Seeing the farm as a workplace is important because it is then possible to assess what the potential risks and dangers are to employees and plan safety measures accordingly. One of the problems with this is that many people see farming as a lifestyle rather than as a business venture.
I mean by that people who are not actively engaged in working on a farm! People who were, farm would be fully aware that it is a business that environment needs to be thought of as a workplace rather not as any type of lifestyle.
Many businesses and industrial complexes have very specific occupational health and safety legislation that apply to them and rigourously enforced. Farms are quite often either exempt from this legislation or have a number of special conditions attached to it.
This is simply because farms are much more difficult to regulate and control than a static industrial base.
There is also often a belief that farming and agriculture is by their nature are a hazardous occupation and that’s just a fact of life. Whilst there is some truth in that, it does not mean that a number of real precautions can be taken that make sure that the health and safety of workers and family members is protected, when using kubota tractors or equipment
This is especially important where children and teenagers are involved as many will grow up on a farm and be subject to its environment both at home and workplace.
Life on a farm by its very nature will mean that children and young people will have a much reduced lack of clarity about the differentiation between a home and workplace. Often simple things such as daycare will mean that family members will babysit or mind younger children or siblings while doing work around the farm.
There is often not the option to separate out life between work and home, or between work and home environment. This means that each family needs to adjust accordingly.
The social and economic factors that affect health and safety on a farm come down to a sense of awareness that although the farm is a workplace, it is also a home for a lot of children and young people. Often there can be a sense of adventure and excitement about a lot of areas of farm life and farm machinery, especially for teenagers and younger children.
Parents now from which to encourage this in one sense, but should also be aware that children and young people need to be aware of basic safety considerations that would be part of their normal upbringing in a home that was not part of a farm.
The safety considerations can range from simple things such as crossing a road, to be aware of the dangers of certain poisons and chemicals, to looking out for the safety of sibli through to the safety of driving factors or ATVs or quad bikes.
