Farm Safety Week: Sepsis awareness film launched specifically for farmers
A sepsis awareness film has been made specifically for the farming community, which aims to raise awareness of the 'silent killer'.
At least 245,000 in the UK are affected by sepsis each year and at least 48,000 people who develop sepsis lose their lives in sepsis-related illnesses every year.
The illness is a life-threatening condition that arises when the body’s response to an infection injures its own tissues and organs.
It occurs when the body’s immune system – which normally helps to protect us and fight infection – goes into overdrive and can lead to shock, multiple organ failure and sometimes death.
And recent experience suggests that the farming community is more susceptible to the illness, the UK Sepsis Trust has highlighted during Farm Safety Week.
Founder of the trust, Dr Ron Daniels said: “Sepsis is indiscriminate: while it primarily affects very young children and older adults, it can sometimes be triggered in those who are otherwise fit and healthy.
“The farming community is also more susceptible, due to the nature of their work; their resilience and can-do attitude; their often rural, isolated setting; and a reluctance to have time off and/or seek medical attention when not feeling well.
“The fact is that farmers and labourers are at increased risk of becoming infected, so any cuts should be cleaned thoroughly, disinfected and covered before returning to work.”
One family that knows the risk of sepsis all too well is that of Hannah Brown, a 26-year-old farmer who passed away in 2021 two days after developing sepsis.
Originally from Newton-le-Willows in North Yorkshire, Hannah farmed at Dufton, near Appleby, in Cumbria and was well-known on the region’s stock-showing circuit.
Her sudden death left the farming community in shock, prompting family and friends to join forces with UK Sepsis Trust to launch a campaign video raising awareness of sepsis.
The video won the prestigious People’s Choice Award at the Charity Film Awards earlier this year.
Leaving behind her partner Ben Richardson and her then seven-month-old daughter, Ben said: “I wouldn’t want anybody to go through what we’ve had to go through.
“I wish I’d have known how to spot the signs before we got to that point."
Experts believe people working in agriculture are more vulnerable to the condition – as they are more likely to suffer cuts and grazes at work – and less likely seek medical help.
The victims include many farmers who have picked up cuts during their work. Their isolated and rural settings mean they do not seek the medical attention as quickly as they should.
During this year's Farm Safety Week, the UK Sepsis Trust has formed a new partnership with NFU Mutual following a donation made by the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust.
The donation has enabled the UK Sepsis Trust to produce an awareness film specifically for the farming community, which aims to raise awareness of what sepsis is.
We’d like to thank @nfum Charitable Trust for their continued generosity, which has enabled us to make another film in Hannah Brown’s memory, educating the #farming community about the dangers of #sepsis.
— The UK Sepsis Trust (@UKSepsisTrust) July 5, 2023
Get #SepsisSavvy, and watch the full video now: https://t.co/xI8Ep1Xp1z pic.twitter.com/6YSZkVZ32e
