The Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland is reminding farmers to put safety first when working at height.

Falls from or through roofs are one of the main causes of serious injury and death among Northern Ireland’s farming community.

When working from a height, farmers should stop, think and prepare, ensuring that they have the appropriate equipment to carry out the task safely.

As a basic rule, farmers should ask themselves the following questions and remember, never go onto a fragile or corroded roof.

Checklist – preventing falls from height; - have I thought about the best way to get up to the job?

- can I use a cherry picker?

- can I avoid using a ladder?

- if using a ladder, is it in good condition – are the rungs and stiles sound?

- is the ladder long enough - reaches to at least 0.9m above the stepping off point?

- Is the ladder tied or footed?

- is the roof material fragile, for example asbestos cement sheet or rusted corrugated iron?

- have I got crawling boards or staging to bridge the joists?

- can I see all the roof lights and avoid stepping on them?

For many tasks carried out at height, the use of a ‘cherry picker’ will provide greater protection against falls than the use of a ladder – and will be quicker and easier.

People should never be lifted on alternatives such as grain buckets, potato boxes, or pallets.

For more information on all farming health and safety issues in Northern Ireland, please contact the HSENI helpline on: 0800 0320 121 or visit: www.hseni.gov.uk/farmsafe