Farmers fully engage on safety

to actively engage farmers to build the knowledge and awareness levels, sitting through a course does not have the desired effect. Actively engaging farmers to do a test following a course would be once such approach.

Multiple choice

Farmers could be paid to do a multiple-choice question (MCQ) type test online on farm safety. This test could be in a similar format to getting a provisional drivers licence.

Our 16-year-old children devour the book on the rules of the road and routinely practice online in preparation for the theory test, it certainly ingrains the rules of the road into their psyche.

In fact, the HSA have an excellent online Farm Risk Assessment Tool which could form the basis of such a test.

The carrot approach would be to pay farmers for successfully passing the test, the stick approach would be to withhold or even penalise Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) entitlement payments or grants for non-compliance.

A smaller number of farmers could be selected for a practical or more detailed test on an annual basis to ensure continued awareness.

Initially this approach would certainly not go down well with farmers and the farm organisations, but surely we have an obligation to do all we can to improve the present situation.

If you were working on a building site in this country in the 1970s and you were told that all builders would have to do a safety course, wear a hard hat, steel toecap boots and a highvisibility vest before they would be allowed to work on a building site you not have been believed.

The construction industry has embraced the importance of safety and safety legislation through a combination of a carrot and stick approach and it has significantly improved its safety record, perhaps our industry must do likewise.

INITIALLY THIS APPROACH WOULD NOT GO DOWN WELL WITH FARMERS, BUT SURELY WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO DO ALL WE CAN TO IMPROVE THE SITUATION