Health and Safety Executive (HSE) chairman, Judith Hackitt, addressed the NFU Council yesterday ahead of the release of the annual provisional workplace fatality statistics. These will show that there are around 45 deaths on farms every year.
NFU president Peter Kendall said: “Judith Hackitt’s presentation was a chilling and timely reminder of the dangers of farming. NFU Council gave a ringing endorsement that the NFU should work closely with the HSE and other farming leaders to promote safe working.
“The NFU notes the latest workplace fatality statistics with considerable sadness, as there’s a tragic story that sits behind each one of the numbers. Any fatal accident or serious injury has a devastating impact on the families and businesses involved.
“In the coming months, NFU Council agreed that the NFU should host a Farm Safety Summit and invite other industry leaders to participate in a coalition that spreads a culture of safer working.
“Farmers, growers and their staff will be working long hours this summer, often alone. We’ve already started to remind our members to take care, but as harvest gets under way, we will step this up and continue to support the HSE efforts to minimise farm deaths especially through the Come Home Safe campaign.”
Source: National Farmers Union
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