Why is farming so dangerous, how should chemicals and slurry be handled, and how do you carry out a risk assessment?
How to approach animals and carry out routine health checks safely, the safe storage, use and withdrawal periods of agrichemicals and medicines, the dangers of slurry and machinery, and the key features of a risk assessment.
A focused CCEA GCSE Agriculture and Land Use answer on farm health and safety, covering approaching animals and routine health checks, the safe storage, use and withdrawal periods of agrichemicals and medicines, the dangers of slurry and machinery, and the key features of a risk assessment.
Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed
Have a quick question? Jump to the Q&A page
Jump to a section
What this dot point is asking
CCEA wants you to describe how to approach animals and carry out routine health checks safely, explain the safe storage, use and withdrawal periods of agrichemicals and medicines, outline the dangers of slurry and machinery, and explain the key features of a risk assessment.
Approaching animals and health checks
When carrying out routine health checks, approach animals calmly and quietly and from a position where they can see you, so they are not startled, because frightened animals can kick, crush or charge. Talk to the animal, move slowly, and use proper handling facilities. The same care you would take meeting a stranger applies to handling a large animal.
Agrichemicals and medicines
The dangers of slurry and machinery
To reduce slurry risk: never enter a tank or shed during or just after mixing, ensure ventilation, keep people and animals away when agitating, and fence and cover tanks. To reduce machinery risk: use guards, follow safe procedures, and never approach moving parts.
The risk assessment
Its four key features are:
- Identify the hazard - what could cause harm (machinery, slurry gas, chemicals).
- Evaluate the risk - how likely harm is and how serious it could be.
- Identify the mitigating measures - what to do to reduce the risk (guards, protective equipment, safe procedures).
- Ongoing monitoring and review - keep checking the controls work and review if things change.
Examples in context
Example 1. A locked chemical store. A farmer keeps all sprays and animal medicines in a locked, labelled store away from food, water and children, and records use. This keeps people and animals safe, prevents accidental poisoning, and ensures medicines are used correctly with their withdrawal periods observed so treated produce stays out of the food chain.
Example 2. Safe slurry mixing. Before agitating a slurry tank, a farmer moves all animals out of the shed, opens it up for ventilation, keeps everyone well clear, and never enters the shed during or just after mixing. By following these controls from a risk assessment, the farmer avoids the deadly gas released during agitation.
Try this
Q1. State the four key features of a risk assessment. [4 marks]
- Cue. Identify the hazard; evaluate the risk; identify mitigating measures; monitor and review.
Q2. Give one danger of slurry. [1 mark]
- Cue. Poisonous gases (especially when mixing), drowning in tanks, or machinery dangers.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of CCEA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
CCEA Unit 2 style4 marksOutline the main dangers associated with storing, mixing and applying slurry, and state one way to reduce the risk.Show worked answer →
Three marks for the dangers and one for a way to reduce the risk.
The main dangers of slurry are: poisonous gases (such as hydrogen sulphide and ammonia) released when slurry is stored and especially when it is mixed or agitated, which can quickly overcome and kill people and animals; the risk of drowning in slurry tanks or lagoons, particularly for children; and dangers from operating the machinery used to spread it.
Ways to reduce the risk: never enter a slurry tank or shed during or just after mixing; ensure good ventilation and keep people and animals away when agitating; fence and cover tanks and lagoons; and follow safe procedures when operating machinery.
Markers reward the gas hazard (especially during mixing), the drowning risk and the machinery danger, plus a sensible control measure.
CCEA Unit 2 style4 marksExplain the key features of a risk assessment for a farm task.Show worked answer →
One mark for each stage of a risk assessment.
A risk assessment has four key steps:
Identify the hazard: spot what could cause harm, for example moving machinery, slurry gas or chemicals. Evaluate the risk: judge how likely it is to cause harm and how serious that harm could be.
Identify the mitigating measures: decide what to do to reduce the risk, for example guards on machinery, protective equipment, or safe procedures. Ongoing monitoring and review: keep checking that the controls are working and review the assessment if things change.
Markers reward all four steps: identify the hazard, evaluate the risk, identify control measures, and monitor and review. A common error is to stop after identifying the hazard.
Related dot points
- Consumer food choices and demand and their influence on farm production, the difference between intensive and extensive farming including organic methods, and how products are processed, preserved and transported from farm to supermarket shelf.
A focused CCEA GCSE Agriculture and Land Use answer on food production and processing, covering consumer food choices and demand, the difference between intensive and extensive farming including organic methods, and how food is processed, preserved and transported from farm to supermarket.
- The terms income, cost and profit and how to calculate profit margins, the principal costs of an animal production system, farm support schemes such as NIFQA and the Countryside Management Scheme, the adoption of technology, and farm diversification.
A focused CCEA GCSE Agriculture and Land Use answer on farm economics, covering income, cost and profit and calculating profit margins, the costs of an animal production system, farm support schemes such as NIFQA and the Countryside Management Scheme, the adoption of technology, and farm diversification.
- The main sources of farm pollution, the Nitrates Directive and Nitrate Vulnerable Zones, eutrophication using Lough Neagh, how farmers reduce pollution including technology, water quality using BOD and indicator species, and energy from anaerobic digestion.
A focused CCEA GCSE Agriculture and Land Use answer on pollution and farm waste, covering the sources of farm pollution, the Nitrates Directive and Nitrate Vulnerable Zones, eutrophication of Lough Neagh, reducing pollution including technology, water quality using BOD and indicator species, and anaerobic digestion.
- The five basic freedoms of farm animals, and the five vital signs used to assess the general health of an animal, including interest in food, alertness, skin and coat condition, urine colour and mucous membrane colour.
A focused CCEA GCSE Agriculture and Land Use answer on animal welfare and health signs, covering the five basic freedoms of farm animals and the five vital signs used to assess the general health of an animal.
- The cause, symptoms, prevention and treatment of mastitis, fluke, pneumonia and salmonella, the effect and economic impact of tuberculosis and brucellosis, how their spread is limited, and the meaning of farm biosecurity.
A focused CCEA GCSE Agriculture and Land Use answer on animal health and disease, covering the cause, symptoms, prevention and treatment of mastitis, fluke, pneumonia and salmonella, the effect and economic impact of TB and brucellosis, limiting disease spread, and farm biosecurity.