Working with animals brings with it the risk of accidents and injuries, both to the farmer and members of the public who come into contact with them.
"It’s always a welcome sight to see animals back outside in the fields after the long, dark days of winter. But as every farmer knows, the reality behind the sight of lambs gamboling happily and dairy cattle grazing peacefully is often far from the picture-perfect image it portrays.
According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), incidents involving livestock were the number one cause of work-related deaths on British farms.
Of the 27 fatalities in Great Britain’s agriculture sector from April 2022 to March 2023, eight were as a result of injuries inflicted by cattle. These figures include four members of the public who had been trampled; three of whom had been walking dogs through fields with cows and calves when they died.
Although serious incidents with cattle are thankfully rare, it is essential that farmers take preventative measures to ensure they protect both themselves and other people from harm.
Farmers have a legal responsibility to reduce the risk to people using footpaths on their land. HSE guidance includes keeping cattle in fields that do not have public access, especially when cattle are calving or have calves at foot, and displaying signs when a bull, or calves with cows, are in the area. Visit www.hse.gov.uk to find out more.
We have a number of 'Keep Dogs on Leads' signs so if you'd like us to pop one in the post, please email us your name and address and we'll send one out to you ASAP!"
Natalie Carr
Account Executive
West Cumbria