Machinery event delivers stark farm safety plea

Farmers visiting the Midlands Machinery Show this week were issued a stark warning about the human cost of farm accidents.

The National Association of Agricultural Contractors (NAAC) set up two wooden pallets displaying 22 caps.

Each cap represented a person who has died in a farm-related incident in England, Scotland, and Wales since 1 April 2025.

Jill Hewitt, chief executive of the NAAC, said the display at the Newark Showground on Wednesday 19 November was “traumatic” to assemble but drove home the message of farm safety.

“These are actual people and families. It is trying to get people to think and take less risk,” she said.

See also: Tractor death takes farming fatalities to 22 since April

“We are losing too many people. We can’t allow this to be accepted as part of the industry. It is not about farms spending £5,000 on a health and safety consultant.

“It is about every time you do something, thinking, doing a mental risk assessment about the job in hand, so that it becomes part of day-to-day running of the farm.”

Ms Hewitt also brought the caps to Brooksby College, Leicestershire, to address agricultural and agricultural engineering students today (Friday 21 November).

“I said, now imagine 22 of you out of the room – nearly half the room would be gone,” she explained.

“For that generation, it is making them realise that if they do a quick mental assessment, they need to check it is safe and talk to others.”

Sobering reminder

Stephanie Berkeley, manager of the Farm Safety Partnership (Yellow Wellies), praised the display as “a stark and sobering reminder of the human cost behind the statistics.”

She added: “Each cap symbolises a life, a loved one, and a loss felt deeply by families, friends, and the farming community.

“This isn’t just something those attending the Midlands Machinery Show should see; it is something the entire industry needs to see and reflect on.

“Let it spark conversations, challenge complacency, and inspire us all to do better for them and for the future of farming.”

A similar installation will be on display at the NAAC contractor’s lounge at the Lamma event at the NEC in Birmingham, 14-15 January 2026.

Its aim is to encourage visitors to confront the reality of farm fatalities and make safety a daily priority.