News

MUTUAL SUPPORT FOR THE YEAR OF FOOD AND FARMING

Rural insurer NFU Mutual is supporting The Year of Food and Farming by extending participating policyholders’ public liability cover without extra charge.

“The Year of Food and Farming is a key element in agriculture’s campaign to connect with the public and we’re delighted to help by providing cover to farmers who are insured by NFU Mutual,” said Tim Hewson-Stoate, Customer Services Director.

“As an insurer with its roots in farming and rural life, we’re offering this support to help farmers who are keen to stage an open farm event but are concerned about the possible insurance implications.”

He explained that farmers hosting events as part of the Year - or Open Farm Sunday - should let their local NFU Mutual agent know that they were hosting an event and follow NFU Mutual’s farm visit checklist.

NFU Mutual’s Risk Management Services company has also has produced a checklist to help farmers planning to stage an open farm event.

NFU Mutual’s farm visit checklist:

  • Decide which areas of the farm you want people to visit. Make sure that routes around the farm divert visitors from dangerous areas such as working machinery, chemical stores, slurry lagoons, grain stores, silage pits, etc.
  • Try to keep the farm as clean possible and ensure areas and pathways to which visitors have access to are kept free from any build-up of faeces.
  • If visitors are to be allowed to pet and feed animals, it is important that adequate supervision is provided in the contact areas. If you do not wish visitors to have contact with any of the animals, then either arrange routes away from areas where animals are kept or install double fencing to prevent contact.
  • Erect signs to informing visitors of dangers. Remember that signs do not negate the need for adequate supervision.
  • Ensure everyone involved in hosting the visit is trained and instructed on what visitors should or should not do. If farming operations are taking place at the same time as the visit, it is important that the two are suitably segregated.
  • Remember that children are naturally curious and can often get into apparently inaccessible places. Whilst parents have a particular responsibility to prevent their children straying into areas where they may be at risk, you must take responsibility for the safety of visitors to your site.
  • Where visitors are encouraged to contact animals you will need to provide washing facilities. Warm running water, liquid soaps and paper towels should be provided.
  • The location and number of toilet and wash facilities will vary depending on size of farm and number of visitors expected.
  • Inform farm insurer of your visit plans

For more advice on farm safety call NFU Mutual Risk Management Services on 0800 132029.