HEALTH officials have launched a new campaign to try to cut the number the number of people killed and injured on farms.

Hambleton and Richmondshire Primary Care Trust has joined forces with the Health and Safety Executive to highlight the importance of countryside safety.

The campaign is targeting children in particular and staff want to educate people about how to prevent farm accidents and enjoy the countryside in safety.

The most common causes of serious injury and death on farms are being struck by moving vehicles or objects, drowning, asphyxiation, falls from heights, contact with machinery and fire.

Accidents involving children usually happen when they are playing unsupervised, being carried as passengers on agricultural machinery, helping around the farm or trespassing. Over the past ten years, 497 people have been killed nationally in the farming industry. This means that on, average, almost 50 people die each year - almost one death a week.

Kate Lloyd, public health nurse at the primary care trust, said: "Agriculture has one of the highest fatal accident rates of any industry, and is also the only high-risk industry that has to deal with the constant presence of children.

"Farms are homes as well as workplaces, and visitors to the countryside, many of whom are children, are often present on farms. All adults need to be aware of the risks, especially during the long summer holidays."

As part of the campaign, there will be a display in Masham Market Place between 10am and 3pm on Wednesday next week.

Jill Greaves, health visitor at Bedale Health Clinic, and Paul Unwin from the Health and Safety Executive will be on hand to offer advice at the session.

They will be handing out booklets and leaflets and providing activities and posters for children.

Earlier this year a Health and Safety inspector issued a warning to people working at height after a coroner recorded accident verdicts on two farmers from near Thirsk who died in falls within days of each other in October last year.

David Bell, who investigated both deaths, warned people to plan work carefully and to make sure they use the right equipment for the job.