Alun Elidyr Edwards and Glyn Davies have been appointed to two new ambassadorial roles to promote health and safety awareness on farms across Wales.
This was published under the 2016 to 2021 administration of the Welsh Government
The new Ambassadors will promote the work of the Wales Farm Safety Partnership - a collaboration of key agricultural stakeholder organisations working together to help drive down the unacceptable number of serious accidents and deaths that occur on farms across Wales each year.
Both Ambassadors have extensive farming experience and are keen to impart their knowledge to other farm businesses in a bid to make Welsh farms safer and reduce the risk of accidents.
The Wales Farm Safety Partnership was last year awarded £46,000 by the Welsh Government to highlight the dangers associated with farming and to provide health and safety advice and guidance to farmers.
388 people have been killed while at work on British farms in the last ten years whilst thousands more have suffered serious injuries and work related ill health.
Over the last twenty years, other industries such as construction and quarrying have greatly improved their safety records, while farming has not, you are now six times more likely to be killed on a farm than you would on a building site.
Glyn Davies said,
“I am delighted to take up the role of Farm Safety Ambassador and help spread the message about the importance of health and safety on farms.”
Aled Elidyr Edwards said,
“Farm safety is of paramount importance and I am looking forward to playing a leading role in the Wales Farm Safety Partnership helping individuals and businesses reduce the risk of accidents on farms.”
Lesley Griffiths, the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs said,
“I’m pleased that Alun and Glyn have agreed to take on the role of Ambassadors for this important campaign. Both have extensive experience in farming and already have prominent roles in the sector: Glyn being a Farming Connect health & safety mentor and Alun, a farmer and presenter on the S4C farming series Ffermio.”
“The Wales Farm Safety Partnership and the new Ambassadors will play a key role in helping to drive down the unacceptable number of serious accidents and deaths that occur on farms across Wales each year.”