SRUC has been working with the Farm Safety Foundation to help raise awareness of the risks and hazards farmers face in the workplace on a daily basis.
Farming continues to be one of the most hazardous occupations in the UK however award-winning charity, the Farm Safety Foundation has been working closely with Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) to encourage students studying land-based and agricultural courses in Scotland to think about safety in the hope that the number of accidents, whether major or minor, decrease and lives are saved.
The Introduction to Farm Safety course, run by the Farm Safety Foundation, aims to raise awareness of the risks and hazards farmers face every day in the workplace and challenge and change the attitudes to risk taking so that the next generation of farmers will take good behaviours into the industry.
Last year there were five fatal accidents in Scotland and many more accidents caused serious and life-changing injuries.
The Farm Safety Foundation worked with lecturers at SRUC to tailor their unique course to meet their students’ needs and recreated four CSI-style farm accident scenes.
Small groups of students spent approximately 20 minutes at each scenario, which were set up at the college’s farm location to provide a realistic setting. This approach enabled students to work out what may have happened at each “accident scene”, decide what immediate action should be taken, contemplate First Aid implications and explore what measures should be taken to prevent the accident happening in the future.
The Farm Safety Foundation charity was established by rural insurers NFU Mutual in 2014 to raise awareness of farm safety among young farmers, challenge and change their attitudes towards farming safely and reduce the toll of injuries and fatalities which bring heartbreak and misery to farming families and rural communities every year.
Martin Malone, Manager for NFU Mutual in Scotland, said: “We insure most farmers in Scotland and we’re determined to do all we can to reduce the toll of deaths and serious injuries resulting from farm accidents.
“NFU Mutual set up the Farm Safety Foundation three years ago to deliver practical help – and especially training – to help tomorrow’s generation of farmers and crofters develop a safe working mind set at the beginning of their careers.
“It’s great to see that SRUC have signed up to receive the Farm Safety Foundation’s course. The training programme demonstrates the need to put safety first at all times when working on a farm – and the risks of becoming complacent when working with large machinery and livestock on a daily basis.
“However, it’s clear from the latest farm accident figures that there’s a lot more work to be done to help farmers of all ages work safely and for this reason we’re calling for other organisations involved with farming to help finance the Farm Safety Foundation so it can expand its farm safety programme.”
Graeme Ligertwood, Chair of the Education Division Health & Safety Committee at SRUC, said: “Working with the Farm Safety Foundation, we are determined to reduce the number of accidents taking place on Scottish farms by providing practical, hard-hitting training that instils a deep understanding of the need to safe working which will stay with students throughout their careers.
“As technology advances within farming, the risk of accidents can actually increase. While the safety of machinery and equipment has improved, the fact that machines can do so much more can make people complacent.
“It’s fantastic to have an outside organisation like the Farm Safety Foundation come in right at the start of the student journey to help us emphasise the importance the college places on farm safety and for our students to face scenarios they could come across on their own farms when they go home or in their future workplace.”
Stephanie Berkeley, Manager of the Farm Safety Foundation As the farmers of the future, young people with a solid knowledge of safe working practices will have a greater capability to make informed and safe decisions which stands the industry in greater stead.
“For young farmers not in further education, we have also launched a 90-minute farm safety session which can be delivered at young farmer club level. We believe that close partnerships with young farmers clubs and the commitment of forward-thinking colleges like SRUC can make a difference and change attitudes to health and safety in tomorrow’s farming community.”
