Whittlesey farmer hopes Farm Safety Week tackles mental health stigma
Matt Styles says mental safety is as important as physically
A farmer in Cambridgeshire says speaking out on mental health issues is as important as keeping physically safe in the industry.
Matt Styles runs a farm in Whittlesey and has previously had struggles with his mental health due to tough working conditions.
His call to farmers to share any concerns they may have comes as part of Farm Safety Week, as the National Farmers Union launched its ‘Take 5 to Stay Alive’ campaign to raise awareness of the importance of staying safe.
“Not only physical farm safety but the mental health side of things is so important that we encourage people to talk to their neighbours, friends, support groups,” Matt said.
“The message is that you’re not alone.”
Agriculture one of most deadliest sectors to work in
Matt sought help from the Farming Community Network charity to deal with his mental health, and has since been recovering.
“From the time I did share I was struggling, I've been on a journey of healing and recovery and I’m in a much better place several years on from when I initially did that,” he said.
“But I think if I hadn’t done that, I don’t know if I’d have got to where I am now.”
Figures from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found agriculture had the joint second highest total of work-related deaths between April 2022 and March this year.
Within 135 workers killed in work-related incidents in Great Britain in the last 12 months, 21 of these were in agriculture, forestry and fishing.
The HSE also found agriculture, forestry, and fishing has the highest rate of fatal injury per 100,000 workers of all the main industrial sectors.
"You can become complacent with danger"
“Farming is an incredibly dangerous industry,” Matt added.
“We’re working with stuff that could seriously injure or kill you day in day out and I think you can become complacent with that sense of danger because you think ‘I know what I’m doing’.
“I would say it’s a time pressure thing (cause of accidents).
“There was another saying another farmer came up with which was ‘what’s quicker? Saving five minutes on a job by doing it unsafely or having an accident? Hang on, I’ll turn the piece of machinery off.”