Protecting the next generation of farmers from death or serious injury is the focus of a two-day, farm safety training session at Duchy College in Stoke Climsland, Cornwall today and tomorrow (February 1 and 2).

The Farm Safety Foundation will be equipping agricultural students with vital knowledge around the potential risks in an industry, which still has the poorest safety record of any UK occupation.

Latest figures from the Health & Safety Executive bear out the importance of the training sessions.

In 2021/22, the South West accounted for more than a quarter of fatal injuries in GB, the highest of any region, with six out of the 22 worker deaths registered in the industry.

A charity founded and funded by leading UK rural insurer NFU Mutual, The Farm Safety Foundation – also known as ‘Yellow Wellies’ has been working tirelessly to help young farmers, aged between 16 and 40, recognise workplace dangers, as well as think about their physical and mental well-being.

Since 2015, farm safety training has been delivered to more than 20,000 young farmers at 44 land-based colleges and universities, as well as through the Young Farmers’ Clubs network in the UK, including 808 agricultural students in the South West alone.

Stephanie Berkeley, manager of the Farm Safety Foundation, said that through its education programme, research and award-winning Farm Safety Week and Mind Your Head campaigns, the charity is challenging and changing attitudes to, and behaviours around, risk taking and poor mental health in the agricultural industry.

“In an industry where many farmers work alone, against time pressures, they face a variety of risks every day, potential dangers that in a matter of seconds could change their lives, the lives of their families and the wider farming community,” said Stephanie.

“That’s what makes our innovative training so important. It is a fundamental part of our commitment to ensuring the next generation of farmers take their health and wellbeing very seriously, so we can improve the poor safety record that continues to blight an industry that is such a vital part of the UK economy.”

In a series of sessions, the training uses a ‘virtual farmyard’ to highlight potential workplace dangers, as well as a combination of real-life stories and incident scenarios.

Lessons will focus on the key causes behind the latest fatal accident statistics that occurred in the South West. They will include working with livestock and ensuring safe use of tractors, trailers and quad bikes.

They are also designed to equip students with the confidence to assess the potential risks of a job they have been asked to do and implement preventative measures to keep themselves and others safe.

“Confidence is the key. We want the students to think about the consequences of having, or not preventing a serious farm incident for themselves and for others – and not to be afraid to have challenging conversations around farm safety,” added Stephanie.

Phoebe Ridley, from NFU Mutual South West, said that agricultural students and young farmers are a vital audience for the Foundation’s training and awareness programmes.

“The next generation of farmers will be responsible for the UK’s future food production so it is vital they are equipped with the most detailed farm safety knowledge possible,” said Phoebe.

“With the improvement of machinery and equipment safety, there is no room for complacency. That is why we are proud to support the work of the Foundation across the country to help farmers of all ages protect themselves against serious injury or much worse.”