New high performance awards to recognise outstanding individual achievement have been announced by The Health and Safety Executive (HSE).  This year's top performing students who have successfully completed vocational qualifications (VQs) for health and safety in agriculture are the first to be honoured for their performance.  The candidates were presented with their prizes at an awards ceremony on the HSE stand at The Royal Show in July.

Lantra Awards are proud to announce that Scott Melton (2nd from right) was awarded the Level 2 award and Graham Watson (far left) for the Level 3.

The farming industry continues to have an unacceptably high level of accidents and ill health In the ten year period from 1995/1996 to 2004/2005 a total of 489 people have been killed as a result of agricultural work activities and many more have been injured or suffered ill health.  This means an average of 49 people each year are killed in the industry - almost one death per week!

Health and Safety VQs are an HSE initiative that have received widespread support and acclaim from key industry stakeholders.  They form part of a package of measures aiming to bring about a sustainable change to the industry's accident record by increasing the level of knowledge, skills and competencies of those people working within the industry, or about to join it. 

The HSE developed the qualifications with the help of a number of organisations including Lantra Sector Skills Council, the National Farmers Union, the Transport and General Workers Union (now part of Unite, the Union), together with awarding bodies for the land-based sector, including Lantra Awards.