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Newmarket event to help reduce death and injury in farming
Around 300 farmers across Cambridgeshire and Suffolk will be attending a free event on Thursday 8 July 2010 aimed at helping reduce the number of deaths and injuries in agriculture.
The Safety and Health Awareness Day (SHAD) will be run by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) at Chippenham Park Estate in Newmarket.
Qualified instructors will give practical demonstrations based on the most common accident scenarios such as those involving chemicals, falls from height and machinery blockages, giving guidance on how to prevent them.
Farmers will be able to take away information packs and will have the opportunity to ask HSE inspectors and the instructors - many of whom are farmers themselves - as many questions as they like.
Farming is still one of the most dangerous occupations, with 45 people in the UK dying in agricultural accidents in 2009/10. Meanwhile 1,500 people each year are seriously injured.
David Head HM Principal Inspector of Health and Safety said:
"These demonstrations are designed to show just how easily accidents can happen. They will give farmers a clear message about the precautions they need to take to help protect themselves, their families and employees from harm.
"Farming is a dangerous occupation. Thousands of people every year suffer injuries or ill health, which prevents them from carrying out their normal work. This has a huge effect on the agricultural industry.
"This event will give farmers practical advice from people in the farming industry and help them identify common hazards relevant to their own farms. We expect farmers to put the safe systems of work demonstrated at the event into practice."
Attendees will receive a copy of Farmwise, the HSE's comprehensive guidance booklet, with a self-assessment CD and a selection of other relevant HSE guidance leaflets.
Source: HSE