Why Llyr would be an effective mentor
- Llyr was raised on a beef and sheep family farm near Lampeter. In 2016, Llyr took over a farm near Llandysul with his wife and three children. The farm compromises of up to 150 cattle and a flock of 200 ewes. All cattle are sold as stores through local markets whilst the lambs are taken to Dunbia.
- Although the majority of his career has been within health & safety, Llyr has always maintained a close relationship with the agriculture sector by keeping his own livestock and providing farmers and organisations with agricultural health & safety guidance, as well as ensuring their safety and the safety of others.
- Llyr currently works as a Health, Safety & Environment Advisor and also runs a consultancy business servicing all business-related sectors including agricultural businesses. With 13 years’ experience in health & safety management, Llyr can provide impartial but constructive feedback and is eager to encourage Welsh farms to achieve safer working environments.
- His previous roles within the field include work such as health & safety policy implementation, writing reports, delivering training, creating and communicating policies and procedures, chairing meetings, communicating with enforcement authorities and writing risk assessments.
- Llyr describes himself as a naturally patient and openminded person, traits that he is able to apply in all aspects of life. He is a retained Fire Fighter and finds the role of assisting people from all backgrounds very rewarding.
- An excellent communicator, Llyr is able to continually demonstrate and encourage knowledge transfer through open discussions. Having been raised on a farm and now running his own, Llyr has significant understanding and experience in both agriculture and health & safety.
- Llyr has benefitted from various Farming Connect services including Agrisôp, training courses and grants. He has also recently been offered a place on the Agri Academy Business & Innovation programme.
Current farm business
- Health, Safety and Environment consultancy business established in 2017
- Cattle and sheep kept on 150 acres
- 150 dairy cross weaned calves / store cattle
- 200 Welsh Mule and Texel cross breeding ewes with 40 replacements kept on each year
- Qualifications/ achievements/ experience
- 2005: BSc (Hons) Agriculture with Countryside Management
- 2008 – present: Member of Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) Rural Industries Group
- 2006 – 2014: health, Safety & Site Amenities Manager, Dunbia
- 2011 – present: Fire Fighter, Mid and West Wales Fire & Rescue Service
- 2013: Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) Accredited Trainer
- 2013: Accredited Lead Auditor in Health, Safety and Environment Management Systems
- 2014 – present: Health, Safety & Environment Advisor, Aberystwyth University
- 2015: National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH) Diploma
- 2015 – present: National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH) Examiner
- 2017: PRINCE 2 Practitioner: Project Management
- 2018: Radiation Protection Certificate, Radman Associates
- 2019: Awards for Community Support Excellence and Outstanding & Commended Safety Performance (South and West Wales Safety Group)
- 2019: Leadership and Management Training, Farming Connect
TOP TIPS FOR HEALTH & SAFETY MANAGEMENT
‘Ensure children are supervised and made aware of any safety issues at all times while on the farm.’
‘All machinery operators, whether a family member, full time employee or a casual worker, must be fully trained on how to operate all machinery they are required to use as part of their job’
‘Before any work is carried out, provide information about hazards, risks and precautions to employees, family members, contractors and anybody else involved.’
‘Discuss health and safety regularly; plan work and lead by example to let everyone know that health and safety is important.’
‘When planning to work with livestock, always ensure adequate facilities and equipment is used and in safe working order. Consider and understand animal behaviour and stress triggers. Animals respond well to routine and are easily startled by sudden movement, loud sounds and bright lights.’