An initiative has been launched that sets targets to reduce the number of farming fatalities by at least 50% by the summer of 2023.
The Farm Safety Partnership (FSP) hopes its latest initiative will transform the safety record in the farming industry.
The move comes as over 20 representatives from all areas of the industry gathered at NFU headquarters under the FSP banner to discuss this year’s health and safety campaign.
The FSP will be focusing on four key areas over the next twelve months.
Summer 2018 will see the area of children on the farm looked at. In autumn, falls from a height and falling objects. In winter, transport and machinery and in spring 2019 - livestock.
NFU Vice President and Farm Safety Partnership Chairman Stuart Roberts opened the meeting. He said the industry's ultimate ambition is to reach a point where there are no deaths in the farming industry.
“Our target on the way to achieving this is to at least halve the number of deaths over the next five years,” Mr Roberts explained.
“To do this the FSP has to up the ante. We must be bold and ambitious and push the farming industry to enact change quickly.
Mr Roberts added: “With FSP organisations delivering a co-ordinated campaign and looking at specific actions each season, we can really focus our approach and save lives in our industry.”
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has committed to support the work of the FSP.
