A COURSE believed to be the first of its kind has been launched to improve health and safety on farms.

First Aid for Farmers was jointly launched by H&H Group, Carrs Billington and Johnston Tractors and is the first independent first aid course tailored specifically for the farming community.

The course aims to offer a practical scenario-based training by leading farmers through various real-life incidents that could happen in a farm environment, and teaches the best course of action to take, especially within the first crucial 15-30 minutes post-accident before an ambulance arrives on the scene.

Incidents covered include: treatment of crush injury caused from a quad bike or being trampled by cattle, severe bleeding due to amputation, impalement on equipment such as baler spike and how to assess non-responsive casualties.

There will also be information shared on apps which offer GPS location and tracking for emergency services, which can be essential when working in fields away from the main yard.

The course will be taught by qualified doctors and paramedics, along with student paramedics from Cumbria University.

The man behind was course is non-executive H&H director and vet Colin Lindsay.

He said: “In the farming industry, we expose ourselves to danger daily. Real life emergencies happen out in the field and they can be extremely serious. Sometimes, resultant injuries can not be fixed by basic first aid, but the actions that are taken whilst help is being sought can literally be the difference between life or death.

“But the question was: is this kind of training available in the farming community, and if not, what can we do to bridge that gap?”

First Aid for Farmers will take place at Borderway Mart, Carlisle on December 11. For further information email: safety@hhib.co.uk.