Yorkshire farmers given funding support to gain life-saving skills

A rural charity is offering farmers across Yorkshire the chance to learn life-saving first aid skills at a reduced cost after securing grant funding.

The Yorkshire Agricultural Society is holding two half-day farm safety sessions at Skipton Auction Mart on Thursday, May 25. The practical first aid courses cover potentially life-threatening on-farm scenarios such as quad bike accidents and serious incidents involving tractors and other machinery, as well as livestock.

The training is being subsidised thanks to grant funding from the Partnership Investment Fund and follows successful farming first aid courses held at Thirsk Auction Mart earlier this year. Delivered by Farm and Forestry First Aid (F3A), the courses are being supported by H&H Insurance Brokers which operates across the North of England, the Scottish Borders and Wales.

Fiona Macdonald, Yorkshire Rural Support Network coordinator at the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, said: “It is a sobering statistic that UK farming accounts for 18 per cent of all workplace deaths. A total of 22 farm workers lost their lives on British farms over the past year.

“Improving farm safety is of paramount importance and so the Yorkshire Agricultural Society and its farming networks are delighted to secure this funding and, with F3A and H&H Insurance Brokers, offer such a practical and relevant course for farmers.

“All the First Aid skills delivered on the course help contribute to a better equipped farming workforce and could potentially save lives. It’s a great opportunity for farmers to gain really hands-on relevant training, ensuring their families and their workforce have access to important First Aid skills should they be needed.”

The first aid courses include essential first aid skills such as assessing a casualty, the correct recovery position, how to administer CPR, using an Automated External Defibrillator and learning how to treat crush injuries, amputations, impalements and severe bleeding, led by qualified health care professionals registered with the Health & Care Professions Council.

H&H Insurance Brokers, which offers a dedicated health and safety advice service, H&H Safety, aimed specifically at farmers, is sponsoring the courses.

Corinne Cooper, account executive for H&H Insurance Brokers in Yorkshire, said: “With farm-related injuries and fatalities remaining extremely high, we want to help raise awareness of the many dangers on the farm to minimise the risks to farmers and their families.

“As evidenced in our H&H Safety programme, we take safety on the farm extremely seriously and the skills learned at these first aid courses could potentially save people’s lives, or help minimise injuries. These sessions give attendees the confidence to act immediately and without panic in emergency situations.”

By Mark Adair – Correspondent, Bdaily

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