The event, which took place at Thomas Sherriff and Co in Alnwick, was attended by more than 50 county farmers where they heard from NFU Farm Safety and Transport Adviser Stuart Head who shared practical, up-to-date guidance on transport and road safety rules.
The session was organised to support the farming community in staying compliant with legislation and best practice when driving, operating, or working around agricultural machinery.
NFU Farm Safety and Transport Adviser Stuart Head said: “This event was a huge success, and it was great to see so many people attending. It was a fantastic event, we had great engagement with the crowd and everyone was really keen to learn more.
“We wanted to host this event as it’s important that farmers and contractors have practical guidance that helps keep them legal, safe and confident in their day-to-day operations.
“By working together, we can reduce incidents and make our rural roads safer for everyone.”
Helping people stay safe and informed
Northumberland County Adviser Charlotte Dring said: “It was great to see so many NFU members and young farmers at this event.
“We know how important rural roads are for farmers and the wider community, and events like this are a vital way of helping people stay safe and informed.
“We decided to hold a Farm Transport and Safety event due to the ever-changing legislation around using tractors and machinery, and to give members an all-round overview of how to stay safe on farm and how employers can keep their employees safe on farm.
“Holding it in a dealership has given a lot of interaction with tractors and trailers for members to look at. All-round it was a good night and well attended.”
Northumberland County Chair Mac Young, who chaired the meeting, said: “It was a really good turnout. Farmers from all over the county came along and they got a lot of information from the event.
“It’s quite a heavy topic but we’ve got to be mindful it’s quite a litigious society we live in now so it’s about protecting yourself and making sure that you’re doing the right thing. As Stuart said who ran the meeting said, a lot of it is down to common sense.
“A big thank you to Thomas Sherriff and Co and all the staff for giving us an excellent environment for the meeting.”
James Henderson, Outlet Manager at Thomas Sherriff and Co at Alnwick, said: “I was delighted in the response from the NFU members and young farmers that attended. It’s great to see so many customers and farmers in one place sharing stories and discussing road safety.
“It was a great mix of people at the event, from the small farmer right through to the large contractor. For us, as a business having a better understanding of the facts and figures of the legislation is very handy because it can sometimes be a challenge for us to have a full understanding of what the legislation actually is nowadays. It is always a pleasure to have an involvement with the NFU in promoting this with the assistance of Stewart Trailers, Ifor Williams Trailers and also ‘Head To Tow’ Tilly Testing.”
