WITH one of the busiest times of year for farm workers just weeks away, farmers in Worcestershire are being helped to keep themselves and their employees safe at level crossings during harvest season.

Over the last five years there have been 100 near-miss incidents at crossings on farmland across the UK and last year the number of near misses increased from 15 the year before to 22 after years of decline.

Now Network Rail is working with the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) to remind them of the importance of calling to check it is safe to cross, closing gates so others do not mistakenly think they are able to cross and clearing the crossing as quickly as possible.

Level crossing manager at Network Rail Robert Havercroft said casual workers who may not be used to using crossings or speak English as a first language may be particularly at risk.

“We know that harvest time is an extremely busy period for Britain’s farmers and that level crossings can be used frequently by people who aren’t familiar with them,” he said.

He said the two organisations had worked together to produce posters and booklets that can be used around a farm to remind people how to use crossings safely.

“Level crossings can be confusing to people who aren’t used to using them but by following a few simple rules people can learn how to cross them with safety and confidence,” he said.

“We hope this will help to prevent last year’s increase in incidents at farm level crossings from becoming a trend.”

NFU vice president Guy Smith said: “We appreciate farmers are often under pressure during busy periods, but would urge them to be extra vigilant, ensuring that all safety procedures are followed strictly and all workers on their farms are well informed.”