A campaign to prevent deaths on farms launches today (Friday 2 January 2009) - highlighting farming as one of the most dangerous ways to make a living in Britain.
"Make the promise. Come Home Safe" is a hard-hitting campaign from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) targeting farmers and their families, including grandparents and children, with the individual stories behind the statistics and the devastation caused to bereaved families.
The campaign asks farmers to make a simple promise, to come home safe. They owe it to their families and friends, to the land they farm, and to their communities, to come home safe.
In the North West there were four fatal incidents in 2007/08, 159 serious injuries and 1,344 minor injuries, which are estimated to have cost the industry £23.7 million
During January 2009, HSE will be sending "Promise Packs" to around 70,000 British farmers. The pack contains all they need to make their promise to come home safe.
It includes a "Promise Knot", a symbolic "knot" of farm baling twine, which can be used as a visual reminder of the pledge to come home safe, as well as a poster outlining detailed information. HSE is here to help them keep their promise.
Farmers can send in a form contained within the pack or call 0800 141 2805 to request a new booklet, "How lives are lost on British farms".
Judith Donovan, non-executive HSE Board member and agriculture champion, said:
"This summarises recent fatal accidents and is designed to help farmers avoid making the same mistakes. HSE is mounting this campaign because on average over forty-five deaths, year after year, occur on British farms. We would like to highlight that this is a partnership to keep farmers safe, not HSE dictating the terms."
Over the last ten years deaths on farms have been caused by the same activities. Extra care must be taken when working with vehicles and machinery, on roofs and with livestock, and this campaign aims to remind farmers of what they can do to reduce the risks. In 2007/2008, there were 42 deaths on farms. Less than 1.5 per cent of the working population is employed in agriculture yet the sector is responsible for between 15 per cent and 20 per cent of fatalities to workers each year. Two-thirds (64%) of all deaths in farming are self-employed farmers. Within this group, older farmers are the most at risk, accounting for over half (53%) of the deaths to the self-employed. The three main causes of deaths to agriculture workers in the last ten years were:
* Transport - 24%
* Falls form height, especially roofs - 17%
* Being struck by moving or falling objects - 15%
Public enquiries: HSE's InfoLine:0845 3450055
Caerphilly Business Park, Caerphilly CF83 3GG
