Massey Ferguson recently held their first workshop dedicated to farm machinery safety with members of Eryri and Ynys Môn YFC at Emyr Evans Massey Ferguson Dealership in Gaerwen.

Wales YFC and agricultural equipment manufacturer, Massey Ferguson have joined forces to deliver a ‘Safety and Machinery Maintenance Workshop’ for Wales YFC members.

Upon arrival, members received an informative presentation provided by Andrew Purnell, Massey Ferguson area sales manager and Gwynedd Evans, Emyr Evans sales manager. They introduced the full-line of Massey Ferguson equipment including tractors, combines, balers, loaders and telehandlers, as well as providing some of the history behind the development of the Massey Ferguson brand. For those looking for educational and career opportunities, details were given about the three-year Apprenticeship Scheme in Agricultural Engineering available with Emyr Evans and run in conjunction with MF’s parent company, AGCO and Cambria Llyfasi College. 

Members also carried out an assessment on a tractor which was led by Michael Butland, Massey Ferguson technical service specialist. The tractor was set up with a number of faults and members were asked to identify them to test their awareness skills. This included items such as missing bulbs, mirrors and bolts. Members also received guidance on how to carry out daily checks on their machinery and how to operate the tractor in a safe manner.

Dafydd Jones, Wales YFC rural affairs chairman said: “As it stands around 20% of work related deaths in the UK occur in the farming industry and as the next generation of farmers we have the ability to make a change. It was great to see members addressing the daily checks on the tractors, learning about how to use the tractors and other farm machinery in a safe manner as well as sharing good practices.”

“As a leading manufacturer of agricultural equipment, Massey Ferguson is committed to the promotion of safety and the correct use and maintenance of machines,” remarked Andrew Purnell. “This workshop at Gaerwen was a pilot and we are very pleased with the positive feedback from Wales YFC members. As a result, we look forward to supporting more events like this in the future,”

Added Gwynedd Evans: “It was a pleasure to spend time with the young farmers. Members showed a high level of interest in the workshop and their attendance clearly showed they understand the need to give safety on the farm high priority. At Emyr Evans, we want to do all we can to assist in lowering farm machinery-related accidents. Workshops like this are an excellent way of building awareness.”

In the coming months workshops will be extending to other clubs around the UK and Ireland.