Funding for agricultural and forestry sector

Posted on Monday 30 July 2018

THE WALES Farm Safety Partnership will receive £46,000 to promote Health and Safety within the agricultural and forestry sector, cabinet secretary for energy, planning and rural affairs Lesley Griffiths has announced.

The funding will be used to support the Partnership’s campaign ‘Working together to make farming safer’.

The cabinet secretary made the announcement as she met Farming Connect’s four newly appointed health and safety mentors at the Royal Welsh Show. The mentors will help individuals and businesses identify risks, eliminate hazards and reduce the risk of accidents within the business.

The Farming Connect mentoring programme has been running for two years and over 100 farmers and foresters have already used the service, totalling over 750 hours of peer to peer support.

A tragic 144 fatal injuries to British workers in 2017/2018, with agriculture accounting for 29% of the fatalities. Thousands more have suffered serious injuries and work related ill health.

Cabinet secretary said, “Health and safety on farm is of paramount importance. The Wales Farm Safety Partnership plays a key role in helping to drive down the unacceptable number of serious accidents and deaths that occur on the farms across Wales each year.

“I am therefore pleased to be able to announce £46,000 for the Partnership to promote the importance of health and safety through their ‘Working together to make farming safer’.

“Farm safety is a lifestyle, not a slogan. We must not lose sight of the fact, as with any industry or business sector, workplace health and safety and any measures and costs associated with making the farm safe is an issue for and the responsibility of individual farm businesses.

“It has never been more important than it is right now for farmers in Wales to look at what is on offer from Farming Connect.

“The Farming Connect mentoring programme has a track record of providing valuable support helping individuals and businesses identify risks, eliminate hazards and reduce the risk of accidents with the business. I was delighted to meet the four new health and safety mentors at the show today and hear first hand of their determination to spread the message about the importance of health and safety on farms.”