Safety plea following three separate farm fatalities

Farmers have been urged to review their health and safety measures after three separate farm fatalities in the past fortnight.

Three people lost their lives on farms in tragic circumstances over a four-day period, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) revealed.

A farmworker was killed when he was struck on the head by a falling concrete slab on 30 January in Dorset.

See also: Safe farms, safe staff and visitors – a guide to legislation

In a separate incident, a man carrying out roof work was killed when he fell from an unsecured wooden crate lifted by a forklift truck on 1 February in Cheshire.

And a young farmworker was killed when a tipping trailer descended, trapping him between the chassis and trailer body on 2 February in Wakefield, west Yorkshire.

Tragic reminder

NFU deputy president Stuart Roberts said more farmers were making progress on improving safety on farms, but the fatalities were a tragic reminder that more still needs to be done.

“If we’re serious about making long-term improvements to farming’s safety record then we need to recognise that the best thing we can do for each other is to point out when we see unsafe practices,” Mr Roberts told Farmers Weekly.

“We need to all take responsibility not only for our own actions but also the actions of our colleagues, friends, neighbours and relatives.”

The HSE has detailed health and safety guidance available. This includes guidance on working at height, maintaining farm buildings, vehicle and machinery maintenance and working safely with machinery.