CoLa Training looks to make agriculture a safer industry

CoLa Training looks to make agriculture a safer industry

Agriculture has one of the worst rates of worker fatalities across all industries, making the need for training even more important – something that CoLa Training Services have been providing for 20 years.

Based in Boston, Lincolnshire, health and safety training is just one of the services CoLa provides and will be looking to spread the word on the importance of training at this year’s Midlands Machinery Show.

The list of courses available to agricultural business owners and employees is long; risk assessments, first aid training, working at height, and pesticide application are just four of the most popular. Courses covering machinery operation training across a range of agricultural and industrial machines are also well attended.

“Our instruction team has more than 60 years of instruction experience between them,” says Stephen Cock, Managing Director of CoLa Training Services. “Our wealth of experience means that our courses can be made relevant to the end user’s work situation as well as being legally compliant.

“Agriculture has a terrible safety record, and one of the big things is that many farmers simply aren’t being trained about the rules and regulations or how to operate a machine properly.

“Our goal is to help improve the safety of people involved in agriculture, whether that be employers, employees, or even the general public.”

But, in order to get more farmers involved in training, you have to get them interested in it, which is why Stephen and his team have been exhibiting at the Midlands Machinery Show since the first show a decade ago.

“I was in farming for 40 years, and safety was always well down the list of priorities, which is unfortunate,” says Stephen. “It is getting better, but the culture of health and safety still needs improving – everyone always thinks that accidents only happen to other people and never to them.

“The Midlands Machinery Show is a way for farmers to come and see us and realise that training is available and accessible to them, and that it doesn’t cost a fortune.”

Stephen and his team have seen the attitudes of attendees change towards training, with more people becoming aware of the value of professional training.

“While you might not see a direct return for your training straight away like you would a new machine, it’s very difficult to quantify the value of a near miss in the workplace being a near miss instead of an accident,” says Stephen.

“We invite everyone to come over to our stand, ask questions about the different training courses, and get to know a bit more about what we can provide.”