“The British Horseracing Board is launching a major new initiative to highlight the importance of safety for those who work with horses in the Racing and Breeding industry.
The move is prompted by concern that at present not all employers in the industry comply fully with the requirements of the law on safety in the workplace, and is endorsed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
The centrepiece of the BHB initiative will be a series of seminars aimed at trainers and stud owners to be held early next year. The aim is to explain in simple terms the complexities of the current Health and Safety legislation and to provide practical demonstrations and advice.
While recognising that working with horses will always involve some degree of risk, the industry has a responsibility to ensure that every effort is made to minimise that risk. The HSE has wide powers to deal with those who fail to abide by the law, ranging from improvement and prohibition notices to large fines and imprisonment.
The BHB initiative coincides with a long-term research project due to be launched by the HSE in December to establish the frequency and seriousness of injuries sustained by staff employed in racehorse training. The HSE is contacting trainers in the Newmarket and Lambourn areas, and will be arranging visits in due course.
All trainers and stud owners will be invited to attend one of the six BHB seminars, for which dates and locations will be announced in January. The seminars are intended to supplement the information already provided by the National Trainers Federation and the Thoroughbred Breeders Association to their members. Information will also be available about the relevance of the new Working Time Regulations to Racing and Breeding.
BHB has undertaken to report to the HSE on attendances at the seminars.
As part of the same “”Safety First”” initiative, the Jockey Club has revised the application forms for training licences and permits to include more detailed questions to ensure that applicants fully understand their legal obligations. To help trainers further, the Jockey Club’s Stable Inspection team will also receive formal training on the implementation of Health and Safety legislation in training yards.
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