Falls from height accounted for 18% of all fatal farm incidents in 2018/2019 according to the latest HSE annual Fatal Injuries in Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing Report Great Britain and many more long term injuries. Most incidents of this type happen either because the work is not properly planned, the risks are not recognised, proper
When we were sitting down to plan this year’s Farm Safety Week, a copy of the 2019 NFU Mutual Voice of the Farmer research landed on our desks. This annual research into 1,800 farmers across the UK revealed that awareness of farm safety has never been higher (70% of those surveyed were aware of the
It’s hard to believe that this is our 7th annual Farm Safety Week says Stephanie Berkeley, Manager of the Farm Safety Foundation… In a year when it has been revealed that, despite there being seven times more workers employed in the construction industry than agriculture, forestry and fishing, you are actually seven times more likely
Whilst UK farmers are renowned for the attention they give to their livestock, crops and machinery, it appears they do not have such a good track record when it comes to taking care of themselves and their own wellbeing. There are a number of mental health risk factors associated with agriculture. Farmers work long hours, often in isolation. They
For the last 8 years, this month’s guest blogger Naomi Wright and her husband David have run a dairy farm near Kendal in Cumbria. Naomi doesn’t come from a farming background however she has a unique insight and understanding of the difficulties the farming industry faces. Having recently qualified as a psychotherapist, Naomi’s passion and
Are you unsure about what Samaritans do? Take five minutes and read this as you may be surprised… Samaritans is working to reduce the number of people who take their own lives. But they’re also there for anyone who is struggling to cope with how they’re feeling. It’s a charity made up of volunteers who
Nuffield Farming Scholar and psychotherapist, Aarun Naik, and University of Liverpool researcher, Laura Phalp, have teamed up in search of hard data on farmer mental health. In today’s blog post they call on the farming community for help with this important research. Aarun says: “The issue of farmer mental health and wellbeing has long been
While Young Farmers’ Clubs are often described as a social lifeline, what happens when your problems run much deeper than not winning at the County Rally? YFC Trainer Alice Giles from Bow YFC, Devon explains how NFYFC is raising awareness of mental health and where to get support… Living and working in a rural community
The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (R.A.B.I) is farming’s oldest and largest charity, a key supporter of Mind Your Head, last year around 13% of R.A.B.I’s new referrals cited ‘mental health issues’ as a contributing factor to their problems. Although the charity does not offer professional counselling services, it can provide important financial assistance to people
We are learning this Mind Your Head week that equipping people with the skills to build resilience and take control of their lives can really help to improve mental health and wellbeing. In today’s guest blog, the Scottish Association for Mental Health’s (SAMH’s) introduce their new project Let’s TALK which is designed to do just