AFAG Initial Notifications - 2024
Arboriculture & Forestry Fatalities
August 2024 - AFAG Fatal Notification - Transport (ATV)
Initial notification is that a worker was found dead under an ATV.
Moving and overturning vehicles are a common cause of serious and fatal injuries in agriculture and forestry. ATVs are designed to cope with a wide variety of terrains but if poorly maintained, used outside their safe operating parameters or carelessly driven, can very rapidly become unstable. To use an ATV safely it is essential that:
- The driver is properly trained
- The driver wears a helmet
- The ATV is well maintained and routinely checked (especially tyre pressures, brakes and throttle)
- Routes are properly planned, and if possible, new routes are walked, and hazards are identified, before the route is ridden and The appropriate gear ratio / 2WD / 4WD is selected for the terrain being driven on.
Links to relevant published guidance (HSE and industry publications)
June 2024 - AFAG Fatal Notification - Struck by a tree
Initial notification is that a person was struck by a section of tree during felling.
April 2024 - AFAG Fatal Notification - Struck by a tree
Initial notification is that a worker was crushed and killed by a tree while clearing windblown trees.
April 2024 - Fatal Notification - Struck by an object (tree)
Initial notification is that a person was crushed whilst unloading tree trunks from a forwarder trailer.
The HSE are sharing these notifications. Because the incidents are under investigation exact details will not be available and will not be provided with these notifications (either because the facts haven’t’ been established or release may prejudice enquiries).
Sharing of these notifications helps to raise awareness of broad themes around risk management and promote safety messages.
These notifications should not be seen as a definitive record of the number of fatalities in any particular period or sector of industry (some fatalities may turn out to be not reportable, or be allocated to other HSE Sectors when details are fully known eg amenities). Formal figures are released annually through HSE’s ‘Fatal injuries in Great Britain’ report: Statistics - Fatal injuries in Great Britain (hse.gov.uk)
Additionally the HSE may also share relevant agricultural initial notifications when sent out to agricultural stakeholders particularly if they may be of use to the forestry / arboriculture industries, for example situations that are common to all sectors eg relevant machinery incidents, chainsaw injuries, and working at height matters.