RECENT figures from the Health & Safety Executive revealed that 23 people lost their lives while working in agriculture in the past year.
While construction tops the list of work-related fatalities with 51, agriculture, forestry and fishing comes out as the worst industry in terms of the number of fatalities per 100,000 workers.
Shockingly, the industry accounted for 17% of all work-related deaths in Great Britain in the 12 months to March 2024, despite employing around 1% of the total workforce.
The HSE report also stated that the average rate of fatal injury is 21 times higher than other industries.
But farm safety is about more than statistics. Behind every number is a life lost or changed forever by a farming-related death. The figures tell a devastating story about people’s lives, their loved ones and the unimaginable impact serious injury or worse can have on families and tight-knit rural communities.
The truth is that farmers and those working in the agricultural sector are particularly exposed to the risk of serious injury, simply because of the nature of what they do. They work long hours, often on their own, all year-round in every weather condition imaginable. Add tractors, machinery, livestock and chemicals to the mix and you’ve got an alarming combination.
When you’re up against the weather struggling to finish harvest before a downpour, or exhausted after a long, stressful night in the lambing shed, health and safety may not always be at the forefront of your mind but the reality is that it should be.
Ultimately, it’s up to farmers to recognise potential risks and mitigate them to protect themselves, their families, their employees, and members of the public from harm. Risk does not have to be an inevitable part of farming. By following the right procedures and guidance, it can be removed or managed.
A 2023 survey by the Farm Safety Foundation found that 88% of farmers in the UK believe that complacency is a major contributing factor to farm accidents while 82% claimed that attitude also played its part.
While health and safety on farms has improved over the years, the only way for agriculture to reduce the number of people sustaining serious or fatal injuries is to change the way we think about agricultural work which means replacing often entrenched habits and attitudes with better safety practices.
It’s about making sure everyone working or helping out on a farm follows the right procedures every time and always thinks before they act.
The HSE website (www.hse.gov.uk) is an excellent resource for finding out more about agricultural safety, and has practical health and safety advice on all aspects of agricultural work from handling livestock to operating machinery.
Like any business, farmers are employers and responsible for the training and the health and safety of their employees, and for the safety, maintenance and insurance of their equipment. Health and safety should be regarded as important as any other aspect of running a farm.
The unpredictability of working farms, whatever their size or makeup, means that having the necessary insurance in place, such as employee liability insurance and public liability insurance, is essential to ensure both you and anyone who comes into contact with your property is protected against any potential risk.
Accidents happen but taking steps to help prevent them will ensure that farms are a safer place for everyone.
H&H Insurance Brokers operates across the North of England, the Scottish Borders and Wales. Contact Corinne Cooper on [email protected] or call the Northallerton office on 01609 710376. www.hhinsurancebrokers.co.uk