The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has announced that the first major safety equestrian event of its kind is to be held on Thursday (12/11/09) in Dorchester.

The HSE will host the event with partnership organisations at Kingston Maurward College between 10am and 3.45pm.

The Equestrian Health and Safety Event is being supported by organisations that include the college and local authorities in Dorset, with the support of the British Horse Society, the Farrier Registration Council and other equestrian industry bodies.

A free training workshop in safety issues will be offered to equestrian businesses across England and Wales, but the event is aimed at anyone who works in the equestrian industry – especially those working in or with racing stables and stud farms under HSE’s remit, as well as riding schools and livery stables working under local authority remit.

The day will feature informative presentations and practical demonstrations involving working with horses and moving machinery. The workshop will be held in the indoor riding arena at the college.

HSE organiser, Glenda Benger said the event had attracted ‘overwhelming interest’ from those in the equestrian world – and the HSE’s initial aim of attracting equestrian businesses in Dorset had been revised.

‘We’ve definitely tapped a niche in the market,’ she said.

Ms Benger said the event was part of the HSE’s joint working initiative with local authorities under the ‘Revitalising Health and Safety Strategy’ banner – and added that, in the future, both the HSE and local authority inspectors would look closely at how equestrian businesses were managed during routine preventative inspections and also during accident investigations.

‘Our presentations will include invaluable advice on duty of care responsibilities under such relevant legislation as the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, the Riding Establishments Acts 1964 and 1970 and the Road Traffic Act – as well as practical demonstrations using relevant machinery, equipment and livestock,’ Ms Benger said.

‘We’re delighted with the support we are getting from such important industry bodies as the British Horse Society and the Farrier Registration Council – both of whom are just as committed as we are to improving the standards of health and safety among equestrian businesses,’ Ms Benger added.

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