The Association of Farm & Forestry Contractors (FCI) has recommended safety procedures for all contractors when it comes to the job of covering silage pits during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It said that the contractor and the farmer must agree in advance who will be responsible for covering the silage pit and agree if there is to be an additional cost for the silage pit-covering process.

It added that if the contractor agrees to cover the silage pit, then no persons other than those on the contracting team should be working on the silage pit during the pit-covering process in order to maintain the 2m social distancing rules and ensure personal safety.

The association said: “Only new plastic silage pit covering sheets should be used. Contractors and their operators cannot be expected to handle recycled plastic covers, as they have been previously handled and will be contaminated.”

It added: “The contractor will use a loader/tractor to deposit tyres in the centre of the sheet. Contractors and their operators will NOT at any time physically handle covering tyres. They will be loaded by machine at all times in order to eliminate disease spread to the contractor teams.

“The farmer will be responsible for spreading the tyres across the width and sides of the silage pit after the contractor team has departed from the silage pit area.”

The association concluded by saying that farmers have a duty under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 to provide a safe working environment on the farm, including farm buildings and silage pits, for all people who may work on that farm. There is a further duty to ensure that any contractor, hired to work on the farm, provides and/or works in a safe manner.

The cost involved

FCI explained: “It is important for contractors to remember that it takes in excess of one hour to cover most silage pits. If all of the contractor’s team are involved in the covering process, this will equate to a lost harvesting output of at least 20 acres on the next farm. This cannot be recovered.”

“There is a cost against the contractor operations of close to €2,000 (20 acres lost x €100/acre). Please be aware of the value of this service that you supply in covering silage pits for your customers and please let them know how much the covering process costs you.”