The most dangerous profession

The Farmers Weekly reported that HSE show that 32 people lost their lives following accidents on farms in Britain over the past 12 months, including three children under two. Last May alone 11 people died on farms in England and Scotland – the deadliest single month for 15 years. Incidents include a Yorkshire farmer killed while unloading bales from a trailer and a West Midlands farmer killed when he was caught by an unguarded pto shaft.

The NFU says it is desperate to avoid a repeat this May but following eight months of unprecedented wet weather, farmers are behind schedule with their field work. They fear many will be rushing around trying to catch up and will be tempted to take unnecessary risks, which threatens safety.

Despite numerous safety campaigns over many years, farming statistically remains the nation’s most dangerous profession.

David Exwood, NFU deputy president, recently took over as chairman of the Farm Safety Partnership for England. He urges farmers to take a five-minute pause and think about the task in front of them this spring, as part of the union’s Take 5 to Stay Alive campaign.

Farms have multiple hazards which as we go about our routine work, are easy to become complacent about. These range from machinery and tractor work, livestock handling, working at height, slurry lagoons, and increasingly relevant working alone and isolated for hours if not days.

I try to ensure that we attend Health & Safety sessions, but probably not often enough. Each time we do, I realise how important it is to do so, as there are discussions and examples which highlight potential hazards making us more wary, certainly for a while.

The NFU will be running pre-harvest safety events across the country from 7 May to 12 July, and this week, the HSE publishes five new videos about working safely with animals on its Youtube channel to help livestock farmers stay safe. Accidents occur too easily, most are avoidable – stay safe.

Jeremy Clarkson is right, there is currently no money in farming food. This is why many of us have decided to buy into environmental schemes which are paying us to take land out of food production in favour of ecofriendly environmental schemes. As Clarkson says, “They are good for the soil, and they are good for the Bank balance. But it means we are not growing stuff for people to eat.”

He is absolutely right, the fine balance between feeding the birds and the bees and maintaining a sustainable food producing agricultural nation is on a knife edge.

The jury is out as to whether as a nation we can be self-sufficient in food production or we end up relying increasingly on cheap, lower welfare, sub-standard imports which fall well below our own high standards.

There is no guarantee other countries would wish to supply the UK. Is the public aware of what is going on down on the farm?

To read Carola’s columns in full, go to:www.carolagodmanirvine.com