Farm machinery training courses

Training in the correct use of farm machinery ensures not only that the operator is able to get the most from his machine, but also knows how to use it in a safe and correct manner which should increase its working life. This training will also aid your compliance with health and safety legislation.

• ADR
• ATV
• Basic Tractor Skills
• 13-16 year olds tractor skills
• Farm vehicles on the road
• Fertiliser spreader calibration
• Getting the most from your combine
• Ploughing Skills
• Tractor mounted hedge cutter
• Towing Trailers (B+E test)

ADR

The Group offers a half day dangerous goods safety awareness course which covers

• Legislation
• General operating rules
• The main hazards of the dangerous goods classes
• Environmental protection
• Documentation & equipment
• Use of PPE
• Precautions to be taken during handling
• What to do in an incident or accident in order to ensure personal safety & that of the public

At the end of the course trainees are given an attendance card which should be carried in their tractor when on the road.

The full four day ADR course can be accessed through the group.

ATV

Serious accidents frequently occur to those using ATVs. Under PUWER employers must provide adequate training for employees who use ATVs. A one day course covers basic use of an ATV but 2 days are required to cover loads and trailed equipment.

• Protective clothing
• Transmissions & Drives
• Controls & Instruments
• Daily checks
• Stop/start procedure & Emergency stops
• Steering
• Risk assessment/Route planning
• Limits of towing trailers/implements
• Loading capacities
• Accidents - cause & prevention
• Assessment of riding/hitching/loading

Basic tractor skills

• Check the vehicle and prepare for use
• Understand employee responsibilities under current legislation
• Operate all controls safely
• Carry out safe manoeuvres forward and reverse and leave tractor safely parked
• Hitch a trailer and make safe electrical and hydraulic connections
• Manoeuvre a trailer making right and left turns in a forward and reverse direction.

This is a limited syllabus for training drivers to do yard work - a longer more detailed course is available for other tractor drivers.

13 - 16 year old tractor driving

• Reasons for training, lack of experience, showing off, the need to know the dangers of powerful modern tractors, to engender a sense of awareness of all the potential pitfalls
• Show an HSE film highlighting accidents which may befall tractor drivers
• Carry out daily maintenance checks on tractors
• Check correct understanding of controls on tractor to be used during the course
• Drive tractor forwards and in reverse around a course
• Hitching a trailer and making auxiliary connections, brakes, hyraulics, lights.
• Hitch up a 3 point linkage
• Highlight types of work with tractors and other farm equipment that those under 16 years should not undertake

Farm vehicles on the road

This is a half day course which covers aspects of taking farm vehicles on the road with particular attention to legislation and health & safety issues.

• Introduction to traffic law
• Documentation for farm type vehicles
• Use of farm type tractors and trailers for non 'agricultural' operations
• Traffic Act Offences
• Construction & use - weight/width/projections
• Specific points on trailed equipment
• Rebated fuel
• Mud on the Road
• Question session

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Fertiliser spreader calibration

As fertiliser prices increase it is vital that it is applied correctly. Any over-dosing in one part of the field will mean that another part has not had the full amount applied. This will result in yield reductions and a stripy field for all to see. A considerably reduced charge is applied for spreader calibrations when several spreaders can be brought to a central point with timed slots throughout the day.

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Getting the most from your combine

This is a day spent working on your own machine. The first part of the course involves working through the combine from front to back looking at all the adjustments and settings which can be made. There is then an in crop demonstration of how to use this information to set up the combine according to the prevailing conditions. This includes carrying out a dead stop. The course then covers losses and an understanding of how to reduce them. One trainee described this as the most useful course he had ever been on.

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Ploughing

The ploughing course looks at how to set up the plough to ensure that it works in the most efficient manner and then concentrates on practical ploughing skills.

Towing trailers (B+E Test)

Drivers who passed their car test on or after 1 January 1997 are limited to vehicles up to 3.5 t maximum authorised mass (mam), towing trailers up to 750 KG, or a vehicle and trailer combination up to 3.5T mam providing the mam of the trailer does not exceed the unladen mass of the towing vehicle. If you wish to exceed these weights the B+E test is required.

This test is based on the lorry driving test and can be taken at Norwich or Peterborough. It includes vehicle safety questions, an off-road reverse manoeuvre, a controlled stop, uncoupling and coupling of the trailer and driving on the road. Tests can be booked online or by phoning 0870 0101372.

There are stringent requirements for both the vehicle and the trailer for this test. The driver is effectively a learner until the test is passed so L plates must be displayed whilst towing, and a suitably qualified driver must be present.

A course is available which prepares candidates for this test.

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Tractor mounted hedge cutter

• Health and safety at work act, PUWER regulations, Highways regulations.
• Pre-use risk assessment to identify hazards and practical precautions
• Service & safety checks, structural defects, lubrication
• Tractor compatability- size/power, tyre pressures, stability & security of attachment
• Practical - top and side cutting, horizontal trimmimng
• Cleaning, inspection & maintenance.

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Find out more about farm machinery training courses

Contact Susan Martin on:

01353 860220

info@elyanddistricttraininggroup.co.uk

Or complete our enquiry form