Farm Safety Week kicks off with focus on falls

Falls from height are a leading cause of serious injury and death among the UK’s farming community, accounting for almost one-quarter of fatal accidents.

They are one of the most common fatal farm accidents, claiming the lives of 23 farmers in the past five years.

As the fourth annual Farm Safety Week (4-8 July) gets under way today (Monday 4 July), health and safety experts are keen to raise awareness about the dangers of working at height.

Tim Papworth and the air ambulance staff

See also: Farm deaths rise 22% despite focus on safety

Farm Safety Week organisers the Farm Safety Foundation and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) are warning that even the most safety-conscious farmers can get caught out.

Norfolk farmer Tim Papworth suffered serious head injuries after falling from height in a barn in Tunstead, North Walsham.

Mr Papworth was changing a light bulb in a potato store, but one slip had life-changing consequences.

He fell 16ft from a ladder on to a concrete floor and was taken by air ambulance to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, where he spent five weeks in a drug-induced coma.

The accident happened in October 2010 during a busy time at the farm.

“I couldn’t speak and I was paralysed on the left side of my body. I couldn’t do anything for myself,” said Mr Papworth.

“The only way I could communicate was by writing notes on bits of paper.”

See also: FW falls from height academy

Thanks to the tremendous work of air ambulance medics and hospital staff, Mr Papworth has made a full recovery, apart from impaired hearing in his left ear.

But he was concerned how his body would function in the future and the effect the accident would have on his wife Emma, their children and the farm business, LF Papworth.

“We are much more conscious of safety on the farm now. It has made me slow down and think about every process,” said Mr Papworth.

From quad bike accidents to animal attacks, farming kills and injures more people than any other industry in the UK and Ireland.

“It is human nature to think ‘it won’t happen to me’, but unfortunately it can, especially if we continue with this approach,” said Farm Safety Foundation campaign specialist Stephanie Berkeley.

This week, Farmers Weekly will highlight the experiences of other farmers who have suffered serious injuries at work to shed light on the importance of farm safety. Their stories will be highlighted online using the Twitter hashtag #FarmSafetyWeek