There is no shortage of noise when it comes to farm safety.
Every year, the HSE and HSENI figures are shared, the headlines written and the stark reminders delivered about agriculture’s consistently poor safety record. And yet, despite the awareness, the reality remains the same – too many people are still not coming home at the end of the working day.
At the Farm Safety Foundation, we see this differently. Awareness matters, but awareness alone does not change behaviour. We are not here to simply add to the noise, we are here to drive action.
Because if we want things to change, we have to be the change.
That is not always straightforward. Farming is an industry built on long hours, tight margins and, often, working in isolation. Reaching those who need support, particularly young farmers and students entering the sector, is not always easy.
© Guy Newman.
Over the past 12 years, our education programme has taken us into 44 land-based colleges and universities throughout the UK, delivering our Introduction to Farm Safety sessions to over 32,000 young farmers. These are powerful conversations – honest, practical and at times uncomfortable. They challenge mindsets and encourage those making their journey into the industry to think differently about risk.
But the reality is, it is not always the most effective use of the charity’s limited resources. We are a team of four and an eight-hour solo round trip to speak to just ten or fifteen students is not unusual. And while every single one of those students deserves that opportunity to learn, we know we cannot reach everyone in this way.
That is the challenge. But it is also the opportunity.
This Farm Safety Week, Yellow Wellies are taking action. We are launching a brand new Introduction to Farm Safety eLearning module, designed to bring that same experience into the digital space.
This builds on the success of our Suicide Awareness & Prevention in Farming module developed in partnership with Gravitas Med, alongside Baton of Hope and The Royal Foundation. Since its launch in February, more than 250 young farmers have completed the SAP course, with overwhelmingly positive feedback. That response confirmed what we already believed – that accessible, high-quality digital learning can play a vital role in reaching and supporting the next generation. It is for this reason that we have chosen to work with Gravitas Med again to bring our new farm safety module to life.
The module will mirror what happens in the classroom. It will have the same learning objectives, the same real-life context, the same focus on practical decision-making but it will be delivered in a way that is accessible, flexible and scalable. The module will be broken into three sections and should take around 45 minutes to complete, enabling us to reach more young people, more consistently, across the UK.
Most importantly, it will continue to be offered free of charge to students at land-based colleges and universities and through the young farmers clubs network. Access to education should not depend on postcode or practicality. Every student entering this industry deserves the same opportunity to understand the risks, to challenge the norms and to build safer habits from the outset.
For us, this is what action looks like. We are not just ‘talking’ about change, we’re investing in it.
To register interest in the new Introduction to Farm Safety eLearning module contact farm_safety_foundation@nfumutual.co.uk
