Location, location, location…

A simple – yet potentially life-saving – initiative, designed to help locate ill or injured rural workers in an emergency, has been relaunched by NFU Scotland and Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance (SCAA).

The initiative, launched in 2014, encourages farmers, crofters, landowners and other rural workers to adopt an easy-to-use grid reference system which will help define accurately their location when summoning help from emergency services such as the air ambulance.

The “Saving time…saving lives” initiative was set up in response to statistics which showed that that those employed in the rural and agricultural industries across Scotland faced the greatest danger of accident or mishap of all professions.

And when the worst hap-

0 A grid reference could help the air ambulance save lives pened in remote and isolated areas, the two organisations stressed that getting help quickly to the right location was of paramount importance.

“By carrying a pocket-size card detailing the grid reference of key landmarks on their land which are clearly visible to emergency responders, anyone involved in an accident can pass on an accurate location to emergency services, allowing help to find them easily,” said SCAA chief executive David Craig.

Theuseofreferencepoint cards – detailing unique landmarks such as lochs, prominent hills, masts, water features, churches, bridges or road features – could help get equipment to an accident quicker.

And, with multiple copies of these references which could help talk the rescuers in from local landmarks kept in vehicles, with phones, workers pockets and other, lives could be saved.

“The grid reference cards should be an ever-present aid for anyone working in the country and more remote parts of Scotland,” said Craig, “and I would encourage people to use them.

“One day this simple system could help save a life.”