Experts share advice on how to safely transport sugar beet
4th December 2024
Industry experts have shared advice for sugar beet growers on how to safely transport beets during this year’s campaign.
The Tilly Pass has joined forces with NFU Mutual, DVSA, British Sugar, Suffolk Police, the Yellow Wellies and Richard Western Trailers to create a safety group called the Root to Success, which underlines the importance of root crop carting.
Together they have created a trusted source of shared information covering all aspects of safe towing, giving farmers and contractors a clear understanding of essential requirements for operators and users to develop an up-to-date on-farm safety portfolio.
Steve Simmons-Jacobs, engineering safety consultant at Tilly Pass, said that sugar beet farmers should pay special attention to making a risk assessment.
He said: “As our workplace changes with the seasons, it’s essential that new hazards are assessed. This could not be more relevant than at the start of the root crop season.
“Making a risk assessment around this or indeed any hazard is an essential part of everyday agriculture, and the person making and sharing these must have the appropriate qualifications, knowledge and experience. This should then be part of every business’s safety portfolio.”
READ MORE: Sugar beet factories celebrate record-breaking performance during this year’s campaign
Do you know your machines?
Sugar beet growers should also remember that inspections and record keeping are required to meet the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regs 1992 (PUWER) regulation 6 along with the new British Standard 14200/2023.
The Tilly Pass Scheme is an accessible way of meeting these requirements with on-farm inspection, service and central trailer database. These documents can then be added to growers’ safety portfolio.
Manufacturers’ daily checks are also essential.
These should always be accessed, used and recorded. Tilly Pass has created a free trailer safety check app, Head to Tow, for farmers and contractors, including sugar beet growers.
Angus Western, managing director at Richard Western, advises: “You understand the capacity of the trailer you’re towing when you know the actual capacity of the wheel equipment.
“For professional farmers and contractors requiring a flotation tyre, 26.5 rims would be the minimum.”
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Load security
In 2023 DVSA published the revised version of the load security guidance with the requirement to sheet loose loads. This seems to have caused some issues.
The requirement to do this was included in the previous DFT code of practice, but DVSA made it more explicit in the update, due to some high-profile incidents where people had lost their lives due to loads bouncing off the back of trailers.
A spokesperson for DVSA said: “The fundamental requirement to sheet loose loads has not changed since a loose load does present a danger to other road users if the load is not restrained in some way.
“The only concession we will be making will be in circumstances when the load is assessed (by the user) to be sat sufficiently low enough in the trailer, to the extent that it is secured by the structure of the vehicle, i.e. the vehicle’s sides, front and rear without the need to cover the load.”
DVSA added that its examiners will continue to take action when they assess that the load, and the way it is secured (or not) presents a danger to other road users, irrespective of what a driver/operator risk assessment states.
Understanding of the weights and speeds
Suffolk Police Commercial Vehicle Unit has stressed the importance of having a good understanding of the weights and speeds of your combination, good visibility around the vehicle, displaying a number plate, working lights and the appropriate use of an amber flashing beacon.
Its spokesperson said: “Trailer weights are set at 18.29 tonnes with a tractor not exceeding 12.71 tonnes; this makes a combination of 31 tonnes train weight. A tractor and trailer should not tow faster than 25mph/40kph.
“Trailers should be sheeted if fully loaded or sufficient ullage so the load cannot fall. Items such as sugar beet can cause damage to vehicles or collisions from drivers swerving to avoid when falling off trailers.
British Sugar prioritises safety throughout the operations and supply chain, from farm to factory.
They work together with a number of stakeholders, including the DVSA and police forces within the beet growing area to ensure that we are setting high standards within this area.
Every year, British Sugar reminds hauliers transporting beet loads into the factory of safe load guidance, and works hard to make sure all of our industry partners are aware of any changes.
Read more sugar beet news.
