6 FARM NEWS
DEC/JAN 2019 • farmers-mart.co.uk
WARNING FOLLOWING 33 AGRICULTURAL
DEATHS IN JUST 12 MONTHS
A RURAL risk expert is urging farmers to be
vigilant after a rise in the number of agricul-
ture deaths in the past year.
New figures from the Health and Safety
Executive (HSE) show that 33 people were
killed in agriculture across Britain in 2017/18
– three more on the previous year.
These latest findings have further ce-
mented agriculture’s reputation as the riski-
est industry to work in, with it reporting the
highest fatal injury rate – around 18 times
higher than the all industry rate.
Richard Wade, of Lycetts Risk Manage-
ment Services, said: “Agriculture’s high
fatality rate significantly outstrips that of
other industries.
“It is more than five times higher than the
second most-risky industry, construction,
which really drives home just how hazard-
ous an industry it is.
“Farmers face potentially fatal risks daily,
from working with unpredictable animals
to potentially dangerous machinery, so
protecting personal and employee health
should be top priority.
“Sadly, members of the public, family
members and children living on the farm
also get caught up in incidents and account
for some of the deaths.
“It is clear the burden of keeping farms
safe is a heavy, but necessary one, with no
room for error.
“There have been great strides with
regards to health and safety over the past
decades, with the number of fatal injuries
to workers in agriculture falling by around
half since 1981 – but we still have a huge
way to go.
“Just last week, we learned that a farmer
was jailed for causing the death of a young
woman by failing to replace a £75 cover on
the drive shaft of a milling machine.”
Of the 33 deaths in the agricultural sector,
four were members of the public, two of
which were children.
Being injured by an animal caused the
most deaths, accounting for one in four
deaths (24 per cent).
Almost one in five deaths (18 per cent)
were the result of being struck by a moving
vehicle, followed by being trapped by
something collapsing (15 per cent) and be-
ing struck by an object (12 per cent).
The age of the victims varies hugely, with
the youngest being four and the oldest,
85.
Nearly half (48 per cent) of the agricultur-
al workers killed were over 65 and almost
twice as many self-employed people were
killed as employees.
Wade added: “Unwise risk-taking is an
underlying problem in the agricultural
industry, and the most vulnerable are hit
the hardest. The fatal injury rate for over
65s was nearly five times that of younger
workers. Many farmers are working well
past their retirement age, with little to no
help, so physically, and cognitively, they
are put under a lot of strain.
“These factors mean they may not ap-
propriately assess or mitigate risks.
“Sadly, some of these deaths are a result
of freak accidents, but others are prevent-
able.”
For information on keeping your farm safe, visit
hse.gov.uk/agriculture.
lycetts.co.uk