Farming still has poorest safety record of any industry

THERE have been calls for urgent change as new figures have revealed farming still has the poorest work safety record out of any industry.

This week is Farm Safety Week (July 18-22). This year is the tenth year the awareness-raising week has been held, and the charity behind it – Farm Safety Foundation (FSF) – is using it as an opportunity to spread their safety message even further.

The FSF noted that, while there had been a significant decrease in farm fatalities over the past ten years, agriculture remained the most dangerous industry.

For example, six of the 18 workplace deaths in the North over the past year were in farming, accounting for 33 per-cent of deaths in the workplace.

It was a similar story in the South, where 26 per-cent of workplace fatalities were on farms, despite farming making up just four per-cent of the workforce.

FSF noted that in Britain, 22 farm workers and three members of the public, including a nine-year-old child, had died in farm accidents last year.

“For an industry that still has between one and two children being killed through its activities each year, this simply MUST improve,” said an FSF spokesman.

This Farm Safety Week, the FSF said it aims to “highlight some of the key issues facing the farming community, spotlight the work being done to drive a change in attitudes and behaviours and introduce ten inspirational farm safety heroes who have worked tirelessly over the past decade to reduce the injury risk for farmers and farming families across the UK and Ireland.”

“Agriculture is different from many industries in that it can present hazards to people not actively involved in the industry, such as children and family members living on the farm and visitors, in addition to farm workers,” added an FSF spokesman.

“Hazards can also exist for vets, delivery workers and even the emergency medical services personnel, as they provide assistance and care to victims of farm incidents.”

‘sobering’

FSF manager, Stephanie Berkeley said while it was encouraging farm deaths were decreasing, the statistics were still “sobering.”

“We must remember that these are not just statistics. Behind every fatal notification is a worker, a visitor or a child.

“We cannot become immune to the impact that each and every death has on farming families and communities across the UK and Ireland.

“We have to work harder to make farming safer.”

For more information on Farm Safety Week visit www.yellowwellies.org or follow @yellowwelliesUK on Instagram/Twitter/Facebook using the hashtag #FarmSafetyWeek.

By Roisin Henderson