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 Campaign for work safety in agriculture ‘Protect our children’ is the keyword of this year’s National Labour Inspectorate’s campaign for work safety in agriculture. The campaign’s details were presented to journalists on a press conference held on 24 June 2008 in the Chief Labour Inspectorate. The Chief Labour Inspector – Mrs. Bożena Borys-Szopa appealed to farmers and tourists spending their holidays in rural areas or helping their families in harvesting works, to pay special attention to ensuring safety of children and not to disregard risks that could lead to tragedy. The appeal was strengthened by a discussion over examples of tragedies with participation of rural children and additionally illustrated with a presentation of touching photos of young victims of accidents on farms and farmyards. The photos were taken at Children’s Surgery and Traumatology Clinic of the Medical Univeristy in Lublin, that every year treats 100 to 150 children. Lack of supervision, engagement of children to works that should not be done by them, inattention often resulting from overstrain of parents, unconcern of adults and negligence of basic safety rules – which constitute, according to Mrs. Bożena Borys-Szopa – consequent causes of many tragedies.
I would really like – said the Chief Labour Inspector – this year summer holidays to, be first of all safe and that all children come back to school in September healthy and rested. This is the aim of herein appeal of the Chief Labour Inspector that should be published as widely as possible. If this helps to protect even one child from experiences such as those presented at the children’s photographs, this would mean the time we spend together today is not wasted!
Last year’s NLI’s activities for work safety in agriculture were discussed by a Deputy Chief Labour Inspector – Mr. Roman Giedrojæ. He informed that in 2007 labour inspectors perfomed around 10 thousand inspections in farmyards and agricultural workplaces. They inspected 5.2 thousand tractors, 5 thousand trailers, 2.8 thousand combine harvesters and 4.6 thousand other machines and vehicles used at farmyards, including straw press, mowers and machines harvesting root plants. Most of irregularities were: dangerous transport of humans in trailers, trailers’ clinches and on tractors’ or combine harvesters’ fenders, improper connection of tractor and trailer, removal of straw choking machinery when the electricity is turned on, lack of or improper cover of articulated/telescopic roll (to receive the tractor’s power). In 15% of inspected farmyards, inspectors determined that various works, including prohibited works, such as driving vehicles and agricultural machinery, handling of loads exceeding allowable weight limits, dealing with plant protective specimens or work in direct danger zones – near active tractors, combine harvesters and other machinery – were entrusted to children. Moreover, National Labour Inspectorate performed other preventive, promotional and educational activities, such as trainings, lectures and contests addressed towards farmers and their families, aiming at spreading of safe work rules in agriculture.
Deputy Chief Labour Inspector – Mrs. Anna Tomczyk informed journalists about results of inspections of seasonal works of children and adolescents, performed in 2007 for the first time. The most frequent irregularity determined by inspectors was hiring of children on a basis of civil law contracts without consent of their statutory representatives. Moreover, the employers did not possess labour inspector’s consent for employment of children. There were also cases of works performed by children at night time. Resulting from irregularities determined by labour inspectors, 145 decisions were made and 68 notices to employers were issued. Moreover 17 fines jointly amounting to 21 thousand PLN were imposed and 7 motions to courts were issued. Inspections in this respect shall be continued this year.
During the meeting in the Chief Labour Inspectorate, media representatives also watched an educational movie concerning safety of rural children, developed by the British Health and Safety Executive.
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