FARMING continues to have the highest death rate of any of the UK’s main industrial sectors, new figures show.
The Health and Safety Executive Fatal Injuries in Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing in GB report
2018/19 published today shows 39 people were killed on farms over the past year.
Of those killed 32 were agricultural workers and seven were members of the public including two children.
The report has been released to coincide with the Farm Safety Week, that runs from today until Friday, July 19.
Farm safety charity, the Farm Safety Foundation, is calling on those working in agriculture to make a real change, following the increasing number of farmers and farm workers killed at work over the past year.
The charity says there has been an increase in awareness among farmers, with 68% aware of Farm Safety Week, but the industry still remains the most dangerous in terms of fatal accidents with the death rate around 18 times higher than the all industry rate and accounting for more than 22% of all workplace fatalities.
The new HSE stats for 2018/19 reveal that over a third of all agricultural fatalities recorded in the report were as a result of moving vehicles (36%), followed by animals (23%) and falls (18%).
The ages of those suffering fatal injuries is also alarming – eight people (25%) were over the age of 65, while two of those killed were children.
Despite the work being done to improve the industry, agriculture continues to have the poorest safety record of any occupation in the UK.
Farm Safety Week, which is now in its seventh year, will concentrate on making a real change, bringing the focus back to farmers, farm workers and those living and working in rural communities to deliver real stories, inspiration and messages directly to them.
Andrew Turner, head of agriculture for the Health & Safety Executive said: "Agriculture is a critical part of our economy. But every year we have to report that agriculture has the poorest safety record of any occupation in the UK. This is made even more tragic by the fact that the deaths and injuries are avoidable. The precautions to prevent people being killed and maimed on farms are well known and can be easily applied.”