Workplace safety - Caution the best policy

If the storms of recent days make it hard to believe that spring, and all the outdoor work it will bring to farms and building sites, is just around the corner, then yesterday’s inquest into the tragic deaths of Noel Spence and his sons Graham and Nevin reminded us all of how treacherous workplaces can be.

The men died when they were overcome by gas from a slurry tank.

Farms are one of the most dangerous working environments, with 22 farm-related deaths and 6,673 reported non-fatal injuries in 2011. The main causes of death or injury are farm machinery, especially tractors, or being too confident with livestock.

Very many farmers work alone and are often under pressure, especially at this time of the year, to get work done while daylight lasts, but the consequences of an accident can be so dramatic or final that caution is always the best policy.