The main agricultural agencies are supporting Farm Safety Week, which is currently running until July 26.

The Livestock and Meat Commission (LMC) called for those working on farms to keep safety at the forefront of their minds at all times.

Farm Safety Week is highlighting some of the key challenges farmers and farm workers face every day and is throwing a spotlight on the dangers of ignoring near-misses, reminding farmers that, while they cannot eliminate risk completely, they can minimise it and learn from every near-miss to improve their working practices.

Voicing LMC’s support for the campaign, Chief Executive Colin Smith said: “Farming can be one of the most dangerous professions that any person can aspire to undertake, highlighted by the stark fatality statistics that you will see shared this week.

“In the past year, tragically, there have been eight farm fatalities recorded in Northern Ireland.

“Most of our farms in Northern Ireland are small family businesses, often with sole operators, so any traumatic safety incident will have devastating consequences.”

This year the Farm Safety Foundation, the charity which manages the Farm Safety Week campaign, marks its tenth anniversary.

Stephanie Berkeley, manager of the foundation, said: “Ten years have passed quickly and we are proud of what we have achieved, but there is so much more to be done to address the massive challenges we have in the industry.

“Attitudes and behaviours around farm safety and mental health are changing but the pace of change is slow.

“For an industry so central to strengthening food security and growing the economy, those who work in farming are vulnerable.

“New figures released by the HSE show that farming continues to have the poorest safety record of any occupation, with 27 people losing their lives on GB farms in 2023/24.

“In a sector that accounts for one per cent of the working population, agriculture still accounts for 17 per cent of all deaths in the workplace.

“In our annual 2023 research, 88 per cent of farmers in the UK believe that ‘complacency’ – always having it done that way – is a major contributor to having a farm accident, while 82 per cent cite ‘attitude’ as the major contributor.”

On the opening day of Farm Safety Week, the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI), as a member of the Farm Safety Partnership (FSP), gave its full support to the Farm Safety Foundation (FSF) in its efforts to reset the way farmers approach farm safety and risk-taking.

Speaking at the launch of the week, Robert Kidd, Chief Executive of HSENI, said: “Farming is an integral part of the economy and the community here in Northern Ireland.

“However, it has again proved to have the poorest safety record of any industry in Northern Ireland.

“This is unacceptable, and it is very important that we continue to work with our farm safety partners to try and improve safety standards.

“Attitudes and behaviours around farm safety and mental health are changing but the pace of change is slow – too slow for the families of those we have lost in the industry and too slow for the thousands of farmers suffering every day with long-term ill-health, serious injuries, or poor mental health.”

This year’s Farm Safety Foundation’s objectives are to have improvements in the health and wellbeing of those living and working in the farm sector; to encourage those involved to improve their attitudes towards farm safety; to signpost farmers and workers to the resources available to improve farm safety and to shine a light on farm safety heroes who drive positive change in the industry.

The Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) is also supporting the 2024 Farm Safety Week campaign.

UFU President William Irvine said: “We are proud to support the annual Farm Safety Week campaign. Working

“in partnership with other like-minded organisations can help amplify important messages throughout the week.

“We need to challenge this industry’s safety behaviours and we need to change our poor safety record. Together we can make a difference not just for the farmers of today but for the farmers of the future.”

For further information on Farm Safety Week, see www.yellowwellies.org, or follow @yellowwelliesUK on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram using the #FarmSafetyWeek hashtag.