Big rise in on-farm deaths

Between April 1, 2009, and March 31, 2010, 38 agriculture workers were killed at work. This marks a return to average levels of previous years, following the record low in 2008/09 when 25 workers died.

Of the 38 agriculture workers killed, 17 were employees and 21 were self employed people. Seven members of the public were also killed in work related accidents in the sector.

The HSE has identified farming as its biggest area of concern. The industry accounted for over one-quarter of the 151 deaths across all UK sectors and regions in 2009/10.

The rate of fatal injuries in the sector in 2009/10 was 8.2 per 100,000 workers, making it the most dangerous industry in which to work, HSE said.

HSE chairman Judith Hackitt told NFU council on Tuesday, that while other sectors, such as construction, have made ‘huge strides’ in improving their safety records, the dire situation in farming has not improved over the past decade.

Ms Hackitt said: “We are especially concerned to see the continuing high levels of fatalities in agriculture. No industry can or should regard high levels of death and injury as being ‘part of the job’.

“It is time for British agriculture industry to wake up to the enormous toll of death and injury which occurs year on year and lead the way to improvement just as other sectors have shown is possible.”

HSE head of agriculture, Graeme Walker said: “38 workers were killed on British farms last year, failing to come home to their families because of avoidable safety failings – proving once again that agriculture is the most dangerous way of making a living in Great Britain.

“The fact that many of these lives have been lost in family businesses is a double tragedy. Not only have families been ripped apart, but businesses that have been handed down through generations have been ruined.

“Farming and agricultural work has a poor safety record compared with other industries – we cannot let this trend continue.”

The NFU has agreed to spearhead a campaign to improve farm safety in response to the shocking statistics.

The NFU Council agreed on Tuesday that the NFU should host a Farm Safety Summit and invite other industry leaders to participate in a coalition that spreads a culture of safer working.

NFU President Peter Kendall said: “The NFU notes the latest workplace fatality statistics with considerable sadness as there is a tragic story that sits behind each one of the numbers. Any fatal accident or serious injury has a devastating impact on the families and businesses involved.” 

”We’ve already started to remind our members to take care but as harvest gets underway, we will step this up and continue to support the HSE efforts to minimise farm deaths especially through the Come Home Safe campaign.”

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