On-farm health and safety

On-farm Health and Safety must become a priority issue for the agriculture industry in Wales.
The On-farm Health and Safety Charter for Wales was launched by the Deputy Minister for Agriculture on 25 January. This is a joint initiative by:

• CLA Wales;
• Forestry Commission Wales;
• The Farm Crisis Network;
• Farmers' Union Wales (FUW);
• Hybu Cig Cymru;
• Lantra;
• National Farmers' Union (NFU) Cymru;
• NFU Mutual;
• Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI) Wales;
• Welsh Government, and;
• Young Farmers' Clubs (YFC) Cymru.

The charter can be viewed below.

In signing the Charter, the organisations involved have agreed to work collaboratively to:

• Encourage farmers to stop and think before taking unnecessary risks, and;
• Promote the importance of good health and safety on-farm.

Health and Safety has to be a major concern for farmers. Many of the deaths and serious injuries that occur on Welsh farms every year bring personal tragedy for the families and friends involved. They also have a huge impact on the future viability of the farm business.

Soon after becoming President of NFU Cymru, Ed Bailey called a 'summit' of interested parties in Wales to discuss On-farm Health and Safety. His aim was for organisations to work together supporting the farming industry to drive down the high numbers of deaths and injuries on farms in Wales each year.

Over the past year, discussions have taken place in order to find ways of improving farm safety. Consideration was also given to the unique health and safety challenges that those working in farming face daily.

The desired outcome is quite simply a change in attitude and behaviour within the farming industry in Wales. A new way of approaching Health & Safety that delivers a significant reduction in the number of on-farm deaths and serious injuries that occur each year in Wales.

Many of the organisations involved have been involved in helping farmers with Health & Safety over many years. For the very first time however, this initiative brings together key organisations to deliver in a more joined-up and, ultimately, more successful manner.

Organisations' adopting a joined-up approach, focusing on specific issues for specified periods and delivering consistent messages is considered to be a considerably more effective means of reaching the desired outcome; that outcome being, far fewer deaths and injuries on farms in Wales.