Farm Safety Series: Increase in cattle-related fatalities sparks calls for caution

Increasing cattle-related fatalities in the last five years have led to industry calls for livestock to be handled and treated with caution. Cattle must be handled and treated with caution given their size, strength and unpredictable responses to situations, industry chiefs have warned.It comes as 11 people, five members of the public and six farm workers, were killed in UK cattle-related incidents from March 2020 to April 2021, data from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has revealed.But cattle were the second biggest cause of fatal injury in the last five years, causing 32 deaths on-farm from April 2016 to March 2021.Twenty-two of these involved cows and 10 involved bulls, with Dr Stephen Britton, HSE inspector, stating there was no clear picture pointing towards any particular breed being more hazardous. He said: "Cattle are much larger than people and, as well as the deaths, any injuries can be life-changing, including broken bones and spinal injuries."Stephanie Berkeley, Farm Safety Foundation manager, highlighted a lack of awareness about farmland risks, and the increase in footfall to the countryside as people rediscovered nature's benefits due to the Covid-19 pandemic, could lead to serious incidents for farm workers, contractors and the public.She said: "Public safety should be part of every farm's health and safety policy and, if you have people passing through your land using public rights of way, there is a legal duty to minimise any risk of injury to them."Tina Morgan, Institution of Occupational Safety and Health rural industries group chair, stressed those unfamiliar with being around cattle could often underestimate their speed, herd instinct, inquisitive nature and maternal bond.Farmers can be prosecuted for breaches under health and safety legislation and face substantial fines.Ms Morgan said: "In 2015, a Staffordshire dairy farmer was given a four-month suspended sentence and fined £133,333 after a bull killed one of the farmer's employees."In 2016, the owner of cattle in Nottinghamshire was in court facing charges of manslaughter following the death of a member of the public who was trampled during a stampede."However, the impact when a worker or family member dies goes beyond legislation and monetary loss, affecting relatives and friends physically and emotionally."Blame She added that all too often the farming community blame the victim after a cattle incident, rather than looking at ways the attack could have been avoided in the first place.Ms Morgan said: "The industry can take simple steps to make working with and coming into contact with livestock safer."One key initiative supporting safe operations at UK auction marts is the ‘Safe Hands' Master Drover Programme, introduced in 2017 by the Livestock Auctioneers' Association.Initially delivered on a ‘train the trainer' basis, the content has been converted to a series of online training modules and, to date, has seen 24 marts use the service, with nearly 250 drovers registered and more than 1,000 individual courses completed between them.Alastair Sneddon, senior partner at Bagshaws LPP at Bakewell Market, said: "Introducing auctioneers' staff to the science of both animal and human behaviour has completely transformed the thinking behind handling stock in markets."The Safe Hands programme explains not just how we should handle stock, but why animals behave in a particular way, thus allowing market staff to reduce stress and risk to both man and beast."