Yellow Wellies launch VR tool to raise PPE awareness

The Farm Safety Foundation (Yellow Wellies) is launching a new virtual reality (VR) experience to highlight the importance of wearing eye protection while carrying out farming activities.

The interactive experience will be showcased at the Lamma Agricultural Machinery and Technology show on 15-16 January at the NEC in Birmingham.

Designed to highlight the consequences of not wearing basic eye protection, the VR headset will present three scenarios where users can choose whether or not to wear eye protection, demonstrating the potential outcomes of their decision.

See also: Health and safety policy – what farmers need to include

Eyes, being one of the most important yet vulnerable organs of the body, are often at risk during farm activities.

Tasks such as drilling, handling chemicals, or riding an all-terrain vehicle without the proper personal protective equipment (PPE) can result in devastating long-term damage to a worker’s vision.

Stephanie Berkeley, Farm Safety Foundation manager, said: “A few years ago, we introduced audiences to Ryan Taggart, a young farmer from Northern Ireland who lost sight in one eye from a farm accident.

“Every time we show his story as part of our farm safety training at colleges and universities, it has an impact.

“This made us think that if we could bring his story to life in some way, this would allow us to bring the experience to more farmers and farmworkers and make them appreciate the importance of PPE and help them to work smarter and safer.”

The experience can be found at the Farm Safety Foundation stand (20.500) and those who try out the VR experience can receive a free pair of safety glasses.