Winter Health Hazards in farming

Posted by peter amin2 on May 21st, 2021

In most respects, farming has to be run like any normal business, if there is such a thing. There is one aspect however that is unique to farming and construction that affects the nature of the business profoundly, that aspect being weather.

The nature of farming means that most of the work is done outside in the open air. This partly depends on the nature of what has been farmed, but essentially the work of the farm has to be done outside whatever the weather conditions.

There are some unique hazards to winter weather, which affect how the work is done, and which can pose certain health and safety hazards unique to that type of weather. One of the core features of a farm is that crops need to be harvested, any livestock or cattle to be fed and tended and looked after, and all daily routines completed, whatever the weather conditions .

The unique hazards relating to winter conditions and how these affect people's health have two main areas of concern.  One is simply the effect that extreme cold has on people's bodies, most notably in the area of potentially inducing frostbite and hypothermia, and the other is the effect of dangerous conditions affecting the safety of how work is carried out on the farm.

When conditions are really cold and wet, the land becomes more dangerous in particularly when transporting livestock, crops or any other type of produce. This can be true whether machinery is being used as well or not, and these conditions can also affect all types of equipment for use.

Frostbite and hypothermia are the two main physical health risks to anyone working on a farm in extreme winter conditions. They are real concerns and should be addressed specifically in ahealth and safety context.

Whilst individual risk assessments must be made for individuals and the nature of the work they are performing, one of the key elements of protection is effective clothing, and proper work rotation.

Effective closing must be assessed as to what is needed and what is safe given the conditions and the type of work that is to be performed. This can be about making sure that all of the body is covered, including the head and feet and where appropriate wearing several layers of clothes. Wearing layers of clothes can help to track the air in between the clothing, effectively creating some type of installation, similar to how it might be thought to insulate a roof in a house.

The other main hazard is what is commonly referred to as loss of traction. This is about the more slippery nature of the land when it is wet and icy, and how it affects individuals, tractors and all types of machinery

The main danger is that it becomes difficult to get a grip on the land, either for an individual, livestock and machinery. This is where it is very important that the individual wears appropriate footwear, and for practice to be fitted with whatever accessories are neededto give it a grip, normally traction chains.

The other thing when transporting livestock on their own, is to move them slowly. There is no doubt that one of the most effective safety protocols all types of it is as slowly as possible given whatever conditions are in place. The slower the work activity the less chance there is of any accidental damage either to an individual, an animal or a tractor.