Farmers across Northern Ireland are being encouraged to take part in a new survey from the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) which aims to improve farm safety.

Around 8,000 randomly selected farmers will receive a letter from AFBI inviting them to take part in the online survey.

The findings of the survey will be used to improve safety on farms across Northern Ireland.

Farming remains one of the most dangerous industries across the world and farm-related incidents continue to have a significant impact on farming families and communities.

The AFBI survey aims to improve farm safety across Northern Ireland.

placeholder image — The AFBI survey aims to improve farm safety across Northern Ireland.

Between 2014 and 2024, 40 farmers died and many more were injured across Northern Ireland, highlighting the need to improve safety.

Survey participants will be asked about their farming business, their experiences and views on farm safety, and how they would respond to a series of realistic farm workplace situations.

The survey takes approximately 20 minutes to complete and can be completed online.

Responses will be treated in the strictest confidence and analysed anonymously.

Survey participants may also choose to enter a prize draw for a £50 eVoucher.

Lead researcher Dr Simone Angioloni said: “Understanding the challenges farmers face is essential to developing practical and effective measures which will improve farm safety.

Every farm is different, and farmers themselves are best placed to tell us about the realities and challenges of maintaining safety in day-to-day farm work.

“By taking part in this survey, farmers can help ensure that future farm safety initiatives are informed by real-world experiences and evidence.”

Rachel Hamill, Principal Agricultural Inspector with the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI), said: “We are urging farmers to take the time to complete the survey and share their own experiences.

“They know better than anyone about the challenges they face, and their views can help researchers understand more about what makes farm safety difficult in practice.

“By replying honestly, we hope farmers can help inform future farm safety initiatives and make farming safer for their own families, employees and everyone who works or visits a farm,” added Rachel Hamill.

The survey is being conducted by AFBI as part of the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs’ (DAERA) Evidence and Innovation Research Programme.

Further information on the survey is available by emailing [email protected]