§ Mr. Freudasked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will list in the Official Report (a) the number of farmers who have applied for exemption from the safety requirements of the Agriculture (Tractor Cabs) Regulations 1974, as amended, and how many applications have been successful and (b) the number of (i) fatal and (ii) serious, non-fatal accidents which have occurred with tractors so exempted, in each case, for each of the last 10 years; and whether he is satisfied with the current safety provisions for farm tractor workers.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyThe Agriculture (Tractor Cabs) Regulations 1974, as amended, provide for the use of an agricultural tractor without an approved safety cab in certain prescribed circumstances. These include, for example, work in an orchard. Information is given below for the number of applications for exemption certificates received by the Health and Safety Executive from 1978 onwards. I regret that information on the period before 1978 does not exist in a readily available form.
Applications for Certificates of Exemption under the Agriculture (Tractor Cabs) Regulations 1974, as amended Applications received from Farmers Applications rejected 1978 154 6 1979 156 4 1980 264 3 1981 153 Nil
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Fatal accidents to agricultural employees Type of accident 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 Self propelled machines (i) overturning tractors 4 3 3 — 6(1) (ii) others 1 4 6(1) 3 4 Other field machines 7 1(1) 4 5 4 Stationary machinery 1 — — 1 — Electrical equipment 1 1 2 3 1 Falls 9 6*(1) 7 5 3
Applications received from Farmers Applications rejected 1982 219 1 1983 179 2 Total 1,125 16 During the same period, 81 manufacturers exemption certificates were signed by HSE.
Since 1978, there have been three fatal accidents involving exempted tractors. Pre-1978 statistics are not available.
I regret that I am unable to advise as to the number of serious, non-fatal accidents which have taken place involving exempted tractors as such accidents cannot be identified readily in the available accident statistics.
Ways of improving standards of health and safety in agriculture are always being considered, but at present I am satisfied that the provisions of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Agriculture (Tractor Cabs) Regulations 1974, as amended, provide realistic safety standards for agricultural tractors.