Fatigue on the farm: managing the risks

With 97% of businesses run by families, and an alarming number of farmers going out of business, understanding as much about your family as your business is vital for success

The problem above all in a business is decision making. A family charter brings everybody together, adds transparency, builds communication and creates trust.

Agriculture can be a solitary environment, and when compounded by the stress of constant uncertainty, it’s not surprising that mental health can fall by the wayside.

ATVs are an invaluable workhorse on almost every UK farm, but over the last two years, 20% of on-farm fatalities have involved these types of vehicles – five quad bike deaths occurring in just the last six months. They are also a common target of organised crime.

Once stigmatised and rarely addressed, mental health in farming is discussed now more than ever thanks in part to campaigns that raise awareness of the issue. Nuffield scholar Chris Manley and FCN ambassador farmer Charles Anyan discuss their involvement in such campaigns.

Working alone is not uncommon on a farm and although not against the law, it does put you and your team at higher risk of accidents with more severe consequences. Both employers and staff are responsible for safety; employers for assessing and addressing risk, employees for following the procedures put in place to keep them and their colleagues safe.  

Harvest is a busy time of year. As workload and working hours increase, everyone is under more time pressure and staying aware of risks can slip. Cornish Mutual Loss Prevention Advisor Evie Gubb offers some timely advice and reminders to keep farm teams safe.

TB was so rare in 1984 when vet Ralph Drouin came across his first case, he didn’t know what it was whereas farmer Max Sealy has never known farming without it. His farm has been effectively ‘shutdown’ for 20 years.