Think safety before carrying out farm building or maintenance work

Farm building and maintenance work, in particular work at height, can be very dangerous. With this in mind farmers need to ensure that all work is carried out in a safe manner. Some of the largest liability claims FBD Insurance handle on our farm policies relate to farm building and maintenance accidents. As appropriate get competent and insured contractors to carry out the work. FBD, Teagasc and the HSA have produced a “Build in Safety” Advisory Booklet for Farmers which is available in FBD Insurance branches nationwide.

Download our build in safety booklet here (pdf) >>

A farmer was recently prosecuted after a self-employed building contractor suffered injuries, when he fell 22 feet whilst installing roofing sheets on a farm building. The farmer, who was the client for the project, was prosecuted for failing to appoint a project supervisor for the construction stage, contrary to regulation 6(1))b) of the Construction Regulations 2013. He pleaded guilty to the charge and was fined €1,500.¹

According to the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2013, for projects that are scheduled to last more than 30 days, involve more than one contractor or involve a particular risk, it is a legal duty for a farmer (the client - the person for whom the project is being carried out) to appoint, in writing, a competent Project Supervisor for the Design Process (PSDP) and a Project Supervisor for the Construction Stage (PSCS).” The PSCS is responsible for safety during the construction process.

Falls from heights are the main cause of fatalities and serious injury when maintenance and repair work is being carried out. Therefore it is essential that every precaution is taken to ensure the safety of all persons working at height.

The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007 (Part 4, Work at Height) is based on a risk assessment approach and requires that the selection process for selecting the most appropriate equipment for a particular activity takes into account the hierarchy of controls:

1. Firstly to avoid work at height where possible
2. Then to prevent falls from height; and, failing that
3. To reduce the consequences of a fall

When carrying out work at height always ensure that there is a safe means of access. If a ladder is used ensure that it is in good condition, footed, secured at the top, and extends at least one meter above the roof access level. Use appropriate crawl or roof ladders as appropriate and always have a system of fall prevention or fall protection in place. For more extensive work at height the use of scaffold or a cherry picker (MEWP) may be more appropriate.

Insurance

Before carrying out construction work it is vital that appropriate insurances are arranged to provide you with protection against any legal liability you may have in the event of an accident on your construction site to any person, whether they be direct employees, employees of contractors, delivery persons to your site or indeed members of the Public.

Just because you employ contractors to do a job, who have their own insurances, their insurances may not protect you regarding any legal liability you may have if you are drawn into a claim arising from an accident for which you may be deemed responsible or partially responsible for.

FBD Insurance Farm Multiperil clients with existing Employers and Public Liability insurance in place are afforded protection for farm outbuilding construction work under their farm multi-peril policy as standard.

The following categories of construction works are covered if farming clients are deemed legally liable for an incident giving rise to a claim:

• Maintenance & repair of outbuildings
• Alterations or extensions of existing outbuildings
• New farm outbuilding construction projects

FBD understands that farm outbuildings construction is a core activity of maintaining and developing a farm and as such is covered as standard under all Farm Multiperil policies, where it may be excluded by other insurers. It’s important to note that not all policies are the same, each individual policy wording will contain specific terms, conditions and exclusions so it is essential to familiarise yourself with your policy.

We would strongly encourage farmers to engage a fully insured competent contractors to carry out works of this nature. In addition we will be pleased to check contractor’s insurance details for you at no charge.

Make safety a priority on your farm, stop taking risks.