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 Farm Safety Foundation and 67% were aware of Farm Safety Week)
This may be encouraging but the fact is, that with 333,00 workers employed in the industry, agriculture accounts for only 1% of the UK’s labour market but a massive 22% of all workplace fatal injuries. Today’s release of the HSE Fatal Injuries in Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing in GB 2018/19 report shows that 9% more farm workers were killed in 2018/19 compared to the year before. Compared to the younger generation, the fatal injury rate is more than five times as high in workers aged 60-64 and an unsurprising seven times as high in workers over the age of 65.
So, having tried other approaches in the past, this year’s Farm Safety Week is bringing the focus back to farmers, farm workers and farming families and their needs in an ever-changing and uncertain world. We are immensely proud to share our new hero film titled Mud, Sweat and Tears which tells the stories of four incredible farmers whose resilience, tenacity and clear drive to make a difference could, and should, inspire us all.
A massive thank you to Stuart and Jo Philpot for allowing us to film this year’s clip on their farm in Essex.
Thanks too, to Luc, Kathrine and Ros from TVC Group who turned our vision into reality – literally – and last, but by no means least, we are completely indebted to Chris Surgenor, Jane Gurney, Tim Papworth and Jack Fisher for sharing their very real and very personal stories with us.
Please watch and please share – we can all agree that a change is needed but we need your help and your commitment to make this happen…
