Farming – Farm Safety Alert

To all farmers and those that work within the farming industry, safety must be prioritised!

Provisional figures from the Health and Safety Executive for April 2023 to March 2024 show that the fatal injury rate in British agriculture has hardly changed in 40 years. The figures for 2023 to 2024 indicate that 32 individuals lost their lives following accidents on farms. That is an increase of 5, from the previous figures of 2022 to 2023. This also includes the death of 3 children under the age of 2.

In May 2023, 11 people died in one single month, on farms, in England and Scotland. This is the deadliest single month for 15 years.

So, what is driving this increase in fatal accidents on Britain’s farms?

It’s difficult to know exactly, but a discussion within the industry must be had, to start driving change and bring these numbers down.

Could it be the weather, as Sun and dry days emerge, were farmers rushing to gain back lost ground as many were behind schedule? Is it the culture of the industry, too many farmers not believing that health and safety is something they need to manage or worry about? Could it be lack of time, money and resource, preventing farmers from taking the decision to hire in external H&S help or pay for essential training? Maybe it’s all of these things.

The average rate of fatal injuries in agriculture stands at 8.6 workers per 100,000, which is approximately 21 times higher than the all-industry average. Despite numerous safety campaigns in the industry, farming remains Britain’s deadliest occupation.

Farms also present the added challenge of being not just a place of work but also a place where families live. Many young children live on farm’s and this should be taken into account, a farm is a marriage of both business and family place.

So, what can be done?

Well, without fundamentally understanding what led to all these tragic deaths, specific advice and guidance is not available. But action can still be taken:

·??????? Follow the Safe Stop guidance when operating farm vehicles.

·??????? Plan hazardous activities, try and avoid high risk works if possible and do what is necessary to make it safe.

·??????? Wear helmets when using quad bikes/ATVs.

·??????? Seek advice/guidance if you are unsure.

·??????? STOP – if something looks or feels dangerous, it probably is. Stop what you’re doing if safe to do so and think about the action before it’s too late.

·??????? Check equipment before using it.

·??????? Stay clear of overhead power lines.

·??????? Keep young children away from dangerous farm equipment and traffic routes.

Managing safety on farms doesn’t need to be complicated, most of it just needs a common-sense approach. There is also a large wealth of knowledge and resources online:

·??????? Farm Safety Partnership report providing lessons on how to work safely on farms.

·??????? NFU, Yellow Wellies and FCN all provide support to farmers.

·??????? The HSE have uploaded new videos to its YouTube channel, discussing the topic of working safely with livestock.

·??????? Lantra offers some free training courses on farm health and safety, which also includes child safety on farms.

·??????? There is also a number of excellent H&S consultancies in the UK, that can provide support and guidance to farmers.

If you’re a farmer or know a farmer, and you’re reading this short article, ask them about how they manage health and safety on the farm. Ask them how they would manage hazardous activities. Ask them if they believe the industry needs to be safer.

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If you want a Health and Safety company that can help you manage the safety of your agricultural site, please contact me at EOS HSQE Consultancy. We have the experience and knowledge to help you to identify areas for improvement, so that you are compliant and that everyone goes home safely.

You can contact us on LinkedIn or at [email protected].