Farmers in Wales and across the UK know just how unsafe working in the industry can be, not least as we enter winter. Wet weather, icy conditions and darker days can exacerbate already hazardous environments not least those universal ‘near misses’ that so many farmers have experienced.

These concerns are not new. With almost 600 incidents reported on farms in the last year and agriculture making up 20% of UK workplace fatalities, the farming industry continues to be one of the most dangerous occupations in modern Wales. After a concerningly stubborn trend of high fatal injuries last year in combination with low farm confidence, NFU Cymru and the wider industry’s calls for better awareness and mitigations reached a record audience this year. For the 13th annual Farm Safety Week, NFU Cymru joined members covering each area of the country and industry to challenge, and ultimately try to change, longstanding attitudes to work safety and risk-taking. This encompassed more prominent actions on operating heavy machinery and working with children as well as highlighting indirect, often less considered, factors such as protecting yourself in the sun and working at heights.

Too often such injuries and struggles go unnoticed but are easily avoidable and require just a moment of preparation to protect against. This is at the core of NFU Cymru & NFU’s Take5ToStayeAlive campaign with a simple message; before starting any task on the farm, take just five minutes to pause, to think and to check your physical and mental wellbeing.

One particular campaign led by NFU Cymru, NFU, NFU Scotland and the Ulster Farmers’ Union was raising awareness about the dangers of ATV accidents following almost 25 fatal accidents since 2020. The unions focussed on the stark reality that so many life-changing injuries and prospects of death are easily lessened or outright avoided by taking simple actions like always wearing a helmet, completing the relevant training, making the necessary maintenance checks and limiting use to one rider only where possible.

It’s important to remember that farm safety goes far beyond the physical risks we often think of first. Mental health, lone working, external pressures and pre-existing condition now play a much larger role in how safely we can work compared to previous decades.

Working alone can be a crucial determinant in getting the right treatment as quickly as possible whilst financial, environmental and social pressures can dangerously occupy the mind and distract from the task at hand. Episode 4 of the NFU Shed Talks podcast focused exactly on the ‘mindset that saves lives’ and how the Unions continue to promote farm safety.

From our members milking in the morning, our staff out at the showground and officeholders speaking to Cardiff Bay, NFU Cymru is wholly unified with the industry to ensure farmers in Wales are safe and well producing your food.