A one-minute silence was held during the Young Farmers AGM as a mark of respect to those members of the farming community who have lost their lives in accidents at work.
The tribute is part of the NFYFC’s efforts to help reduce the number of deaths and accidents in the agricultural industry as part of the HSE’s Make the Promise campaign, which is being championed by NFYFC vice chairman James Chapman who lost his arm in a farming-related accident.
James is calling on all 25,000 YFC members to support the campaign.
“Encouraging farmers to work safely has always been one of our key priorities,” he said.
“I know only too well what can happen when safety isn’t put first. A few years ago, I lost my left arm when it was caught in an unguarded PTO shaft. It only happened because I, like many farmers, was working under pressure trying to get a job done as quickly as possible.
“Today I regularly speak to young farmers, using my experience positively as a warning of how important it is that they take the time to consider their safety and what can happen if they don’t.”
Promise knots were given out to Young Farmers in Torquay as a reminder to pledge to come home safe from the fields to their families.
According to the HSE, working in agriculture remains one of the most dangerous ways to make a living.
It accounts for around one in five work-related deaths every year, although only 1.5 per cent of the working population is employed in the sector.
Across Great Britain, 38 workers lost their lives in farming-related incidents between January and November 2009 and HSE figures for 2008/09 show that 589 people were seriously injured in farming accidents.
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