EDUCATION
Imagine a farm safety training session where students view a working farm and its real risks from all angles without even leaving the classroom…
After seven years of successfully delivering our interactive farm safety training, we have given the session a tech refresh. Thanks to funding from NFU Mutual and The National Lottery, we have introduced virtual reality to our training and it is creating a bit of a buzz.
We are very privileged to have this opportunity to influence the next generation of farmers and start to nudge better behaviours in an industry with the poorest safety record of any occupation in the UK and this is something we take very seriously.
Over the past eight years, we have listened to the feedback the students have offered and we have been continuing to develop and grow our half day Introduction to Farm Safety training and now offer a cutting edge virtual reality experience. The half day session covers farm safety, mental health and how to have a challenging conversation about both. We offer this course to land-based colleges and universities throughout the UK free of charge and it is endorsed by the National Land Based College (NLBC) and LANDEX (Land-Based Colleges in Search of Excellence) Since May 2015, over 21,000 agricultural students in 44 different colleges/universities and in the Young Farmers Clubs network have received our innovative and engaging training and this number continues to grow…
Since May 2015
young farmers in
land-based colleges/universities & YFCs received training
The half day sessions consist of various farm accident scenarios as well as real stories from real farmers that show real consequences of risk taking on farm. With 92% of farmers under 40 saying that mental health is one of the biggest hidden problems in the industry and 85% agreeing that farm safety and mental health are linked, we explore the impact of the issue on the industry, what you can do to look after your physical and mental wellbeing and where you can seek advice, support and help if you need it. We also explore how to have a challenging conversation with someone if they ask you to do a job that you know or even feel is unsafe. How can you do this respectfully, knowing the risks and consequences that may occur?
‘I’d rather lose my job than my life!’
From delivering one pilot training session for 30 agriculture students at Moreton Morrell College in 2014 to a LANDEX/NLBC endorsed course delivered to over 11,000 students in 44 different land-based colleges and universities throughout the UK, our education programme has gone from strength to strength and we are now being asked to deliver our Mental Health in Farming and Farm Safety sessions to membership organisations, businesses and vets practices to support their key staff.
If you are interested in booking a workshop please contact Farm_Safety_Foundation@nfumutual.co.uk
