Agricultural related fatalities accounts for the largest share of the UK's annual fatality count, according to new figures.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has today (5 July) released its annual figures for work-related fatalities, as well as the number of people known to have died from the asbestos-related cancer, mesothelioma, in 2015.
The provisional annual data for work-related fatal accidents revealed that 137 workers were fatally injured between April 2016 and March 2017 (a rate of 0.43 per 100,000 workers), the second lowest year on record.
27 fatal injuries to agricultural workers were recorded.
This sector continues to account for a large share of the annual fatality count.
It has the highest rate of fatal injury of all the main industry sectors, around 18 times as high as the all industry rate.
A daily issue
The HSE Chair Martin Temple said: “We deal daily with the causes and consequences of work-related deaths, injuries and ill health. Today’s updated figures continue to inform our understanding of which areas we need to target.
“We concentrate our interventions where we know we can have the biggest impact. We hold dutyholders accountable for managing the risks they create in the workplace. This benefits workers, business performance, the economy and wider society alike.”
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Three recent accidents involving older farmers and agricultural workers has spurred on the National Farmers' Union to highlight the importance of safety to those in the industry.
