Tractors and moving vehicles represent one of the biggest dangers on a farm, and have claimed the lives of 30 farm workers in the past five years.

#FarmSafetyWeek: how to stay safe using transport. pic.twitter.com/byFUWbzLpe
— Farmers Journal (@farmersjournal) July 7, 2016

Speaking at the RABDF panel discussion on the second day of the Livestock Event at the NEC, IFA deputy president Richard Kennedy said: “Farm safety is something that we are particularly keen to pioneer. It has been said that farming has the poorest safety record of any occupation in the UK and Ireland.

"A lack of knowledge of safety regulations and personal safety practices at all experience levels puts farm workers at serious risk of debilitating injury or worse. By increasing our knowledge and awareness of safety in all aspects of agriculture, we can begin to challenge, prevent and stop unsafe habits and practices, while giving farmers of all ages a sense of independence and control over their own personal safety.

“Farms have always been hard, physically demanding workplaces, but in the early 20th century, safety concerns evolved when tractors began replacing horses as the main farmer’s aid. These petrol-powered beauties forever reshaped the face of agriculture. However, they also ushered in an era of mechanised danger.”