App launches to tackle high farm death rates
ReutersA new app designed to help farmers deal with serious accidents in the workplace has launched.
Its creator, farming charity the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI), says it could save lives in the most critical moments.
Speaking at the Royal Cornwall Show near Wadebridge, Alicia Chivers from the RABI said FarmersAid had been released as a free download to guide people through what to do before emergency services arrive.
The UK farming workforce accounted for only 1% of workers but about 20% of workplace deaths according to BBC News analysis of Health and Safety Executive (HSE) data in 2019.
"This is a new initiative, the first phase of which is the app and the purpose of this app is to save lives on farms," said Chivers.
The app told users to call emergency services first and she made clear it did not replace them, adding that it was designed to support people already on scene, who were often the first to respond in isolated areas.
"This is not replacing the emergency services, this is giving the person that has been injured on farm the best chance of survival when the emergency services get to them," she said.
Chivers said it covered the most common types of serious on-farm accidents and provided clear, step-by-step instructions to follow while waiting for help.
"It is absolutely critical in those first 10 minutes that if you can take some action, you can save a life," she said.
The app worked offline, a key feature in rural areas where signal could be unreliable.
"It is absolutely simple and step-by-step and it removes some of the chaos when you come across somebody in a farmyard," she said.
She stressed the app would always be free and said it was part of a longer-term plan that would also include training to help people feel better prepared for emergencies.
