Safety plea after 18 people killed on farms this year

A shocking rise in farm incidents has seen 18 people killed on farms in Great Britain so far this year.

The victims include two toddlers who lost their lives after incidents that involved moving farm machinery.

Stephanie Berkeley, manager of the Farm Safety Foundation (also known as “Yellow Wellies”), described the figures as “awful” and “utterly devastating” for the victims and the families who have to deal with the consequences of losing a loved one.

See also: Farm vets launch campaign to keep children safe on farms

“These notifications from the Health and Safety Executive [HSE] are not numbers – these are real people who have lost their lives on our farms,” she told Farmers Weekly.

“That’s a family, a community, a friendship group that has lost a loved one. It does not matter what age they are, or where they are from. Everyone in the industry must try our best to make sure that family is the last to lose a loved one.”

Ms Berkeley said everyone working in the farming industry has a responsibility to prioritise safety, especially as farmers are set to embark on the busy harvest season.

“The advice is to ensure your machinery is in good condition and your workers are working well too,” she added.

“Having a harvest safety briefing in some way, shape or farm – even if it is just a talk around the kitchen table before you get going – is essential.

“The wellbeing of workers is most important. Are they eating well? Are they hydrated? Are they well rested?”

Five workers have been killed in tragic circumstances while working on farms in a month, according to official figures from the HSE.

A tragic day for our industry with three reported fatalities by @H_S_E 😢😢

Please do anything and everything you can to help us all improve our safety record.

Thoughts and condolences with the families affected 🙏🙏 pic.twitter.com/mDFTpgS8Ms

— James Thompson (@farmerThomo) June 14, 2023

The latest death involved a worker who fell from a scaffold tower in Sussex.

A young female farmworker suffered fatal injuries when her quad bike overturned while she was working on a farm in Gloucestershire on Friday 2 June.

On Thursday 1 June, a worker died after being trapped under machinery on a farm in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The victim became caught up under a mower connected to a tractor, the HSE said.

On 29 May, a farmer in Devon died following an incident which also involved the use of a mower. The worker was run over and killed by a tractor and mower he was using, the HSE said.

On 19 May, a male worker was killed in a farm accident near Birmingham involving an unguarded tractor pto shaft – which is contrary to health and safety laws.

Worst safety record

The farming industry has the poorest safety record, with workers 21 times more likely to die at work than the overall industry rate.

Twenty-five people lost their lives on farms in Great Britain during the 2021/22 financial year. The HSE will release the latest farm fatality figures during Farm Safety Week (17-21 July), which look set to be even higher.

Ms Berkeley said this year’s campaign would focus on the estimated 23,000 workers who each year suffer long-term health issues and serious injuries that hamper their ability to work on farms.