FarmersAid app aims to tackle poor farm safety

A new smartphone app designed to help save lives on farms will launch in June 2026, as farming charity Rabi steps up efforts to tackle agriculture’s poor safety record.

Unveiled at a Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (Rabi) rural reception in Parliament on Tuesday (3 February), FarmersAid is a long-term initiative aimed at strengthening emergency preparedness across the farming community.

At its heart is a free to download app that provides real-time, step-by-step guidance for the 10 most common serious on-farm accident scenarios. 

See also: Rabi to launch new farm medical emergency app

These range from severe bleeding and crush injuries to falls from height, machinery incidents, livestock injuries and medical collapse following trauma.

Deadly imbalance

Accidents often happen suddenly, in remote locations where distance, terrain and access can delay emergency services, leaving family members or colleagues as the first responders.

FarmersAid has been developed specifically for those critical moments. It is not a general first aid app and not an alternative to calling 999.

Instead, it is a critical care support tool designed for severe incidents where outcomes can be shaped in the first minutes, often described by clinicians as the “platinum 10 minutes”.

Prof Stuart Maitland-Knibb, a consultant in helicopter emergency medicine and pre-hospital emergency care, said: “Those first moments – the first few seconds – are what make the difference.”

Left to right: Rabi chairman Mark Herrod, Sarah Dyke MP and Harriet Cowan © MAG/Philip Case

The app is designed for use in high-stress situations and can be used while emergency services are on the way.

Guidance is clear, structured and accessible on any smartphone, reflecting real farming environments rather than minor, everyday injuries.

It has been developed with leading experts in rural emergency medicine and frontline emergency response, including Prof Maitland-Knibb and Prof Kathy Jackson, former executive dean and head of UCLan Medical School.

Potential lifesaver

Speaking at the event, Sarah Dyke, Liberal Democrat MP for Glastonbury and Somerton, who comes from a farming background, said the initiative was vital in raising awareness of the support available to farmers.

“When accidents happen, emergency services often can’t reach farms quickly, particularly in remote areas,” she said. “The FarmersAid app is a brilliant tool with real potential to save lives and improve outcomes.”

Attendees were invited to take part in a tourniquet challenge, underlining how difficult even simple tasks can become in cold, stressful conditions.

“It seems really simple to apply a tourniquet, but when you’re out in the cold, your hands are cold, actually it really isn’t easy to do something as simple as that and those vital seconds could make a difference,” Ms Dyke said.

Mark Herrod, farmer and chairman of Rabi, described FarmersAid as a response to a long-standing and urgent problem.

“The industry accounts for one in five of workplace fatalities, despite representing just one in 100 (1%) of the workforce,” he said.

He explained how the app supports people while emergency services are on the way, offering calm, informed guidance during the “Platinum 10”.

“It’s not a replacement for 999 and it’s not a general First Aid app. It is a critical care support tool, designed for real farming and rural conditions,” he said.

Clarkson’s Farm star’s support

Harriet Cowan, a farmer and nurse, who features on TV’s Clarkson’s Farm, is supporting the initiative.

Drawing on her background in urgent care nursing, she said: “The first 10 minutes after a life-threatening injury are the most important.

“So FarmersAid would be right in your pocket with a step-by-step guide on what to do.”

The app will be available on the App Store and Google Play from June 2026, with public promotion planned around the Royal Cornwall Show. For more information, visit farmersaid.org.uk.

Clinical care kits support critical early minutes

Professor Kathy Jackson and Sarah Dyke MP with the clinical care kits © MAG/Philip Case

As part of the wider FarmersAid initiative, Rabi will also make clinical care kits available for farms, vehicles and key rural locations.

Each kit contains essential equipment for immediate use following a serious on-farm accident and is designed to complement the app’s guidance, supporting early action during the critical “Platinum 10” minutes.

The kits are intended for use by the people already on site when an incident happens – family members, colleagues or workers – and reflect the realities of remote, high-risk farming environments.