FARMERS have been urged to think carefully before starting jobs which they may think will only take a few minutes, but can end up costing them their lives.
North-East Health and Safety Executive principal inspector Peter Dodman said 75 farmers or farmhands have died as a result of falls across the UK over the past ten years.
He said if they had taken a few precautions, many may well have been still alive today.
Recent examples in the region include a farmer who died after he fell through a plastic skylight in a fibre- cement barn roof; another who suffered serious fractures when the untied and unsupported ladder he was using slipped; and an employee who suffered major fractures when he fell through a fibre-cement roof while trying to repair it.
Mr Dodman has urged farmers not to start any job unless they have assessed how it can be completed safely; not to underestimate the risk that something could go wrong; and to consider calling in specialists if required.
More detailed advice and information is available in a leaflet issued by the Health and Safety Executive, online at www.hse.gov.uk or by calling 0191-202 6200.
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