Rural Communities The Invisible Risk John Bonney Chief Officer CFOA Spring Conference 2007

Engaging with the Hard to Reach Sparsity Low income Isolated individuals Suspicious of authority Low levels of legal compliance Sparsity may not show up on data analysis Agricultural workers are of lowest wage rates, in often poor, badly maintained houses, sometimes without mains electricity (New Forest) Practical people – in agriculture – resist bureaucracy – enjoy face to face contact They are literally and socially far aware from public service Poor health and suicide incidents Use of high risk equipment, chemicals and low levels of compliance CFOA Spring Conference 2007

CFOA Spring Conference 2007

CFOA Spring Conference 2007

CFOA Spring Conference 2007 Risk Profile “As well as having one of the highest fatal accident rates of any industry in the UK, agriculture is also the only high risk industry that has to deal with the constant presence of children.” (HSE) “1.7% of the working population are employed in agriculture and they form 19% of all workplace fatalities.” (HSE) 3 times more likely to have an accident than construction industry. 400 children accident in last ten years 1 worker dies per week in rural industry 1.7% of population – 19% of all fatalities Accident in S and S&E 142,890 – highest region in country 2004/5 10 deaths 6390 major accidents resulting in serious injury Fatality profile – 10% members of public CFOA Spring Conference 2007

CFOA Spring Conference 2007 Animal Rescue Hampshire is strange mixture of affluent and agricultural (typified by this picture) Stock joke of cats up trees/bird stuck in chimney (83% of public say they would risk their own lives for an animal) But there is real risk – for unprepared, trained and equipped staff CFOA Spring Conference 2007

Hampshire Rural Community In 2006 388 incidents on farms Hazmat Fires rescues (human and animal) Co-responders 17% of economy/28%livelihood This is to premises which are: Difficult to find Isolated Profile described before Mixture of residential/industrial Very low levels of compliance with Fire Safety Order Poor levels of safety awareness, almost non-existent training Recovery rates less than 20% 9,000 work on farm CFOA Spring Conference 2007

CFOA Spring Conference 2007

CFOA Spring Conference 2007

CFOA Spring Conference 2007 Animal Rescue Small animal rescue (83) Estimate savings 250 Manager hours 750 Firefighter hours 70% no further attendances Large animal rescue (50) Training Expertise Proportionate response 133 animal rescues – 50 large and 83 small Hampshire established some time ago trained animal rescue advisors on a call out arrangement We have now begun a pilot whereby; - Dedicated Rural Safety Officer is supported by - 3 Retained Rural Safety Advisors They respond to animal rescues in conjunction with the RSPCA Most of saving is for whole time firefighter Large Animal Rescue Provide awareness training not only for own staff, but to agricultural students in Sparsholt – DEFRA advice They will mobilise either to assess incident or as a specialist officer CFOA Spring Conference 2007

CFOA Spring Conference 2007 Rural IRMP Prevention Protection Response Resources Saw value of Officers beyond animal rescue to support more widely IRMP – pilot in New Forest (37.5k hectares). CFOA Spring Conference 2007

CFOA Spring Conference 2007 Prevention Rural Safety Visit HFSV Guidance Rural Safety Advice Rural Safety Officers attend farms referred mainly through word of mouth – incredibly important or through partner agencies, NFU Forestry Commission Surveying safety of tenants in Forestry Commission premises Will undertake HFSV in domestic residential property Guidance on good housekeeping Safer practices, dangers of tractor tyres with children Vehicle operations – sight lines, roll over Post fire visits Will discuss, provide our and HSE leaflets Building a relationship of trust CFOA Spring Conference 2007

CFOA Spring Conference 2007

CFOA Spring Conference 2007 Prevention Dealing with rural emergency training Countryside events Liaison with Forestry Commission Defra and HSE advice for those industries say must receive emergency training. Lecture at Sparsholt Attendance at these important given sparsity of community Around planting and forestry production techniques Arson reduction measures – even possible youth engagement schemes around Forestry activities CFOA Spring Conference 2007

CFOA Spring Conference 2007

CFOA Spring Conference 2007 Protection Fire Safety Order Chemical/Acetylene Cylinder Amnesty Operational Intelligence RSO’s work in conjunction with Technical Fire Safety and NFU to provide general guidance Developing in conjunction with refuse company for free disposal of illegal/out of date chemicals and acetylene cylinders. Provide information on; Grid reference Water supplies - into Risk Intelligence database Access CFOA Spring Conference 2007

CFOA Spring Conference 2007

CFOA Spring Conference 2007 Response Attendance at; Fires Hazmat Animal Rescue/Evacuation Wildland Fires Wild land fires – major impact on heritage, SSSI Environment highly dangerous Our RSO’s work as specialist advisors at the more substantial incidents Provide general training to own staff – Recruit, RDS, Crew Managers and Watch Managers, Incident Training Co-train with forestry workers – development of Fire Plans with owners CFOA Spring Conference 2007

CFOA Spring Conference 2007 Managing Resources Partnerships Funding Policy Development This is clearly an area of high demand given interest of partnerships (SCATs, Forestry Commission, HSE, Police, MPs support, RSPCA) Police, Pub, Horse, Farm Watch Programmes to ‘Country Watch’ European funding – supporting commoners/rural communities 70k cost 50% net through sponsor/savings Both locally and with CFOA; Animal Rescue; Policy CFOA Spring Conference 2007