my life safer !e800

It's also useless if you have been taking the dept of ag advice regarding the scottish derogation and have deliberately held no entitlements in 2014 - with a view to getting them for 2015 onwards.

So we'll be paying higher prices (grant inflation) with no grant available...

tim04750

Bodacious wrote: »

Good thread. Bit stupid that you have to spend 2460 min to get the grant .. All I wanted was leg hoist and headscoop ... Small investment to make my life safer !e800

Why wait for a grant , can you put a monetry value on safety ?what's it worth not to need a plate in yer skull , or have two fingers missing.

Zr105

sh1tstirrer wrote: »

If you were fencing off an open slurry tank could you put the fence up yourself or would you have to get a builder to do it to get the grant?

Yeah there's a figure you add in, if I'm not mistaken it's 12.50/hr for your self, and/or anyone working on your behalf.

There's also a full list of prices for various machinery, including tractor, dumper, digger, post driver, angle grinder and welder as well as a good few others.

frazzledhome

sh1tstirrer wrote: »

If you were fencing off an open slurry tank could you put the fence up yourself or would you have to get a builder to do it to get the grant?

Not to be a Sh1tstirrer but why isn't it fenced?

kowtow

And just suppose I was claiming the grant I suppose 28 approximately field sized galvanised gates along with hangers and fittings would be considered excessive for fencing off a slurry tank?

sh1tstirrer

frazzledhome wrote: »

Not to be a Sh1tstirrer but why isn't it fenced?

It is fenced but it needs to be extended 3' higher and the original fence is rusty and the posts too short.

ganmo

frazzledhome wrote: »

a designated parking area. We cleaned up a corner and all visitors and ourselves park there

Great idea!

frazzledhome

sh1tstirrer wrote: »

It is fenced but it needs to be extended 3' higher and the original fence is rusty and the posts too short.

In the same boat, fenced getting shook. I think I'll go ahead in the next week or so. Not too busy atm

frazzledhome

ganmo wrote: »

Great idea!

Need to buy a clamp for 1 phucker:)

visatorro

tragedy around here years ago involving pto. wont even let contractor work here is cover is missing.
general clean up once a year. scrap bin got in once a year.
replaced wooden ladder into a loft with steel steps with hand rails.
hung gates around the place as opposed to what used to be here gates and pallets tied with bailing twine. gate you can open and walk into a pen/field and not climbing over something thats not safely secured.

as regards kids, all parents will know it only takes a second for a child to walk away. sometimes its just better to leave kids in the house if there is any activity going on around the yard.

Bullocks

frazzledhome wrote: »

Need to buy a clamp for 1 phucker:)

Yourself ?! €5 fine for anyone should do the trick for anyone else

Dawggone

A big sign that bars all salesmen. Dangerous feckers!!

sea12

frazzledhome wrote: »

Need to buy a clamp for 1 phucker:)

Lol

Bodacious

tim04750 wrote: »

Why wait for a grant , can you put a monetry value on safety ?what's it worth not to need a plate in yer skull , or have two fingers missing.

true but grant was designed as an incentive to upgrade your handling facilities and imo shouldn't have been a minimum figure to invest ..€2340 not available this year to me

Bullocks

Bodacious wrote: »

true but grant was designed as an incentive to upgrade your handling facilities and imo shouldn't have been a minimum figure to invest ..€2340 not available this year to me

I'd say this ould grant scheme is just to soften us up to whats coming down the line from a health and safety point of view

Deepsouthwest

Supposed to be starting something new in our group. At the end of every meeting we must point out 3 things we think will improve safety on that farm. It's often a stranger would spot things in our yards that we'd walk beyond everyday.

Hugh 2

Count Mondego wrote: »

Even better, fu#k them out and put in a proper sheet. Can't understand the need for skylights when light bulbs are available. Removed all of ours this year and they're no loss.

I had a look arround farm skylights
I have 6 in the milking parlour that allow me to milk for the most of the year without lighting
They are not broken so I am going to try the rebars on these
In the wintering shed six of the older ones are damaged ( cracked - bits missing -or compleatly gone ) since last winters storm replacing these sheets with solid ones would be as easy as replacing the Perspex ones.

Now that I think of it I might look at how hard it would be to remove the sheet above and below these sheets and put a wider raised sheet along this opening instead ( as ventilation in this older shed needs attention - this may also be another way to leave in a bit of extra day light without skylights)

micraX

Count Mondego wrote: »

Even better, fu#k them out and put in a proper sheet. Can't understand the need for skylights when light bulbs are available. Removed all of ours this year and they're no loss.

Need them for chitting potato seed

Meathman12

Not very sophisticated, but get laminate a photo of results of common accidents at the point that they are likely to occur. A photo of a PTO victim laminated inside cab of tractor. A photo of over turned tractor at silage pit. A few photos at wall alongside where you take off your boots.
I'm not from a farming background so maybe its commonplace.
A few safety slogans and there

Be safe

Timmaay

On the roof skylights, is it not a lack of basic education? Alongside that, how often are people up on roofs anyways? I am the only person here on my farm who would be ever be up on a rooftop now, aside from say a proper roof repair person. I know well what a skylight looks like, and would never ever dare to stand on one, and generally avoid walking anywhere near them. Are you not more likely to fall off the edge of the roof anyway? I guess what I'm trying to say is yes they can be dangerous, however I would describe them as alot less of a risk than many other items on the farm, the more general rule here is that simple as is being up on roofs is dangerous itself, and avoid at all costs. 2bh I plan on fixing other safely problems before I would go to the effort of fitting cages etc to skylights.

Farmer

I think it's that ppl go up to paint or clean a roof, are extremely conscious of them at first, but then while engrossed in the job, step back and.....that's it.

People fall down manholes that are even more obvious. I know that not many people need to climb rooves that often but, multiply it by the number of farms and it adds up to a few accidents each year

Step ladders also seem to be disproportionately dangerous. I've heard of a few people who have been badly injured from not such high falls.

C0N0R

Farmer wrote: »

I think it's that ppl go up to paint or clean a roof, are extremely conscious of them at first, but then while engrossed in the job, step back and.....that's it.

People fall down manholes that are even more obvious. I know that not many people need to climb rooves that often but, multiply it by the number of farms and it adds up to a few accidents each year

Step ladders also seem to be disproportionately dangerous. I've heard of a few people who have been badly injured from not such high falls.

Used to work for a ladder manufacturer, they say most accidents involving falling while standing at something like a Metre. The higher you go the less risk people take. With a normal step ladder your not meant to stand on the top two steps either.

GRASSorMUCK

Does no one use roof boards? Nearly make it yourself with a few lengths of timber no excuse.

Muckit

Farmer wrote: »

Step ladders also seem to be disproportionately dangerous. I've heard of a few people who have been badly injured from not such high falls.

My uncle in law disabled from the waist down after falling off one.

orm0nd

Farmer wrote: »

I think it's that ppl go up to paint or clean a roof, are extremely conscious of them at first, but then while engrossed in the job, step back and.....that's it.

.

+1

was patching a lean too roof on saturday painted grey a few years ago now well faded

the clear light is well weather and with the sun shining was almost identical to the tin we were using different width sheets for the repair and it didnt go too well as you say it's very easy to get distracted and loose concentration

the clear light will be discarded next opportunity

Muckit

A cheap pay as you go button phone in pocket as well as smartphone on a different network. Ensure you are in coverage whatever corner of the farm you are in. Text family member if you change location or if something crops up where you need to go somewhere else.

Loan working is our biggest multiplier of risk. We should be always thinking about what we would do if we did get into bother.

Milked out

Lone working alarms are available, push button or if they are lying flat for any period, they are set to ring a nominated number. Useful particularly for elderly neighbours or relatives, or ourselves for that matter

_Brian

Milked out wrote: »

Lone working alarms are available, push button or if they are lying flat for any period, they are set to ring a nominated number. Useful particularly for elderly neighbours or relatives, or ourselves for that matter

I've used these man down alarms in the past... Mostly good but you do get a fair bit of false alarms if you're working round machinery lying under it and the like.. then lads would take them off for a "minute" and loose them..

Hugh 2

Milked out wrote: »

Lone working alarms are available, push button or if they are lying flat for any period, they are set to ring a nominated number. Useful particularly for elderly neighbours or relatives, or ourselves for that matter

_Brian wrote: »

I've used these man down alarms in the past... Mostly good but you do get a fair bit of false alarms if you're working round machinery lying under it and the like.. then lads would take them off for a "minute" and loose them..

Sounds like a great idea.
Spend most of the day on my own can at times be miles away from anyone
I would be interested in something like this I know it would be something I would consider using while fixing gutters of shoots - agitating slurry - I could go on...
Where would I find out more about them?

Farmer

http://www.mandownapp.com/

Don't know anything about it, just googled it

Hugh 2

Farmer wrote: »

http://www.mandownapp.com/

Don't know anything about it, just googled it

Thanks I had been thinking it would be a physical device little a button that you would wear mowing silage spreading slurry etc the phone is usually mounted on a mount on tractor dash a button worm on yourself could be connected by Bluetooth to your phone
I will have a look at this app it would give more options than I have at the moment

Sorry to hear of 2 more deaths on a farm this morning by tyre explosion