Safety warning from Mutual

AFTER paying out more than £67 million last year, the country's largest rural insurance company has urged farmers to be more aware of safety issues and potential fire hazards this coming harvest.

NFU Mutual said that, particularly if the weather was bad, harvest time puts machinery and farm staff under enormous pressure.

"The Mutual's experience dealing with farmers' claims shows that making safety a top priority for all harvesting operations is crucial to avoid accidents which can cause death or injuries as well as expensive damage to machinery," said the company's Ian Jewitt.

The company is advising thorough checks of harvest machinery in the run-up to the harvest, which can help reduce the possibilities of breakdowns and machinery problems that can lead to fires.