Two new farm safety ambassadors have been appointed to promote health and safety awareness on farms across Wales.
Alun Elidyr Edwards and Glyn Davies will take up the roles, which will see them to promote the work of the Wales Farm Safety Partnership.
The partnership is a collaboration of key agricultural organisations which work together to help drive down the number of serious accidents and deaths on farms across Wales each year.
Both ambassadors have extensive farming experience and are keen to impart their knowledge to other farm businesses in a bid to make Welsh farms safer and reduce the risk of accidents.
Last year, the Welsh Government awarded the Wales Farm Safety Partnership £46,000 to highlight the dangers associated with farming and to provide health and safety advice and guidance to those working the land.
A total of 388 people have been killed while at work on British farms in the last 10 years, while thousands more have suffered serious injuries and work-related ill-health.
Over the last 20 years, other industries – such as construction and quarrying – have greatly improved their safety records, while farming has not.
As a result, a person is now six times more likely to be killed on a farm than on a building site.
Glyn Davies said: “I am delighted to take up the role of farm safety ambassador and help spread the message about the importance of health and safety on farms.”
Aled Elidyr Edwards added: “Farm safety is of paramount importance and I am looking forward to playing a leading role in the Wales Farm Safety Partnership helping individuals and businesses reduce the risk of accidents on farms.”
Lesley Griffiths, the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs said: “I’m pleased that Alun and Glyn have agreed to take on the role of Ambassadors for this important campaign.
Both have extensive experience in farming and already have prominent roles in the sector: Glyn being a Farming Connect health & safety mentor and Alun, a farmer and presenter on the S4C farming series Ffermio.
“The Wales Farm Safety Partnership and the new ambassadors will play a key role in helping to drive down the unacceptable number of serious accidents and deaths that occur on farms across Wales each year.”
