A new first aid training course for farming families and their staff has been launched in Northern Ireland.
The programme has been developed by the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise in conjunction with NFU Mutual and will cover a wide range of emergencies encountered on farms. The three-hour course has also been specifically tailored to the farming sector and will address the fact that in most cases, the first person on the scene of a farm accident has limited or no medical training.
Accident statistics
According to the Farm Safety Partnership, there are as many as 100 accidents a month on farms in Northern Ireland, which require some form of medical attention.
The course
The course will also include information on new technologies available to help lone workers in emergency situations.
In addition, it will be delivered in local venues across Northern Ireland and 12 community groups have already hosted the programme in their local area.
“Coming upon an accident is a traumatic experience for anyone, but even more so at a farm accident as normally the first person on the scene is likely to be a family member, employee or neighbour,” said scheme manager, Siobhan Sheppard.
“It is therefore important that in case of an emergency on farm, all family members and employees know what to do.”
NFU Mutual sales manager David Cairns added: “We are delighted to be involved in the delivery of this new initiative and would encourage farm family members across Northern Ireland to avail of this opportunity that has the potential to save lives and reduce the impact of a farm accident.”
For more information, contact Global Horizon Skills on [email protected]