New campaign to urge farmers to ‘come home safe’.

It's hard-hitting campaign ‘Make the promise. Come home safe' will target 70,000 farmers across Britain with stories of farm deaths and the devastation caused to bereaved families in an attempt to encourage them to think seriously about safety.

In 2007/2008, farming accounted for between 15 and 20 per cent of all fatalities to workers, despite agriculture employing just 1.5 per cent of the national workforce.

Judith Donovan, non-executive HSE Board member said: "HSE is mounting this campaign because on average over forty-five deaths, year after year, occur on British farms.

“We would like to highlight that this is a partnership to keep farmers safe, not HSE dictating the terms."

NFU Scotland president Jim McLaren welcomed the campaign, who said fatal farm accidents happened ‘too frequently' and something had to be done to prevent them.

He said: “These accidents destroy lives, whole families and often farm businesses. This campaign is of massive importance to the farming industry.

“It will be a success if even one farmer thinks about a risk and does something differently, and is still here with his or her family as a result.”

NFU vice president Paul Temple also gave his support to the campaign and urged farmers to get involved and raise awareness of the problem.