Farm safety vigilance remains paramount as latest figures reveal positive trend

Farmers should remain focused on improving safety standards, with latest figures revealing a drop in the number of fatalities in the British agricultural industry.

According to official statistics from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), 25 people were killed across the sector in 2021/22 – 16 fewer than last year.

Although it is encouraging news, it is important that those who work in the industry do not become complacent.

Fatal injuries were most commonly caused by people being struck by moving vehicles. This was followed by being struck by an object, contact with machinery, falls from height and animal-inflicted deaths.

The latest figures suggest considerable progress in agricultural risk management since the early 1980s, when there were around double the number of fatal injuries. This year’s total number of fatalities, which includes three members of the public, is the second lowest number of deaths recorded in the last five years.

Agriculture, however, remains the riskiest industry to work in, with fatal injuries around 21 times higher than the ‘all industry rate’.

Figures for the last five years reveal that more self-employed workers are killed than employed workers, suggesting that while employers may be taking care to implement health and safety measures, and educate and train their staff, they are not giving their own personal safety enough attention.

Some fatalities can be attributed to freak accidents, but others could be avoided by adopting a more rigorous approach to safety. Risk assessments should be thorough, all appropriate training should be undertaken, and safety policies should be implemented.