Farming continues to have the poorest safety record of any occupation, with 27 people losing their lives on farms in Great Britain in 2023-2024.
New figures released today by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) show that agriculture still accounts for 17% of all deaths in the workplace.
The safety watchdog's figures have been released to coincide with Farm Safety Week, which began on Monday (22 July).
While the total number of people losing their lives on farms remained the same as the previous year, there was an increase in the number of farm workers killed in the workplace in 2023/24.
A total of 23 farm workers were killed, up from the 21 recorded in 2022/23, with nearly 40% of those workers over the age of 65 years.
Tragically, two of the four members of the public killed were children. One child was killed by a moving vehicle and the other was killed by a collapsing wall.
It’s a similar story in Northern Ireland, where there were an additional 7 farm-related workplace fatalities in the period 2023/2024.
One incident is still under investigation, bringing the total to 34 people confirmed to have lost their lives on UK farms over the past year.
Yellow Wellies, which is behind the annual Farm Safety Week, said that for an industry central to strengthening food security and growing the economy, those who work in farming "are vulnerable".
The charity said: "The fact is that there are more risks associated with farming than any other industry and while we can’t eliminate them completely, we can, and have, to minimise them.
"In our 2023 research, 88% of farmers in the UK believe that ‘complacency’ – always having it done that way – is a major contributor to having a farm accident while 82% cite’ attitude’ as the major contributor."
"For over a decade now, Farm Safety Week has been an important focus in the farming calendar and we are proud to manage and fund it."
Farm Safety Week, which ends on Friday (26 July), sets out guidance and advice to reduce the number of on-farm deaths and injuries.
