OUT AND ABOUT
It’s BAGMA training – but with a difference RICHARD JENKINS, BAGMA’S business development manager, joined seven other attendees at one of BAGMA’s first Handover and Installation training courses of the year. This one-day course provides dealer staff with practical guidance in the relevant legislation, areas of responsibility, methods, recording, reports for Installation and handover of prod-
ucts and services. The course was run by Dave Henshaw, an experienced trainer having worked for JCB for many years. He also offers courses in Thorough Examination plus Air Con training. The course was held near Evesham in Worcestershire at the Head Office of John Deere dealer, Tallis Amos. The depot sits on the edge of the Cotswolds near the Bredon Hill and is an
impressive set up with large workshops, offices and smart showroom. The Tallis Amos Group Ltd (TAG) is a long-established company that is a part of the farming community with facilities and services covering the Cotswolds, the West Midlands, Bristol, Welsh Borders, down to South and West Wales. The site allowed the course to take place while adhering to all Covid-19 social distancing guidelines. BAGMA training courses mostly cater for five to eight technicians so can still be held during these unprecedented times. Risk assessments always take place to ensure the safety of the trainers and technicians. The course has both practical and theoretical sessions; the practical work was carried out on a compact tractor and a professional mower. It is so important to complete a comprehensive handover on any product and BAGMA recommend all dealers perform such a task as routine. Our thanks to Pete Gash, Customer Support and Training Manager with TAG, for setting up an ideal training area and to all their staff that attended and passed the course. BAGMA would like to welcome back Tallis Amos as a returning BAGMA member and look forward to working with the group in the future. One of the advantages of membership is a 20% discount off BAGMA provided training courses. For more details call BAGMA HQ on 01295 713344.
Staying safe around livestock is focus of partnership meeting THE LATEST MEETING from the Farm Safety Partnership (FSP) focused on keeping safe around livestock. It has become even more of an issue with more of us us out walking in the countryside. Figures from Health Safety Executive (HSE) show that incidents involving livestock are a major cause of fatal and non-fatal injury in the farm workplace. The current reporting year (April 1, 2020, to April 1, 2021) has seen a total of 11 fatal incidents involving livestock in a farm workplace. Six persons identified as selfemployed farmers, one worker and four members of the public (MOP) have lost their lives after contact with livestock. The total of 11 incidents to date in 2020/2021 compares with five incidents involving livestock averaged over the preceding last five years. BAGMA BULLETIN MAY-JUNE 2021
Key safety messages from the meeting were: ● Select and use well designed handling facilities. Keep them maintained. ● Be extremely cautious and always have an escape route. ● Remove aggressive animals from the herd; do not sell on a problem ● Wherever possible separate livestock from the public. Select fields without rights of way when cattle have calves at foot. The Farm Safety Partnership consists of organisations representing a broad spectrum of agricultural interests, including the large farming membership organisations; auctioneers; training providers; farming press; and machinery dealers. The partnership continues to work hard to improve safety and to reduce fatalities on farms and
allied industries. Our ultimate ambition: to reach a point where there are no farming fatalities. The FSP target on the way to achieving this is to halve the number of farm-related deaths by the end of the 2023/2024 reporting year. You may ask what can agricultural and garden machinery dealers do to help? You all visit farms and small holdings during your day-to-day business when servicing or demonstrating equipment, and maybe have seen situations that could have resulted in an incident. You
may also have family and friends involved with farming or work on the land yourself. However difficult it might be to make your customer aware of your concerns, surely the chance of stopping a serious injury or worse should come above upsetting them. Follow the Farm Safety Partnership on Twitter and help to reduce the number of fatalities and serious injuries in the Industry . Twitter handle: @FSP_ England, use the hashtags #ComeHomeSafe and #WearAHelmet
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