Over 100 farmers attend life-saving safety event ahead of lambing
With lambing season fast approaching, more than 100 farmers gathered in Skipton to tackle one of agriculture’s most persistent dangers — farm accidents.
The pre-lambing health and safety event, organised by the NFU and the Yorkshire Dales Farmer Network, focused on preventing workplace incidents and supporting both physical and mental wellbeing at one of the busiest times of the year.
Agriculture remains one of the UK’s most dangerous industries, with dozens of fatalities recorded annually. Organisers said events like this are critical in helping reduce the toll.
Held at Skipton Auction Mart on 19 February, the session covered lone working, livestock handling, licence legislation, fire safety, essential first aid and farm security.
Representatives from the NFU’s Health and Safety team, NFU Mutual Skipton, Craven Farm Vets, Carrs Billington and the North Yorkshire Rural Crime Team delivered practical workshops, while support charities were on hand to offer wellbeing advice.
The event formed part of the NFU’s #Take5StayAlive campaign and was timed ahead of lambing, when long hours, fatigue and pressure can heighten risks on farm.
Yorkshire West Riding County Adviser Jennifer Costello said farmers often neglect their own wellbeing while focusing on livestock and business demands.
“Farmers are often so busy looking after their livestock and business that they often forget to look after themselves. We need to change that,” she said.
She stressed the importance of prevention. “One accident on farm is one too many,” she said, adding that ensuring farmers prioritise their mental health is just as important as physical safety.
NFU Farm Safety and Transport adviser Stuart Head said strengthening the industry’s safety culture was essential to long-term resilience.
“Farm safety is essential to the resilience and sustainability of the agricultural workforce,” he said.
He added that if attendees implemented even “one or two things” learned at the event and shared them with others, it could help improve safety statistics that have “marred farm safety for too long”.
Yorkshire Dales Farmer Network Project Manager Carol Moffat said the impact of accidents is widely felt across rural communities.
“Sadly, we all know someone who lost their lives in a farm accident,” she said, acknowledging the daily pressures facing farming families.
She said the network was taking the initiative to encourage more open discussion around safety and wellbeing, with support from the Defra Welfare Fund.
Organisers hope the event will help strengthen a culture of safety across Yorkshire farms at a time when lambing pressures are intensifying, reinforcing the message that protecting lives must remain a top priority.
