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5 January 2005 - New HSE Self Assessment
Software Package for Farming Industry
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The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have produced a free
interactive software package for farmers, which they hope will assist in
simplifying the risk assessment process within the industry.
The farming industry has one of the worst fatality rates and by
producing the new software package, the HSE's aim is to improve upon the good
health and safety practices within the industry, thus reducing accidents and
fatalities.
The software provides a very simple interactive directive into
learning what must be put into practice for the health and safety of all workers
within the farming industry and includes the following:
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an application which can be installed on a computer and
completed off-line at leisure
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a configuration screen that tailors the questions to those which
are relevant to the farm business
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a series of questions on key health and safety topics
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a benchmark for each question detailing the minimum standards
which should be reached to comply with legal requirements, and the reasoning
behind the benchmark
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the ability to order relevant free HSE guidance
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a facility to add additional risks to the assessment on issues
and hazards which are either not covered by the questions or which are unique to
the farm
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a facility to allow separate assessments to be produced if more
than one farm or holding is managed or owned
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printouts in the form of a prioritised list of identified
actions
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an optional facility to submit the completed assessment to HSE
Also within the package are the availability of all HSE's
agriculture and guidance leaflets.
HSE's Agriculture and Food Sector said of the package:
"HSE has produced this self-assessment software to help
improve the health and safety record of an industry that has one of the worst
fatal accident levels. In the ten-year period from 1994/95 to 2003/04, 489
people were killed as a result of agricultural work activities and several
thousand more were injured or became ill.
"This software simplifies the process of risk assessment and is intended to help
farmers apply good health and safety practices. We hope farmers will find it a
useful tool to help improve awareness of health and safety and so reduce the
risk of costly accidents on their farms."
The software package download can be accessed by clicking the
following:
Farm self-assessment software (a free CD-ROM can also be accessed
here).
Article by Alexandra Johnston
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