A POTENTIALLY life-saving initiative to help rural workers pinpoint their exact location in an emergency is being launched by NFU Scotland and Scotland's Charity Air Ambulance (SCAA), working with the Scottish Ambulance Service.
Statistics show that those employed in the rural and agricultural industries across Scotland face the greatest danger of accident or mishap of all professions - and when the worst happens in remote and isolated areas, getting quickly to the right location is of paramount importance.
Now the Union and SCAA are encouraging farmers, crofters, landowners and other rural workers to adopt an easy-to-use grid reference system. The system is designed to help define accurately their location when summoning help.
By carrying a pocket-sized card detailing the grid reference of key landmarks on their land, which are clearly visible to emergency responders, anyone involved in an accident can pass on an accurate location to emergency services, allowing help to find them easily.
The reference point cards - detailing unique landmarks such as lochs, prominent hills, masts, water features, churches, bridges or road features - can be copied and kept in multiple locations by everyone on the farm.
They can be attached to farm vehicles, in workers' pockets, or pasted to the back of their mobile phones.
Welcoming the initiative, NFUS regional co-ordinator Lisa Roberts said: "I hope farmers, crofters and landowners up and down the country will get on board and have this sort of information available if ever they need to use it.
"Creating their own unique card of reference points is easy to do.
"But it can be crucial to allow the emergency services to reach a patient as quickly as possible."
Gavin Davey, chief executive of SCAA said: "SCAA responds regularly to rural incidents - many of them involving agricultural workers.
"It is sometimes difficult for farmers and rural workers to pinpoint their exact location.
"We are pleased to be able to work with NFU Scotland and its members to produce jointly a straightforward method of detailing their exact location to summon help.
"By working together we have produced a simple, easy-to-follow, system for land workers."
Describing the new tool, he said: "This will create a network of distinct reference points across their land."
Market round-up
United Auctions sold 117 store heifers at Stirling on Wednesday to a top of 249.3p per kg and an average of 208.8p (+1.7p on the week), while 108 store, beef-bred bullocks peaked at 255.7p and levelled at 227.2p (+16p).
Ninety-nine store, B&W bullocks sold to 168.4p and averaged 146.6p (-4.7p).
In the rough ring 167 cows averaged 127.1p.
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