In summer and autumn, in addition to the usual work done throughout the year, farm owners also engage in agricultural production. This is the time of harvests, sowing cover crops, post-harvest work, as well as harvests of vegetables and fruits. And these are only some of the activities that take place during this time. This intensification of work is associated with a much greater risk of unforeseeable incidents. “We must be aware that even mundane farm work can be the cause of an accident, so we need to remember about our own and others’ safety by adapting the scope of work to the person’s individual capabilities,” said Beata Raszkiewicz from the Wiener insurance company.
Safe child
In summer, children spend much more time in the country. They help their parents and grandparents in farm work, they visit the family, or they come to agrotourism farms with their parents. There is nothing wrong with including them in minor works at the farm, provided that these are activities adapted to their capabilities and age. “Just like miners and professional drivers do not allow children to accompany them to work due to the risk associated, so farmers, too, should not involve the youngest children in all activities. Children still lack the experience and the imagination that could protect them from making a mistake, and in consequence from unforeseeable incidents,” Beata Raszkiewicz added. In her opinion, if we take care of these aspects, work on the farm can become an unforgettable adventure, especially for those who come to the country primarily in summer.
That is why it is so important that parents choose only those activities for their children which will not be a danger to their health or life. Safe works include housekeeping in the yard, picking low-growing vegetables and fruits, planting and looking after flowers, or feeding small animals, such as chickens or rabbits. Children should not be allowed close to working farm machinery or large animals, because they are the biggest threat to them. By following these few simple rules we can significantly increase their safety.
Prevention is key
Numerous accidents also involve adults. Last year the greatest number of accident took place in the following provinces: Podlaskie, Wielkopolskie, Kujawsko-Pomorskie, Warmińsko-Mazurskie, and Lubuskie. Most of them, as much as 36%, happened in smaller farms with the land area from 1 to 5 comparative fiscal hectares.
The most frequent accidents that occur in farms include: surface falls (in the yard, field, traffic routes), falls from height (from ladders, stairs, landings, lofts, or trees), falls from tractors, trailers, and farm machines, as well as falls in utility rooms. In 2019 as many as 4 975 such events were recorded, which constitutes 48.3% of all accidents. Other accidents include being hit, crushed, or bitten by animals, being gripped and hit by moving parts of machines and equipment, contact with sharp objects, and being run over, hit, or gripped by a moving vehicle.
Implementing appropriate preventive measures may significantly reduce the risk of such events occurring. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Ensuring that the yard and the work station in the utility room are clean and orderly,
- Ensuring that the surfaces of the yard, stairs, and buildings are in good technical condition,
- Appropriate lighting of the yard and the work station,
- Maintaining order inside the cabins of tractors and on ladders/steps leading up to them,
- Using appropriate footwear that is protected by anti-slip sole and keeps the ankle stiff,
- Using ladders with safeguards against slipping to the side,
- Preparing animal pens in such a way that it is possible to feed them without entering the pen,
- Separating the farm’s living quarters from the production part of the farm.
Many situations can be avoided by staying vigilant and cautious, but not all of them unfortunately. In such situations, appropriate insurance may be helpful. Under the law in force, farmers are obliged to use the protection provided by third party insurance for owning a farm as well as insurance of farm buildings. However, not everyone is aware that the market already features products that allow expanding the insurance package in such a way as to also include the consequences of accidents that may happen to the farmer and his family, as well as the persons working in the farm. A single policy can cover both us and our loved ones, and also the buildings, machines, tools, agricultural products, and farm animals. By using this solution we can be certain that in case of an accident we will have appropriate insurance coverage.
