Agriculture student on mission to improve farm safety
Farmers are needed as part of a student’s research project looking at attitudes to farm safety and how to spearhead change within the industry.
Farmers are being urged to give up five minutes of their time to take part in the study, with a view to helping save lives in the future. The agricultural industry accounts for just 1% of the British workforce, but is responsible for 20% of all annual workplace fatalities and is regarded as the deadliest industry.
Last year, 21 people were killed on farms in the UK and the total fatalities for this year far surpasses that number. 22-year-old Emily Jones, an Agri Business student at Harper Adams University, is conducting the investigation as part of her studies looking to change this. She said agriculture was the most dangerous industry in the UK and it was clear that farmers could do better when it came to safety.
“I believe that no one should go through the pain of losing a loved one if the circumstances can be prevented, which, tragically, is often the case with farm accidents.
“This study will consider farmers’ attitudes to safety, how to drive widespread change and how best to engage with the industry in order to reduce accidents and improve farm safety.” The research aims to determine farmers’ attitudes to safety, whilst considering the best ways to engage and drive change in order to improve farm safety. The short survey can be completed online and Emily is seeking as many responses as she can get.
“My long-term drive is to help improve farm safety, create impact and make a real difference in the sector going forward: protecting our industry and loved ones against preventable harm,” she added.
