Insurer’s checklist aims to cut farming deaths toll

A CHECKLIST to keep farmers, their families and workers safe through what is described as “one of the most challenging harvests” since the Second World War has been compiled by NFU Mutual.

The rural insurer, which is also the organisation behind the Farm Safety Foundation more commonly known as Yellow Wellies, said this year’s harvest would have added complications through Covid-19 safety precautions, more children being at home on farms due to the pandemic and a heightened fire risk due to the dry weather.

“Harvest time can be one of the most dangerous periods of the farming year,” said Ian Jewitt, MD of NFU Mutual Risk Management Services which runs also runs pre-harvest safety courses. “This year, the additional challenges of working with Covid-19 restrictions, inexperienced staff perhaps working on farms for the first time and recent very dry conditions have combined to present an even bigger challenge than normal for farmers.

“A major concern this year is the pandemic means childcare and school arrangements for many farming families have been disrupted and younger and school age children could be on farms during the very busy harvest period. Tragically, two children were among last year’s farming death toll.”

He added: “Safety is critical during harvest. HSE figures show 39 people were killed as a result of farming and other agriculturerelated activities last year. Overturning vehicles or being struck by moving vehicles caused most deaths.

“It’s a sobering fact that agriculture has the worst rate of worker fatal injury of the main industry sectors and is 18 times as high as the average rate across all industries.”