Inspectors target farms

People on farms are 21 times more likely to be killed in a workplace accident that other sectors and the HSE is calling on farmers to change their attitudes towards safety. There have been 161 deaths on Britain’s farms over the last five years, an average of 26 a year, and these figures include members of the public and children.

HSE inspectors plan to carry out a wave of 440 inspections on farms across the country until April 2024. The enforcement campaign aims to change the culture in the industry and check compliance with longstanding legal requirements. Visits will focus particularly on the main causes of death in farming, including working with cattle, operating and maintaining vehicles, and falls from height. They will also look at risks to the public, including managing cattle around public rights of way, and child safety on farms.

Although, the number of deaths in the agricultural sector has fallen by around half since the early 1980s, the rate of fatalities remained stubbornly high, the HSE says, and is much higher than comparable industries.

“Simple actions” farmers can take to reduce the key risks include using adequate props during the maintenance of vehicles and avoiding doing work at height themselves.