Glossary

Code of Practice. Sometimes this just means guidance, however an Approved Code of Practice has a force of law similar to the Highway Code to the Road Traffic Act. ie breach in itself does not warrant prosecution, but can be used in a court of law.

Competent Person: A practical and reasonable person with sufficient documented learning and experience, who knows what to look for, how to recognise unsafe conditions when they see it, and what to do to make them safe. And preferably has achieved a VRQ to prove it!

Duty of Care: The duty of care on farmers is to ensure the health and safety and welfare of employees at work and contractors, visitors and members of the public who may be on/near the farm - so far as is reasonably practicable.

Harm: Injury or damage.

Hazard: is component of a task, piece of physical equipment, chemical substance etc. which has the potential to be harmful. Hazards are very varied, e.g PTO shaft, pesticide poisoning, or insect bites on fieldwork, falls from a ladder or roof, exposure to Weil’s disease and too much work.

Health and Safety Culture: Is a set of individual and group values, attitudes, competencies and patterns of behaviour that demonstrate the commitment to of an organisation's health and safety programme.

Instruction: Any verbal or written policy, procedure, safe system of work, code of practice or guidance relating to health and safety. Verbal instruction should normally be followed-up in writing.

Inspection: Systematic assessment of safety standards for plant, place of work, working. Can be carried out by a manager (Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations (1999) regularly for their areas of responsibility. Safety representatives have rights to carry out regular inspectiosn and when necessary (SSRC Regulations).

Manual Handling: Moving or supporting a load manually by any means. e.g lifting, putting down, pushing, pulling, carrying or moving by hand or bodily force.

Negligence: The omission to do something, which a reasonable person, guided upon those considerations which ordinarily regulate the conduct of human affairs would do, or something, which a prudent and reasonable man would not d

Permit to work: A formal written or verbal procedure to carry out a plan designed to protect people working in hazardous areas or activities. Authority for a safe system of work - see below

Practicable: Technical feasibility with no reference to costs.

Project: A piece of work with defined resources, times and equipment to achieve stated aims and (learning) outcomes.

Reasonably Practicable: A computation made in which the quantum of risk is placed on one scale, and the disadvantages involved in the measure necessary for averting the risk is placed upon the other. If it be shown that there is a gross disproportion between them - the risk being insignificant in relation to the sacrifice - the defendants discharge the onus on them.

Reasonably Practicable - Up in EU Court! EU Commission challenges UK in Court (Case C 127/05) saying SFAIRP (so far as is reasonably practicable) "flouts Framework Directive" (pdf).

"As far as is reasonably practicable": Advocate General says UK is OK to use the words in H&S law

Judgement of ECJ June 2007 says reasonably practicable OK

Risk is the probability or chance that the hazard posed by equipment or substances will lead to injury. If the hazard cannot be removed, the risks they pose can be minimised by suitable risk control. Another definition from author of Risk

Risk Assessment: The process where hazards are identified and risks evaluated, with the objective of eliminating or reducing the risks as low as is reasonably practicable. The estimation of whether a hazard is likely to occur in practice is normally expressed as a risk factor or score by multiplying the hazard severity score by a likelihood score. Risk scores above low risk should be followed up.

Risk Control is the means by which moderate or high risks identified in the risk assessment are eliminated or reduced to acceptable levels.

Safety: Freedom from risk of injury or asset damage/loss.

Safety Committee: A committee representative of all staff with the objective of promoting co-operation in investigating, developing and carrying out measures to ensure the health, safety and welfare of the employees. Guidance from SSRC Regn, Codes and Guidance..

Safety Policy: A legal requirement for all employers to prepare, and keep up to date a written statement of their policy regarding the health and safety of their employees. The requirement for a written statement is for 5 or more employees

Safe System of Work: A formal, written agreement between line manager and employees defining how to perform a task safely. It states identified risks (from the risk assessment step), lists risk control/management necessary and provides instruction to staff working on the task.

Safety Representative: A person appointed by a recognised trade union, who is recognised by the employer under the Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations 1977 and who fulfils the function conferred upon them by the Regulations.

Signs and Symptoms - Signs are objective changes in a person measurable by an external observer or diagnostician, which might reflect adverse effects on health. Whereas symptoms are effects described by the person affected.

Abbreviations

BSC British Safety Council

COSHH Control of Substances Hazardous to Health ..Regulations..

COPR Control of Pesticide Regulations

Green Code Approved Code of Practice for safe use of pesticides on farms and holdings. More

Hazards

HSE Health and Safety Executive

RoSPA