Local farmers receive Farm Family Key Skills health & safety pack

Under the 2014 – 2020 Northern Ireland Rural Development Programme, Farm Family Key Skills (FFKS) scheme, CAFRE continues to offer health & safety workshops to Farm Families and their employees.

Daniel Kerr on his farm near Dungannon.

To reinforce the importance of attending health & safety training CAFRE are now awarding a health & safety pack (through the FFKS scheme) to a trainee who has completed the course. Each pack contains a head torch, hi-vis vest, body warmer and safety wellingtons boots and will be allocated monthly.

Daniel Kerr, from Galbally, Dungannon, Co Tyrone was successfully selected to receive the pack after he attended a health & safety workshop in Carrickmore, during the month of November 2017. Daniel said: “The workshop was very interesting and made me think twice about the normal jobs that I do on the farm and the dangers that can be involved.”

Laura O’Kane from Swatragh, Co Londonderry who attended the training with her father Sean, was also successfully selected to receive the pack after attending the training in Swatragh in December 2017. Laura said: “The training helped me understand the risks that both my father and I face when farming. It is very important for all members of our family to take our personal safety seriously.”

Laura and Sean are keen to avail of the new course under the Farm Family Key Skills Scheme which is First Aid Awareness for Farm Families which will be available soon across Northern Ireland. 

Trainees who have completed a FFKS H&S workshop from November 2017 will be entered into the monthly selection for a health & safety pack. The selection is managed by CAFRE who will notify the successful attendee. To date over 600 trainees have attend the training across Northern Ireland.

Health and safety on the farm continues to be an issue, statistics show that each month there are over 100 accidents on the farm that require medical attention. There is still an opportunity to attend a free health & safety workshop at the following locations:

Alternatively if your local community wishes to host a workshop then training can be set up for a group of farmers, family members and employees in your area.

Registration in advance of each workshop is essential. For further information or to register for a workshop, go online to the CAFRE website  or alternatively contact Samantha or Joyce at RDC on 028 8676 6980.

Anyone who wishes to host a workshop in their community please also get in touch with RDC to discuss how this can be arranged.  

Farm family Key Skills (FFKS) is part of the Farm Business Improvement Scheme which is funded under the NI Rural Development Programme 2014 – 2020. The programme is part of the Knowledge Transfer measure and is part funded by the European Union (EU).

For more information, please contact Joyce McMullan at RDC Tel: 028 8676 6980, Email: jmcmullan@rdc.org.uk.

Notes to editors: 

1. The Northern Ireland Rural Development Council (RDC) has been appointed to deliver health & safety training as part of the Farm Family Key Skills scheme.
2. Farm Family Key Skills aims is to increase the levels of knowledge and skills in agricultural and commercial horticulture businesses.
3. Managed by the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE), the programme is funded through the Rural Development Programme (RDP) 2014-2020 with support from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD).
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5. All media enquiries to DAERA Press Office or tel: 028 9052 4619.

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