Advice and guidance offered to public during Farm Safety Week

The Yellow Wellies campaign will publish a range of themed practical advice and guidance for farmers each day of Farm Safety Week (30th June-4th July).

On each day of Farm Safety Week, farmers will be asked to spend five minutes checking over the safety of some of the operations which regularly cause accidents on farms and take action before harvest gets underway.

Campaigners will also be on hand to distribute safety information to the public at The Livestock Event next week (2nd & 3rd July), where key figures in farming will pledge their support for the Yellow Wellies farm safety campaign.

The Yellow Wellies campaign, which features as its flagship symbol a pair of nine-feet-tall yellow wellingtons, asks the farming community “Who would fill your boots?” in the event of an accident or death. Last year 37 people were killed and hundreds more had serious, life-changing accidents.

At the Livestock Event held at the National Exhibition Centre Livestock, (stand BM170) NFU President Meurig Raymond will sign a physical model of the giant wellies to signify his support, alongside campaign ambassador, Jim Chapman, an accident survivor who lost his arm in a farm machinery accident.


Speaking as a supporter of the campaign, Jim Chapman stressed the need to build support for the campaign.

“Farmers tend to have a ‘tough guy’ mind set. The work is physically hard and they are constantly under time and financial pressures.

“Recognising the time pressures farmers are under as they approach harvest, we are asking them to spend five minutes each day checking the safety of key equipment and, if needs be, putting things right before harvest begins.”

Farmers can also put their safety skills to the test at the Livestock Event by playing Keep Clive Alive, an interactive game that tests reaction speeds. The game was recently played by the Countess of Wessex at the Cereals Event and will also be available to play at The Great Yorkshire Show (8th-10th July) and The Royal Welsh Show (21st-24th July).

The farm safety initiative was made possible by the newly formed Farm Safety Foundation - an organisation tasked with the mission to create a culture of safe farming. NFU Mutual’s board has committed to provide financial support for the foundation, including a £250,000 donation for its first year.