As 2019 gets underway the Health and Safety Executive are calling for 'new attitudes' on how farmers can reduce on-farm injuries and fatalities.
Farmers are being told they must pay closer attention to how they manage workplace risk or face serious penalties.
Agriculture has the poorest record of any industry in Britain and latest figures show that 33 people were killed in agriculture across Britain in 2017/18 - around 18 times higher than the all industry fatal injury rate.
The Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) programme of inspections will review health and safety standards on farms across the country, and the industry is being reminded that the inspections will soon begin.
The inspections will ensure those responsible for protecting themselves and workers are doing the right things to comply with the law and prevent death, injury and ill-health.
Throughout the inspection initiative, inspectors will be checking that risks are being controlled in specific areas including machinery, falls from height, children and livestock.
HSE’s head of agriculture, Rick Brunt, said: “We are seeing signs of a change in attitude across the farming industry and while this is encouraging, these inspections act as a reminder to farmers of the importance of managing risks so that everyone can go home from their work healthy.
“Everyone involved in farming has a role to play. Those working in the industry need to understand the risks they face and the simple ways they can be managed. Those that work with the industry can be part of the change that is so badly needed.
“Farmers, managers and workers are reminded that death, injuries and cases of ill-health are not an inevitable part of farming.”
