'The Yellow Wellies' campaign is asking farmers to take five minutes each day of Farm Safety Week from June 30 to July 4 to act on advice that might save their lives. Each day, farmers will be asked to spend five minutes addressing a specific hazard and minimising risk, especially during the busy summer months.

The advice, supported by the Farm Safety Partnership and NFU, will be online in full at www.yellowwellies.org and updated daily. It not only reminds farmers that they need to protect themselves but also their workforce and family members too.

The site will also publish interviews with inspirational farm safety ambassadors such as Vicky Whipps, who lost her husband in a slurry accident three years ago, and Mark Mather who had his leg amputated after a shotgun accident in 2008.

The week’s safety programme starts on Monday with 'Overhaul your Overalls'.  Farmers are professionals working in a potentially hazardous environment. The ‘Overhaul your Overalls’ message is intended to encourage farmers to consider investing in appropriate workwear, such as a snug-fitting pair of overalls built to protect vulnerable areas and withstand potential chemical spillages In addition to affording some protection for the farmer, appropriate workwear can also prevent loose or damaged clothing getting entangled in machinery. Another crucial aspect of the professional farmer’s overalls is a sealable pocket for a fully-charged mobile phone, should help be needed.

NFU Mutual Chairman and Farm Safety Foundation Trustee Richard Percy, who manages an arable and livestock farm commented: “As farmers, we all know that we live and work in a potentially dangerous environment and that we might take risks when we are under pressure to get jobs done – particularly when the weather turns against us.

“We believe that over 100 years’ experience of dealing with farm accident claims has equipped us with the knowledge that if correctly delivered, can help reduce the accident toll on our farms.

“This is why set up the Farm Safety Foundation – to deliver practical advice through such initiatives as the Yellow Wellies campaign – so safety is always front of mind.”