Farm Safety Week 2018 runs from 16-20 July.
NFU farm safety policy adviser, Tom Price, explains more and outlines how every NFU member can take part:
See also: NFU Vice President Stuart Roberts introduces #FarmSafetyWeek and why it's so important to get involved - WATCH.
Safety is not just one week. Safety is something that should be in our minds every day we are at work. Farm Safety Week is a way to help move safety right up the agenda and set us up for a year of change and improvement. Farm safety Week is an industry wide focus on safety and how things can change in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland.
What is it all about?
The purpose of FSW is to:
- Raise awareness of safety in farming
- Highlight that agriculture is working to change the safety record
- Share good practice and “what good looks like”
- Raise awareness that health is not just physical health but also mental wellbeing
How can you get involved?
It is easy to get involved and be part of changing our industry. Look at your farm and find one thing to change this week. Your change might be something relatively simple and cheap to do like:
- Tidying up the yard to remove rubbish that could be a fire hazard
- Wearing hi viz to make yourself visible and reduce the risk of being run over
- Putting safe stop stickers in every cab as a reminder to follow the procedure and stop farmers being run over and killed or injured by their own vehicle
It might be more involved, such as:
- Completing a risk assessment
- Getting professional advice such as provided by NFU Mutual Risk Management Services (contact your local Group Secretary and NFU office to find out more)
- Getting your tractors and trailers brake tested at your local dealer (details of dealers able to offer this service is available here)
Share what you have decided to do:
- Let us know by emailing here. “I am supporting Farm Safety Week by changing … on my farm.”
- Post on social media tagging in @yellowwelliesUK and @nfu_farmsafety and use the #FarmSafetyWeek hashtag.
Talk to your friends and neighbours. Tell them about Farm Safety Week and ask them to do one thing this week to make their farms safer and better places to work.
Little changes made every week can make a big difference within a year. Start today.
Copies of the “Safe Stop” stickers are available free of charge from NFU CallFirst on 03780 845 8458. Information and advice on safety is available on NFU online here; from the HSE here and from NFU CallFirst.
More information and updates on Farm safety Week are available on NFU online and yellowwellies.org.uk
The NFU is also supporting the HSE's Helping Great Britain Work Well strategy - find out more here.
WATCH: NFU Vice President Stuart Roberts introduces #FarmSafetyWeek and why it's so important to get involved:
Read more...