Updates for those working in the agriculture sector
 

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Health and Safety Executive

Agriculture ebulletin

Issued: 10 February 2025

For further information, resources and guidance, visit HSE's agriculture website.

Mind Your Head Week (10 to 14 February)

Join us in supporting the annual Mind your Head Week campaign led by the Farm Safety Foundation (Yellow Wellies).

Reach out and normalise conversations across the farming community about how you’re feeling and coping.

Anyone can experience mental health problems at some point in life and it is not uncommon. Stress, depression or anxiety are responsible for more than half of all ill-health at work so make it routine to talk about it.

Recognising the signs that there may be a problem and responding early can help lessen the impact on individuals, the team and the business. Even if people aren’t talking about what’s going on, signs of possible issues in your team can look like:

  • arguments
  • more sickness absence
  • decreased performance
  • heightened emotions
  • loss of motivation, commitment or confidence

Mental health should be included in your risk assessment, just as physical health and safety is. For ideas of how other businesses have done this, and managed risks of stress, see the risk assessment template and examples.

HSE's Working Minds campaign website has all the resources and information you need to get started or help you to review what you already have in place, including:


Asbestos responsibilities for farm buildings

If you have maintenance responsibilities for buildings, HSE's ‘Asbestos: Your Duty’ campaign explains what you need to do to manage and prevent exposure to asbestos fibres.

Dutyholders for non-domestic premises built before the turn of the century, and especially those between 1950 and 1980 when the use of asbestos in construction was at its peak, must carry out the necessary checks.

If asbestos is properly managed, the exposure risk is low. However when disturbed or damaged it can become dangerous and cause lung disease and cancer.

Make sure you know:

MSDs webinar: 13 February, 10:30am

Join us for a free webinar on the effective management of upper limb musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in the workplace.

Book your place: Effective management of upper limb MSDs in the workplace webinar. 

Health and Safety Executive - 2.2 Redgrave Court, Merton Road, Bootle, Merseyside L20 7HS