What's Happening?

Facebook Twitter Youtube Linkedin

NEED HELP? QUESTIONS@FIA.ORG.ZA

become A FIA member TODAY
member login

Crime cannot be your only concern

ARTICLE BY

  • Andries Wiese

SHARE THIS POST

In South Africa we have become so desensitized that when we speak about safety on farms, we automatically assume it to be crime related. Whilst it certainly should be top of mind to ensure safety for your property, staff and family your responsibility lies far wider than that.

A survey done in the UK and Ireland recently shows that, in that country, farming is the most dangerous job. Agriculture also has the worst rate of worker fatal injury (per 100,000) in the main industrial sectors. The injury rate is nearly six times higher than that of the construction industry! These findings are corroborated by studies done in the USA and Australia.

Countries differ and so do individual farms. There are risks and hazards that are common to most farms and yet we become so complacent or focussed on the crime aspect that we negate the importance of managing these risks as well. Sometimes we even forget about them…

The Better Health Channel together with the Victoria State Government and National Centre for Farmer Health in Australia put together a list of common hazards on farms that speak very clearly to our South African environment:

  • animals – injuries inflicted by animals can include bites, kicks, crushing, ramming, trampling, and transmission of zoonotic diseases.
  • chemicals – pesticides and herbicides can cause injuries such as burns, respiratory illness or poisoning
  • confined spaces – such as silos, water tanks, milk vats and manure pits may contain unsafe atmospheres, which can cause poisoning or suffocation
  • electricity – dangers include faulty switches, cords, machinery or overhead power lines
  • heights – falls from ladders, rooftops, silos and windmills are a major cause of injury
  • machinery – hazards include tractors without roll-over protection structures (ROPS), power take-off (PTO) shafts, chainsaws, augers, motorbikes and machinery with unguarded moving parts
  • noise pollution – noise from livestock, machinery and guns can affect your hearing
  • vehicles – crashes or falls from motorbikes, two-wheel and quad bikes, tractors, bakkies and horses can result in major injuries
  • water – drowning can occur in as little as five centimetres of water. Dams, lakes, ponds, rivers, channels, tanks, drums and creeks are all hazards. Young children are particularly at risk
  • weather – hazards include sunburn, heat stroke, dehydration and hypothermia.

We certainly enjoy the freedom and openness of our farms and often forget that there are inherent dangers whether we are busy working or even relaxing and the children are all over enjoying themselves. These dangers seem so obvious when listed as I did, yet we do not necessarily think of them as we move around our property and allow our children and workers to move around uninhibited.

The obvious question is how to go about mitigating and protecting your family and staff against these dangers? It certainly is not rocket science and it starts with awareness. When last did you take a walk around your farm (or drive) and assess potential dangers? We do this to check on fences and count animals or check on crops, but do we look wider?

If you have young children create a safe and contained play area close to the house and away from hazards. Also make sure that everyone on the farm is properly educated on the possible risks and are trained in basic first aid.

Machinery and tools present a risk and must be kept in good repair. Dangerous items such as machinery, firearms and chemicals must be stored appropriately. Find ways to improve safety such as fitting roll-over protection to tractors or replacing dangerous and dated chemicals with less toxic varieties. Quads are not all terrain vehicles and should be used in line with safety recommendations and always use appropriate safety equipment such as machinery guards and shields, helmets, gloves, goggles or breathing apparatus.

The most important thing in my mind is to consult with and discuss safety with workers and family members. Everybody needs to be on the same page and agree on a workable safety plan including ways to identify hazards and minimise potential risks. Make sure everyone understands and uses these safety procedures, especially the children.

If something does happen make sure you have at least the basics in place:

  • A suitable and well stocked first aid kit
  • At least two people must be trained in first aid
  • A list of emergency contact details at hand
  • Plan a route to the nearest emergency medical care facility
  • Make sure your family and staff understand what to do in an emergency

In the last instance you are responsible for what happens on your property. You may have the luxury of a safety officer, but in most instances, you are the safety officer. Maintaining a safe environment need not be onerous if it is planned and executed correctly. Not doing it is just stupid.

 

We would like to acknowledge Farmer’s Weekly for the article.

Subscriber Terms and Conditions

  1. APPLICATION OF TERMS
    • These terms and conditions (“Subscriber Terms”) apply to the subscription by any qualifying member of the South African Underwriting Managers Association NPC (“SAUMA”) to the services and benefits offered by FIA Services (Pty) Ltd (“FIA Services”) under the SAUMA affiliation arrangement (“Subscription”).

  2. NATURE OF SUBSCRIPTION
    • A Subscription under this arrangement:
      • does not constitute membership of FIA NPC;
      • does not confer any voting rights or governance participation in FIA NPC; and
      • is governed solely by the contractual relationship between the Subscriber and FIA Services.

  1. ELIGIBILITY
    • To qualify for the Subscription, the applicant must, at the time of application, be a current paid-up member of SAUMA.
    • FIA Services will verify the applicant’s SAUMA membership status with SAUMA prior to activation, and may re-verify such status periodically.
    • If a Subscriber ceases to be a paid-up member of SAUMA, the Subscription will correspondingly be terminated.
    • Applicants are required to authorise FIA Services to confirm their SAUMA membership status with SAUMA as part of the application process.

  1. SERVICES
    • The Subscription entitles the Subscriber to the following benefits:
      • Complimentary access to the FIA CPD Platform;
      • Complimentary access to the FIA Insight Magazine (digital edition);
      • Advertising opportunities on FIA platforms at a discounted rate of 15% (fifteen percent) off the prevailing published rates; and
      • Invitations to attend FIA Technical Webinars annually.
    • FIA Services reserves the right to update, vary or substitute the Services from time to time, provided that the overall value and nature of the benefits remain materially the same.

  1. FEES AND PAYMENT
    • The monthly subscription fee is R260.00 (two hundred and sixty rand) for up to seven registered individuals (Key Individuals and Representatives), and R36.00 (thirty-six rand) per additional registered individual thereafter, excluding VAT.
    • The Subscriber shall provide FIA Services with the required details of each individual to be registered under the Subscription for the purposes of activation and billing.
    • All fees are exclusive of VAT, which shall be charged at the prevailing statutory rate.
    • Subscription fees are reviewed annually in March and may be adjusted with effect from 1 April.
    • Any changes to the Subscription, including but not limited to the number of Representatives and Key Individuals registered under the Subscription, may only be effected once annually during the annual review period in March of each year, with such changes taking effect from 1 April.
    • Subscription fees shall be billed monthly in arrears, unless the Subscriber elects an annual billing cycle at the time of application.
    • The Subscriber shall ensure that all billing information (including contact details, authorised signatories and bank account details) is kept accurate and up to date.
    • Non-payment of subscription fees may result in suspension of access to the Services until such fees are brought up to date.
    • The Subscriber acknowledges and agrees that all subscription fees payable under these Subscriber Terms may be collected by way of debit order, which shall be processed by the holding company, FIA NPC (The Financial Intermediary Association of South Africa), on behalf of FIA Services. Payment to FIA NPC shall be deemed to constitute valid and sufficient discharge of the Subscriber’s payment obligations to FIA Services under these Subscriber Terms.

  1. ONBOARDING
    • Onboarding will be conducted as a Subscription with FIA Services under the SAUMA affiliation arrangement.
    • Onboarding will not confer FIA NPC membership status or any associated rights.
    • Onboarding is conditional on confirmation of the Subscriber’s current SAUMA membership at the time of application

  1. DATA PROTECTION
    • FIA Services will process all personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA) as set out in our POPIA policies.
    • By subscribing, the Subscriber authorises FIA Services to confirm their SAUMA membership status with SAUMA and to process personal information for the purposes of fulfilling the Subscription.

  1. TERMINATION
    • The Subscriber may terminate the Subscription by giving FIA Services one calendar month’s written notice.
    • FIA Services may terminate the Subscription on one calendar month’s written notice, or immediately if the Subscriber breaches these Subscriber Terms and fails to remedy such breach within 14 (fourteen) days of receiving written notice.
    • Termination of the SAUMA–FIA Services affiliation agreement shall not automatically terminate these Subscriber Terms.
    • Termination by the Subscriber shall not relieve the Subscriber of liability for any subscription fees accrued up to the effective date of termination.
    • FIA Services may suspend or terminate the Subscription with immediate effect in the event of non-payment of fees by the Subscriber.

  1. GENERAL
    • These Subscriber Terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa.
    • Any disputes arising under these Subscriber Terms shall be dealt with in accordance with the dispute resolution provisions contained in the FIA NPC membership terms and conditions, as modified to reflect that the contractual relationship is with FIA Services.
    • Any notices required under these Subscriber Terms may be validly delivered by email to the addresses provided in the Subscriber’s application form, and such notices shall be deemed received on the day of transmission if sent during business hours.
    • The Subscriber may not assign, cede or transfer any of its rights or obligations under these Subscriber Terms without the prior written consent of FIA Services.
    • No variation of these Subscriber Terms shall be of any force or effect unless reduced to writing and signed by both FIA Services and the Subscriber.