HSE launches safety campaign to reduce farm kit deaths

An advice-led campaign intended to prevent farm deaths and injury caused by moving vehicles has been launched by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) this week.

In the past five years, 48 people have been killed on farms in Great Britain in incidents involving vehicles – 24 in England, 14 in Scotland and 10 in Wales.

This accounts for 30% of all farm fatalities during that period.

See also: Safety advice issued with calving in full swing

HSE has now launched an initiative to raise awareness of safety around operating and maintaining farm vehicles.

The campaign has three strands:

• Operate a safe farm by keeping people and vehicles apart with clearly marked routes and walkways and with barriers and posts in high-traffic areas, as well as signage, good lighting and high-visibility clothing
• Maintain a safe vehicle by detecting faults, such as regular checking and maintenance of brakes, ensuring doors remain closed when a vehicle is moving, and keeping mirrors clean
• Be a safe driver, with proper use of a handbrake, proper training where needed, and asking people to stand where they can be seen when a vehicle is moving.

Head of agriculture policy Sue Thompson said the HSE wanted to make 2023 a safer year on farms.   

“Over the past five years, the average fatal incident rate is 21 times higher in agriculture than the average across all other industries. That is a shocking statistic,” she said.

Further advice can be found on the Work Right website.