HSE confirms 27 fatalities on GB farms in 2023-24

New figures released by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) have confirmed 27 people lost their lives on farms in Great Britain in 2023-24.

A further seven fatalities were also confirmed on farms in Northern Ireland during the 12-month period, taking the UK total to 34.

The figures, released to coincide with Farm Safety Week, showed that the agricultural sector continues to have the poorest safety record of any industry, accounting for 20% of all workplace deaths, despite employing less than 1% of the national workforce.

See also: Improving farm safety and saving lives

Farmworkers accounted for 23 of the fatalities on GB farms during the past year, with those aged over 65 representing almost 40% of these deaths.

Four members of the public also lost their lives on farms, which included two children.

‘Stubbornly high’

HSE head of agriculture Sue Thompson said: “Sadly, the numbers of fatalities within the industry remain stubbornly high.

“All too often, the industry fails to properly manage health and safety risk in the workplace, resulting in serious and fatal injuries that could, and should, have been prevented.

“That children continue to be killed on Britain’s farms is a source of tragedy and sadness and is totally unacceptable.

“Farmers must put the health and safety of themselves and others at the heart of what they do. Real change requires a significant shift in culture.”

Attitudes

The Farm Safety Foundation (Yellow Wellies), which pioneered the first Farm Safety Week 10 years ago, says the industry needs to address both the number of farming fatalities on farms each year and the attitude to risk-taking and poor safety behaviours.

Stephanie Berkeley, Farm Safety Foundation manager, said that 35 families and communities had been devastated by the loss of a loved one and that can’t continue.

“Attitudes and behaviours around farm safety are changing, but the pace of change is slow – too slow for the families of those we have lost in the industry and too slow for the thousands of farmers suffering every day with long-term ill-health or serious injuries as a result of their work,” said Ms Berkeley.

“This year’s Farm Safety Week offers an opportunity for a real reset of the way we approach farm safety and risk-taking.

“We cannot continue to tolerate poor safety behaviours, we cannot assume that it’s somebody else’s job to drive this change in culture, and we cannot rely on luck when going about our daily tasks.”

Near misses

The 2024 Farm Safety Week campaign focuses on recognising and recording near-misses on farm.

NFU Mutual chairman Jim McLaren added:

“Farm Safety Week is a great opportunity for our whole sector to pause and reflect, to remind ourselves that virtually every task we undertake on farm has the ability to kill or seriously injure us if we approach it in the wrong way or with undue haste, carelessness or bravado.”