REAL-life accidents were recreated on a Penrith farm to promote safety to the next generation of farmers.

Agricultural students at Newton Rigg College were dealing with emergency situations on the college’s farm at Sewborwens this week with the help of Farm Safety Foundation, a charity set up by rural insurers NFU Mutual.

Farming continues to have the poorest safety record of any occupation in the UK and accidents can change the lives of a farming family and community forever.

The Foundation has worked with the team at Newton Rigg College to tailor the session to suit their own students and have chosen four of the UK’s most common causes of workplace fatalities and life-changing injuries, including machinery, livestock, crushing injury from working in a pen with cattle, workplace transport, pedestrian struck by forklift and quad bikes.

During the training, students were broken into four groups and spent 15 minutes at each accident scene. They were then asked to work out what could have happened, debate what immediate action should be taken, contemplate First Aid implications and explore what measures should be taken to prevent the accident happening in the future.

Newton Rigg lecturer, Dan Stamper said: “Students and young farmers are such an important target group for farm safety messages as they are the future of the industry. As technology advances within farming, the risk of accidents can actually increase. While the safety of machinery and equipment has improved, the fact that machines can do so much more can make people complacent.”

n Brampton young farmers are having their start of year BBQ on Sunday, September 22, at Lanercost Cricket Club, 12pm onwards.