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ATV’S
Quad Bike Safety
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he main three causes of death over the past 10 years; transport (24%), falls from height, especially roofs (17%), and being struck by moving or falling objects (15%). “Every year children are killed during agricultural work activities – 43 children under the age of 18 have been killed in the last 10 years. People often believe that farm children understand farm risks, but the vast majority of children who die in farm incidents are family members. While agriculture employs less than 1.5% of the working population it accounts for 15% to 20% of all worker deaths in Britain each year,” says Katy Jefferies of HSE. HSE organises an annual programme of Safety and Health Awareness Days (SHADs) across Scotland – they are practical demonstrations covering the everyday hazards that those who farm face – they cover approx seven different scenarios including ATv use. HSE has run over 140 of these events in the past ten years, which have been attended by over 43,000 people throughout England, Scotland and Wales. The audience is usually made up of family farmers, the self employed and those employing up to four workers. Attendance is voluntary and free of charge. “Research shows that a majority of those who attend a SHAD make at least one change to improve health and safety on the farm as a result and almost all would recommend them to another person.”
farmingscotland.com Issue sixty-six • June 2010
HSE Case Study
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ark Mather lay desperately hurt, alone and unable to summon help on the family farm in Wooler, Northumberland, after a loaded shotgun went off at close range into his leg. He was found by his father who had come into the fields to check on some escaped sheep. But for that, and the local RAF rescue service flying him to hospital, he would have died. The incident happened in June 2008. Mark, aged 24 at the time, was extremely busy on the two and a half thousand acre farm with its arable land, huge sheep flock, 150 breeding and fattening cattle and waste recycling business. Mark did a business course before leaving school to prepare him for the financial side of the farm business and from his late teens he was involved with every aspect of the work. He was also a retained fireman with the local fire service and about to become chairman of the County Young Farmers’ club. He was extremely happy with his life. “I was born on the farm and have never wanted to do anything else but agriculture,” he said. On the day of the accident Mark had been ploughing a field in readiness for a kale crop. It was while he was doing this that he noticed that the barley crop in the next field was being plundered by crows. “I was really irritated as hard work goes into producing the crop and the birds were really hammering it,” he said. Mark returned to the house in the early evening, dropping off a bait bag and collecting his shotgun before heading straight out again on an ATV, which had a twitching device of decoy birds on its front rack to attract crows so they could be shot. “It was a grand summer’s night,” Mark said, “warm and light. I was carrying the double barrelled shotgun across my lap. It was loaded but I had the safety catch on.” Mark drove about a quarter of a mile from the farm to the first field where he took a couple of shots but
then decided to move onto the next field. He rode 300 yards down a public road and then turned into the next field. As he did so, the battery powering the twitcher on the front of the ATV moved slightly and he leaned forward to secure it. As a result, the vehicle veered onto a slight bank and overturned, hitting the butt of the shotgun, which went off, firing both barrels into Mark’s right leg. Mark had not been aware that the safety catch just protected the triggers and would not prevent the gun firing pins releasing if the weapon was struck hard in any way. Mark had been away from the house for about three quarters of an hour. “I was conscious, in great pain and losing a lot of blood. I tried to get myself up but couldn’t stand and I couldn’t summon help because my mobile phone battery was flat.” Fortunately for him, his father had received a message at the farm to say that some sheep had escaped and, unaware that his son was lying gravely injured, he came down to the fields to look for them. He was horrified to find Mark lying under the ATV and used a leather belt to put a tourniquet on the leg to stem some of the bleeding. He summoned help and RAF Boomer sent a rescue helicopter to take Mark to hospital at Asherton. Surgeons operated throughout the night but were forced to amputate the leg at the thigh to save his life, although his parents and girl friend at the time were warned that this still might not be enough to save him. He had four or five further operations during the following weeks. The impact on Mark’s life and the farm business was huge. He was unable to work for over a year and still suffered pain and weakness when he was able to return. He had to take 14 tablets every day and had to learn to walk again. He still faces more operations on his leg. Mark says the accident put the farm under major financial strain.
“Neighbours were very good and came in to do the silage for us. My father visited me in hospital every day so his work time was lost too. He had to hire in extra help during the considerable length of time I was unable to work. “Because my injury is so severe it means there are certain aspects of the work I can no longer do. I have lost a lot of mobility and working with livestock is no longer possible. We have had to buy a specially adapted tractor which has been fitted with a left foot accelerator and I have a similarly adapted car and a four by four vehicle. “It has hit my parents very hard. My Dad did not go shooting at all last year, which is something that he would normally enjoy.” It is the farm work and fire service, which has kept Mark positive. “Although I can no longer do the full range of physical work on the farm there is still a lot I can do and I have been attending the Fire Service Rehabilitation centre. The Fire Service will keep me on with them but in a different role. The Young Farmers too have been very supportive.” He is a supporter of the ‘Make the Promise’ agricultural safety campaign and speaks at events in the area. “The accident not only put safety awareness to the fore on our own farm but on surrounding farms in the area when friends and neighbours heard about it,” he said. “I am prepared to tell what happened to me if it helps prevent others suffering this kind of incident,” he said. “My advice is to never carry a loaded gun on a vehicle and always to think twice before you start a job. “The danger in farm work lies when you do the same task day in and day out and you are so familiar with the process that you do not take the time to stop and think. A moment’s slip or lack of concentration can alter your and your family’s life forever. There are no second chances.”
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