TO MARK Farm Safety Week, the Health and Safety Executive has released its 2017/2018 report showing the annual fatal injuries in UK agriculture.

Over the past year, there were 29 fatal injuries to agricultural workers recorded, meaning that the sector continues to account for a large share of the annual workplace fatality count (20%). Farming has the highest rate of fatal injury of all the main industry sectors – around 18 times higher than the 'all industry' rate.

The new HSE stats reveal that nearly half the workers killed (14 of 29) were over 65. The report also highlights that animals were the main cause of fatal accidents among farm workers, accounting for almost a quarter (24%) of all workplace fatalities.

Other causes included being struck by farm vehicles such as tractors or trailers (18%), trapped by something collapsing (15%) and being struck by objects such as bales and tree branches (12%). Most of the agricultural fatalities occurred Yorkshire and the Humber (21%), followed by Wales (18%) and Scotland and the South West, which each accounted for 15%.

Offering his support for the Farm Safety Week campaign, UK Farming Minister George Eustice said: “The farming industry is essential to our national economy – employing more than 340,000 people – and plays a vital role in producing the food that we all know and love.

“Initiatives, such as Farm Safety Week, are important in raising awareness of good workplace practice, and I encourage farmers across the UK to read this week’s case studies, articles and blogs to help understand how they can stay safe at work.”

Stephanie Berkeley from the Farm Safety Foundation highlighted the disproportionate risks borne by the young and the old of farming families: “Farms can be wonderful places for children to grow up, but the sad fact is that farms are the only workplace where children continue to die, which is heart-breaking for the families involved and a horrific tragedy for their communities.

"We want to highlight the importance of child safety on farms and urge farming families to talk openly about farm safety and make it their priority.

"Many of those injured or killed on our farms have been doing this all their lives," she continued. "In the HSE report 48% of this year’s fatalities were farm workers over the age of 65. Unlike other occupations, farmers don’t tend to retire at 65 and often work well into their 80s. Factors such as health, agility and stubbornness combine with risk-taking, fatigue and improperly maintained machinery to create this ‘risk’ nightmare.

“Over the past five years we have asked farmers to stop and think. We can continue to make powerful and emotive films and offer advice and guidance but we can’t do one thing. We can’t make farmers change their attitude.

“Only they can make that change. They have to want to change. They have to decide to change. They have to play their part. They have to take responsibility.”