YOUR HEALTH IS YOUR WEALTH

It’s no secret that farm safety is an issue. We’ve all seen the TikToks and the Instagram posts where someone is being reckless around livestock or machinery, just because it might get a few likes. Sometimes, it’s not even about showing off, it’s just doing something dangerous because it’s a bit of a shortcut for whatever task you’re doing.

And yet, those who have been unlucky enough to have personal experience of an incident due to a lapse in farm safety, are often now the biggest advocates for doing things ‘by the book’. They know (and deep down we all know) that no amount of time saved or number of comments on social media is worth compromising your, or someone else’s, health for.

Farm safety is something the NFU Student & Young Farmer Ambassadors (S&YFA) are really passionate about. So when Can-Am offered some of our ambassadors the chance to do some ATV rider training with EASI, they jumped at the chance.

After taking on the training, S&YFA Josie Troop made a pledge to being safe on farm: “I’m going to make sure that everyone on my farm wears the correct helmets, clothing and has been given the appropriate training.”

S&YFA Zoe Legg added: “I cannot emphasise enough the importance of wearing a helmet. There seems to be a mentality of ‘I haven’t got time’ or ‘the likelihood of having an accident is so slim’. But accidents can happen to anyone, and recently a helmet saved my life, which really compounded the necessity of them for me.”

1Always wear the correct personal protective equipment, such as a helmet, boots, long-sleeve shirt and trousers when out riding

2Prepare an itinerary before setting o and communicate it to the people close to you (your colleagues, friends or family)

3Follow the recommendations for use that are specifi ed by the manufacturer in the operator’s guide as well as on the safety labels placed on the vehicle

4Follow maintenance instructions that are recommended by the manufacturer

5Inspect the vehicle before use to make sure it is in good working order

6Take along communication devices and breakdown equipment

7Be mindful of the animals you come across and do not damage their natural habitat.

NFU Deputy President and Chair of the Farm Safety Partnership in England, Stuart Roberts, is always sharing farm safety experiences and tips on Twitter. He said: “As an industry we are always learning from each other and we need to follow that learning mentality when it comes to health and safety.

“By sharing our own experiences, ideas and examples of tried and tested safety measures, we can provide each other with solutions to a problem which won’t go away on its own.

“I have also found it really useful to look at safety from a business perspective. We are the most valuable asset to our businesses, so our safety should be the priority.

“It’s time to turn the tide on farming’s poor safety record – with words, with actions and with change. So let’s seize the opportunity to inspire and learn from each other, to protect our businesses, and, ultimately, to protect ourselves.”

We all know about the importance of personal protective equipment (PPE) since the outbreak of Covid-19.

So, when looking at farm safety as a whole, let’s consider how we can stop the spread of infectious disease too.

S&YF ambassador Harriet Bartlett is doing a PhD at Cambridge University and said: “We should always try and use the right kit on farm to protect us from not only physical damage, but also infectious disease. If in doubt, consult your vet for appropriate biosecurity measures for your farm, and set yourself targets to reduce antibiotic usage to help tackle antimicrobial resistance.” Former NFU Student & Young Farmer Ambassador JJ Macleod farms in Herefordshire and is always on the lookout for the latest technology to improve farm safety.

There is no hiding the poor farm safety record in the UK. In the past 10 years, almost one person a week has been killed as a direct result of agricultural work with many more having been seriously injured. One area we looked at to reduce our own risks was the farm machinery.

In February, we downloaded a 30-day free trial of MeritAgCheck. What caught our attention to begin with was the ability to record all the machinery details and service history. Previously, the service history of the machinery had been recorded on pieces of paper that inevitably ended up covered in oil and grease, and then went missing when the time came to service the machine the following year. The details are now inputted onto the system via the mobile app and once saved are accessible for all users to see.

We also use the system to keep a record of any tests or inspections such as the Tilly tests on trailers, LOLER inspections on the loaders or MOT dates of the farm vehicles. This keeps everything simple and in one place, to ensure that everything is legal and road-worthy.

Another useful feature of MeritAgCheck is the simple and quickly-customisable machinery check lists that can be fi lled in on the mobile app by the operator prior to use. On the essential (free) version of the app there are 16 checklist types available (for di erent things like tractors and trailers), while on the premium version there are more than 500, including specifi c lists for Claas, John Deere, and Vaderstad equipment (among others). The checklists help to highlight any issues, meaning we can keep on top of any problems as they arise.

There is the option of a free version or the paid-for premium version, which costs £4.90 per month for up to three users.

We feel this has been good value and has ultimately improved our machinery and service management.