During 2018, 33 farmers or farmworkers contacted R.A.B.I for assistance following an accident.

This year, the Farm Safety Partnership is reinvigorating its messages about health and safety on farms.

The aim of the campaign is to encourage small changes that can be made by farmers to ensure their own safety as well as the safety of others on the farm. The partnership’s goal is to reduce the number of farming fatalities by 50% by 2023.

From January to March, the focus is on transport and machinery, which the partnership is highlighting online using #DriveSafetyForward.

One of the small changes farmers can make to keep themselves safe at work is to practice the safe stop procedure when leaving their vehicle.

Safe Stop:

1. Fully apply the handbrake
2. Put all controls in neutral
3. Stop the engine
4. Remove key from the ignition

What R.A.B.I can do to help

Terence was seriously injured in a farm accident which left him in hospital for a considerable period.  In the meantime his wife and young children were struggling to cope with running the farm and general family life. R.A.B.I stepped in to provide benefit advice and help with the costs of paying a farmworker for several months until things improved.

If you’ve been in an accident on your farm, we may be able to help in a number of ways depending on the circumstances. We may be able to make one-off payments to clear outstanding domestic bills, pay for hospital travel costs, or fund temporary relief staff to work on the farm while you recover. To find out more, give our welfare team a call on our Freephone helpline 0800 188 4444.

Useful Links

Find out more about the #DriveSafetyForward campaign.
Visit the HSE website for a guide on using tractors safely.
Check out the Farm Safety Foundation’s tips on working with machines safely.