Members of the NFU have teamed up to launch a new safety campaign to encourage each other to actively seek out and eliminate risk on farm.
The #SeeItChangeIt campaign was kick-started at NFU conference yesterday in a room of hi-vis jacket wearing farmers who each pledged to change at least one thing to improve the safety and wellbeing on their farm, consider poor worker attitudes to safety and challenging poor practice.
It is running along the lines of ‘see the risk and change it’.
Great to see that Mental Health has made it onto the agenda alongside Health & Safety at the NFU conference! #NFU18 #seeitchangeit
— Jessica Rigby (@rigbyj9)Great to see that Mental Health has made it onto the agenda alongside Health & Safety at the NFU conference! #NFU18 #seeitchangeit
— Jessica Rigby (@rigbyj9) February 20, 2018
@Ed_Farmer_Ford Brilliant puts it that we need to stop the macho competition of who can work the most hours. We must change culture. #seeitchangeit
— Stuart roberts (@HertsFarmer)@Ed_Farmer_Ford Brilliant puts it that we need to stop the macho competition of who can work the most hours. We must change culture. #seeitchangeit
— Stuart roberts (@HertsFarmer) February 20, 2018
Outgoing NFU president Meurig Raymond said: “The #SeeItChangeIt campaign will get farmers actively looking for risks on farm and then doing something about it – whether it is a promise to check their PTO shaft every week, wear a helmet every time they ride an ATV, or simply just to keep their mobile phone charged and on their person.
“Stress and depression are among many other illnesses that can massively impact your life and work, and we must be able to recognise when we need help.
“The NFU urges farmers to get behind the #SeeItChangeIt campaign by filling out a promise card – tweet us, stick it on your fridge or simply keep it on your bedside table – but use it to make one change that will improve your own wellbeing and that of the farming industry.”
The NFU called on the community to ‘turn the tide against an acceptance of poor practice industry wide’.