Health and Safety for Landbased Industries Session 4

This resource is suitable to support Level 2 Agriculture courses.

Aims of the session

At the end of this session, you will be able to:

• Describe what is meant by Personal Protective Equipment
• Explain the Regulations that came in force in 1992,1995 and April 2022
• Evaluate the role PPe has in ensuring safety
• Give examples of PPE’s commonly used in agriculture

Introduction to the Regulations on PPE

The Personal protective Equipment (PPE) at Work Regulations1992 came into force in January 1993.

From 1st July 1995 all new PPE had to be marked with a 'CE' symbol to show that the PPE satisfies certain basic safety requirements.

In most cases the equipment will have to be tested and certified by an independent body. Equipment purchased before this date, which does not have the mark, can still be used provided it continues to offer adequate protection.

In April 2022 under the PPE Regulations, the types of duties and responsibilities on employers and employees under PPER 1992 will remain unchanged but will extend to limb (b) workers, as defined in PPER 2022.

For a definition of the two ‘limbs’ or types ie (a) and (b) please visit the Health and Safety website: https://www.hse.gov.uk/ppe/index.htm

What do the regulations say?

The HSE regulations define PPEs as 'all equipment (including clothing affording protection against the weather), which is intended to be worn or held by a person at work which protects him against one or more risks to his health or safety'.

What does the employer have to do?

It is the responsibility of the employer to provide the correct PPEs for his workforce, free of charge.

What about a self-employed contractor working on the farm?

The self-employed contractor also have the same duty to obtain and use the appropriate PPE whenever there is a risk to their health and safety.

When should PPE be used?

When considering risks to the health and safety of workers, hazards have to be identified and risk assessments have to be made with control measures put in place to reduce the risk, as far as is reasonably practicable.

The use of PPEs should be the last control on the list, and should be used when all other control measures regarding the risk have been put in place and the risk cannot be controlled in any other way.

An example of the correct use of PPE

Milking routine

In order to reduce the risk of catching Leptospirosis (a zoonotic disease), a cowman would need to wear a waterproof parlour suit, wellington boots and gloves PLUS a face shield to protect eyes and mouth.

This would be impractical, so the Leptospirosis risk must be reduced.

This is achieved by vaccinating the cows to prevent them carrying the infection.

The PPE worn must be suitable for the task

Head Protection - Riding an ATV

A bicycle helmet, or helmet used by skateboarders would not be suitable. It does not offer sufficient all-round protection for the skull in the event of a fall.

An approved motorbike helmet to BS 6658 is recommended.

A CE approved equine riding hat that gives both top and side head protection would be considered suitable protection when riding an ATV, so long as it can be adjusted to fit the wearer.

Felling trees using a chainsaw

Leg Protection

Ordinary overalls would not be suitable; a chain saw could slip and would easily cut through the fabric causing serious injury to the operator.

Specialist leggings made of fabric which incorporates loosely woven nylon fibres, or similar protective material, (to EN 381 NORM) should be worn.

In the event of the chainsaw making contact with the fabric, the long, loose fibres would lock the chain (with one manufacturer’s garment this would take 14/100th of a second).

Eye Protection

Arc Welding

Ordinary glasses or goggles are not suitable.

Arc welding generates visible light as well as harmful radiation in the form of infra red and ultra violet, which can damage eyes and skin.

Full protection in the form of a helmet or hand shade, with eye protection provided by shaded filter lenses must be worn to protect from harmful radiation.

Points to consider when choosing PPE

• Appropriate equipment is used for specific tasks.
• The use of PPE should not increase the level of risk.
• Equipment should fit the wearer, being adjustable if necessary.
• The health of the user must be taken into account when assessing risk.
• The requirements of the job need to be taken into account when deciding on the type of equipment. e.g. length of time PPE to be used.
• Equipment should be compatible. e.g. for chainsaw work, the ear protectors should fit correctly when the visor/helmet is put on.

How important is training when using PPE?

Employers have a duty of care to their employees and it is their responsibility to provide adequate training on the use of PPE.

This is to make sure the user understands why and when the equipment should be use, repaired or replaced.

Examples of clothing and equipment included in the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) at Work Regulations 1992

• Safety helmets - correct helmet for the task Face shields
• Eye protection - glasses, visors, goggles
• Safety footwear - steel toe capped boots, appropriate waterproof 'wellington boots', rubber boots, chainsaw operators boots
• Overalls
• Safety trousers or leggings
• Gloves, Chemical protective gloves, gauntlets, mittens High visibility clothing
• Respiratory equipment, masks Safety harness
• Waterproof, weatherproof or insulated clothing if required to protect workers against adverse weather conditions which could affect their health or safety.

Ear Protection

The use of the correct PPE for ears is covered by the The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 replace the Noise at Work Regulations 1989.

6 other sets of regulations that include the correct use of PPE

1. The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 replace the Noise at Work Regulations 1989.
2. Control of Substances Hazardous to Health 1995
3. Construction (Head Protection) Regulations 1989
4. The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 came into force on 6 April 2012, updating previous asbestos regulations ie the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 1987
5. Control of Lead at Work Regulations 1998 (CLAW 1998)
6. Ionising Radiation Regulations 1985

What other safety measures all agricultural workers should observe?

Avoid wearing jewellery when working, especially with machinery.

Rings, if they cannot be removed should be covered with tape to avoid being caught in tools or equipment.

Hair should be tied back, or a close fitting cap worn to avoid getting tangled in moving equipment.

Clothing should be tight fitting with no tears or loose ends, or pull cords, that could get caught in moving parts of machinery.

Check your learning

Task 1: List the PPEs that should be used to carry out the following tasks:

Example 1: Using an ATV to round up sheep.

Example 2: Using the sprayer to kill the dock leaves.

Example 3: Machinery maintenance:

A 600 hour service on the tractor.

Sharpening the mower blades using a bench grinder.

Summary

At the end of this session, you are now able to:

• Describe what is meant by Personal Protective Equipment.
• Explain the Regulations that came in force in 1992,1995 and April 2022.
• Evaluate the role PPe has in ensuring safety.
• Give examples of PPE’s commonly used in agriculture.