We recently became aware of a simple but powerful farm safety campaign being led by the National Association of Agricultural Contractors. Its central message, “I Am Vital”, resonated strongly with us, not least because rural churches and communities so often find themselves supporting families when accidents happen.

We invited Jill Hewitt, CEO of the National Association of Agricultural Contractors, to reflect on the campaign and to explore how churches and rural communities can help reinforce a culture of care, attentiveness, and shared responsibility across rural life.

“I Am Vital”: A Reflection on Farm Safety and Shared Responsibility
Jill Hewitt, CEO, National Association of Agricultural Contractors

There are few industries under the constant pressure faced by agriculture. Weather is unpredictable, prices are uncertain, labour is scarce, and crops and livestock require care every day of the year. For many farming families and contractors, the struggle to make the economics stack up is relentless. Alongside this sits an often hidden reality: isolation, long hours, fatigue, and little time for rest.

Yet alongside these pressures, the farming community continues to carry a deeply troubling burden. Agriculture has the highest fatal accident rate of any industry in the UK. Despite training, regulation, and the commitment of many individuals and businesses to work safely, the pattern persists.

Since 1 April 2025, twenty eight lives have been lost in accidents on farms. Three of them were children.

These are not abstract statistics. Each death represents a family shattered, a business disrupted, and a rural community left grieving. Churches, chaplains, neighbours, and friends often find themselves walking alongside those left behind, sharing in shock, sorrow, and unanswered questions.

No one begins the day expecting an accident to happen. Yet too often there is a quiet assumption that it will not happen to us. But it happens to someone. Again and again.

Many within the sector take safety seriously and work hard to protect themselves, their families, and those they work with. Yet there remains, in some places, a culture of unnecessary risk taking. Unsafe practices are sometimes ignored, excused, or even celebrated. This cannot continue. We cannot justify the ongoing loss of life by pointing only to hard work, time pressure, weather, or the realities of working alone.

When accidents happen, the consequences are profound. At best, someone may be left unable to work fully. At worst, families face bereavement alongside investigations and legal processes. Those who have lived through such moments know how quickly life can change, and how heavy the emotional, practical, and financial costs can be.

Safety is not about fear. But it does require thought, conversation, and action. It means talking openly about risk, planning work carefully, and supporting one another to make safer choices. Often this does not require expensive equipment or complex systems. It begins with mindset, awareness, and care.

Good safety practice means organising tasks well, using appropriate equipment, and ensuring that everyone involved is trained, competent, and confident in what they are doing. Cutting corners rarely saves time or money. In fact, safety mistakes almost always come at great cost. If we are trying to save time, energy, or resources, the safest route is usually the wisest one.

The National Association of Agricultural Contractors represents professional contractors working across UK farms. As part of its commitment to improving safety culture, the NAAC has produced a simple visual reminder: a sticker carrying the message, “I am vital to UK agriculture – Stay Safe!”

Stickers alone do not save lives. But they can prompt reflection. They can interrupt routine. They can remind someone, in a moment of pressure or fatigue, to pause and choose safety.

The campaign invites contractors, farmers, families, and the wider rural community to place these stickers where people naturally stop or hesitate: on quad bike helmets, PTO guards, workshop doors, ladder rungs, or tractor steps. Each placement creates a moment to think again. To slow down. To check a guard. To switch off a machine. To wear protective equipment.

The message is simple but profound. Every person working in agriculture is vital. Every life matters. Loss reverberates through families, businesses, rural communities, and congregations.

Early responses to the campaign have been encouraging. Stickers have been taken eagerly at meetings and events, and the message has resonated across generations. At the LAMMA show in January, the NAAC displayed a powerful memorial: two pallets holding twenty eight caps, each representing a life lost in agriculture since April. The silent display invited visitors to pause and reflect on the human cost behind the numbers.

That memorial spoke of grief. The sticker campaign speaks of hope. Hope that attitudes can change. Hope that communities can support one another. Hope that safety can be understood not as bureaucracy, but as an act of care for ourselves and for others.

Those who work in agriculture carry responsibility not only for their own safety, but also for colleagues, customers, families, and communities. Accidents often happen in moments of tiredness, stress, or routine. The NAAC’s campaign does not judge. Instead, it offers a gentle, persistent reminder that safer decisions are possible.

Partnership is essential if this work is to make a difference. By standing together, across farming, contracting, churches, and rural organisations, we can help create a culture where safety is talked about openly and acted upon consistently. Sometimes, a simple reminder at eye level can be enough to save a life.

How to access stickers
Stickers are available free of charge and can be ordered online via the NAAC website, where supporters can also find materials and ideas for promoting safety locally.

Order stickers at: https://www.naac.co.uk/naac-safety-campaign/