Alastair Sneddon on farm safety.听
Much is made of farming聮s abysmal health听and safety record听and the cavalier attitude to such matters, but I sense the tide is turning.
A few years ago, there was a general resignation to the fact that听farming was a dangerous industry听and that there was an accident waiting out there for everyone, with little听that could be done to prevent it.
This fostered a sort of 聭Battle of听Britain聮 attitude where you could imagine a lot of chaps in flying boots听listening to a wind-up gramophone听waiting for the signal to 聭scramble聮听into yet another dangerous situation.
As auctioneers, we can be at the听sharp end of some of these incidents听and also by virtue of the age and health听status of some of our customers, find听ourselves directly involved when听someone is 聭taken poorly聮 on-site.
I recently attended a first aid course organised by our local NFU and found myself in a group of farmers all seeking training on the subject.听
Several of them had clearly felt the need to attend because diversification projects had brought the public onto their farms and they needed to deal with occasions when first aid was needed.
I think one of the most encouraging lessons from the course was how听much better your chances are of听saving a life using a defibrillator听than without one.
We have one at the market, but I听never realised the difference it could听make.
We also have a set of very heavy duty jump leads - for those who have left their lights on.听The two pieces of equipment are not interchangeable.
We are told many people are听killed or injured by moving vehicles听very often in the dark.
I am not a fan of high-vis听 in daylight hours and, although many farmers wear such garments, it tends to lose its impact.
However, after dark the fluorescent strip comes into its own and听whoever invented it, certainly deserves a medal.
Anyone doing anything legal after dark on a highway,听farmyard or market should carry the听responsibility of ensuring they are听clearly visible.听
One area of farm safety that is听making slow progress is the wearing听of helmets on quad bikes.
As a cyclist, I never leave home听without a helmet and would feel听that if I did, that it would be inviting听disaster.
The big change came in the听cycling world when organisers of听the Tour de France made it mandatory in international cycle racing.
Every road cyclist wants to emulate听their heroes and as they have to听wear a helmet, if you wanted to look
like them, then you did too.听
It is surely nothing to do with cost听when I note the well-dressed young听farmer sporting expensive wellies of听a particular brand, to say nothing of听the almost compulsory gilet with听the unprouncable German name.
Finally, I want to pay tribute to听the BBC.
Countryfile visited听Bakewell Market recently and I听awaited the showing of the programme with a sense of trepidation.
I was, however, delighted with听the result, as were the many people听who contacted us to pass comment.
Alastair Sneddon
Alastair Sneddon is a senior partner听and livestock auctioneer at Bagshaws.
Call 07973 982 441, or email [email protected]
