Cheshire farmers are being encouraged to sign up to a farm safety campaign

Jan 14 2010 by Andrew Bowan, Chester Chronicle

FARMERS across the region are being encouraged to make a New Year’s resolution, a promise to come home safe from the field.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is launching its Make the Promise farm safety campaign for 2010 as the snow and ice makes conditions difficult for farmers.

Across Britain, 38 workers lost their lives in farming-related incidents from January to November 2009 – and HSE has issued a stark warning that people are still dying in needless agricultural accidents.

The latest official figures for 2008/9 show that 26 workers were killed and another 589 suffered major injuries in farming accidents – including three deaths and 36 major injuries in the North West.

In Cheshire last year, one farm worker died, seven suffered serious injuries and 16 sustained injuries requiring at least three days off work.

More than 1,100 farmers in the North West have already signed up to the campaign. More are now being encouraged to do the same.

Judith Donovan, HSE board member and its agriculture champion, said:

“Losing concentration or taking seemingly harmless shortcuts is when horrific accidents can happen.

“To those farmers yet to make the promise, we encourage them to do it not only for themselves, but for their families and their livelihoods.

For more on the campaign, visit www.hse.gov.uk/makethepromise.