Yellow Wellies charity invites farmers to try its VR experience during LAMMA 2025
9th January 2025
The Farm Safety Foundation, known as the Yellow Wellies, has developed a new virtual reality tool to allow LAMMA visitors to experience the harsh reality of what can happen when they decide to ignore safety and work without eye protection.
A spokesperson for the organisation said: “Your eyes are one of the most important organs of the body. Unfortunately, they’re also one of the most delicate and susceptible to injury.
“Activities around the farm like drilling, working with chemicals or riding an ATV without the proper PPE can have devastating long-term effects on a farm workers vision.”
To help farmers understand the issue, the Farm Safety Foundation will be launching a new virtual reality experience at LAMMA 2025, which is taking place from 15th to 16th January at the NEC, Birmingham.
Work smarter and safer
Visitors to the Farm Safety Foundation stand (20.500) at LAMMA will have the chance to immerse themselves in three scenarios designed to highlight the importance of wearing eye protection while carrying out certain farming activities.
This interactive experience will open visitors’ eyes to the consequences of not wearing basic eye protection and demonstrate how wearing this PPE would prevent an injury from occurring.
Stephanie Berkeley, Farm Safety Foundation manager, said: “A few years ago, we introduced audiences to Ryan Taggart, a young farmer from Northern Ireland who lost sight in one eye from a farm accident.
“Every time we show his story as part of our farm safety training at colleges and universities, it has an impact.
“This made us think that if we could bring his story to life in some way, this would allow us to bring the experience to more farmers and farm workers and make them appreciate the importance of PPE and help them to work smarter and safer.”
The charity worked with Northern Ireland mobile app and software development agency Sugar Rush to create three scenarios offering users a choice of whether to wear eye protection or not and what could happen based on their decision.
“We created this tool to be used both at shows and in the classroom. We know that young people learn in different ways, and while watching someone’s story can have impact, allowing someone to experience it for themselves virtually and safely takes it to another level.
“We believe in championing alternative learning methods as a way of engaging the next generation of farmers and equipping them for their chosen career.
“For a generation raised on interactive technologies, we really believe that using VR in our sessions can help encourage active engagement and contribute to driving safer behaviours in the industry,“ Ms Berkeley continued.
Those who will take part in LAMMA and give the VR a try on the day can also collect a free pair of safety glasses from the foundation’s team.
Read more news in our LAMMA 2025 hub.
