Farm safety campaigners have raised serious concerns over HSE's decision to halt on-farm inspections, fearing it will pose major risks to the health and safety of workers.
In 2022, the regulatory watchdog, which oversees health and safety in the UK workplace, launched its new strategy which will run until 2032.
As part of this, HSE recently announced to the Farm Safety Partnership (FSP) that it would no longer be running farm safety inspections once the current season finishes at the end of spring 2024.
The HSE is switching to a focus on occupational health issues rather than preventative general health and safety inspections.
It will continue to provide investigative inspections in response to serious incidents such as on-farm accidents or deaths.
Speaking for the first time as chair of the FSP, NFU Deputy President David Exwood warned “we cannot afford to compromise on the safety of our farmers, farm workers, or those living on or visiting farms”.
“We simply must prioritise the wellbeing of the nation’s farmers and growers," Mr Exwood added.
“The decision to halt inspections is deeply troubling and we urge the government and HSE to reconsider and continue to work collaboratively with farmers to help ensure they are compliant."
The HSE advised that despite efforts over several decades, there has not been a significant reduction in the fatality rate for agriculture.
The watchdog advised the reduction in actual numbers of fatal injuries have been attributed to a reduction in the numbers working in the industry since the 1980s.
Last month saw the first on-farm fatality for the HSE’s new recording year. The notification stated that "a worker was trapped and killed by agricultural machinery."
The HSE issued guidance on machinery maintenance, adding that this ‘is a significant cause of death and serious injury on farms’.
Mr Exwood explained that agriculture had one of the highest rates of fatalities and serious injuries in any workplace.
Because of this, he said the lack of public awareness surrounding HSE's decision “raises serious questions about their prioritisation of safety within the farming sector”.
“While the HSE assures us that investigative inspections will continue in response to serious incidents, the lack of all regular inspections, training and events leaves a notable gap in proactive and preventative safety measures," he added.
“As a sector we need to work on changing the culture of farm safety. This decision by HSE completely goes against that goal.
“We are calling on Defra and the Department for Work and Pensions to recognise the critical safety implications of this decision, urgently review the potential impacts and establish a clear plan to prioritise the safety of those in the sector."
