Farm Safety Week Highlights Grim Reality of Agricultural Sector's Poor Record

Strategic Insights -

Farm Safety Week, an annual awareness campaign, begins its 13th year highlighting the alarming number of deaths and injuries in the agricultural sector. In 2024/25, 23 farm workers lost their lives in Great Britain, with five fatalities in Northern Ireland, according to the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI). The campaign brings attention to the dangers faced by farmers, who account for nearly 20% of all workplace deaths, despite making up only 1% of the working population.

Key Takeaways:

  • In 2024/25, 23 farm workers lost their lives in Great Britain, with five fatalities in Northern Ireland.
  • The agricultural sector accounts for nearly 20% of all workplace deaths, despite making up only 1% of the working population.
  • Over the past 13 years, an average of 31 lives have been lost on farms in the UK every year.
  • The main causes of fatality in the industry include being killed by moving or overturning vehicles.
  • Long-term ill health and serious injuries in the sector have fallen from 23,000 to 18,000.
  • Farm accident claims in the UK dropped from 937 in 2023/24 to 894 in 2024/25, according to rural insurer NFU Mutual.
  • Incidents involving moving vehicles, falls from height, slips and trips, and trapped body parts continue to dominate the statistics.
  • The Farm Safety Foundation emphasizes that reducing serious and fatal injuries is only part of the challenge, and that addressing an underlying culture of risk-taking and complacency is essential.
  • Research carried out by The Farm Safety Foundation revealed that 81% of farmers in the UK believe that 'complacency' is a major contributor to having a farm accident.
  • Stephanie Berkeley, Farm Safety Foundation Manager, explained that experience should guide caution and not excuse it.

Statistics:

  • In 2024/25, 23 farm workers lost their lives in Great Britain.
  • The agricultural sector accounts for nearly 20% of all workplace deaths in the UK.
  • Over the past 13 years, an average of 31 lives have been lost on farms in the UK every year.
  • Long-term ill health and serious injuries in the sector have fallen from 23,000 to 18,000.
  • Farm accident claims in the UK dropped from 937 in 2023/24 to 894 in 2024/25, according to rural insurer NFU Mutual.
  • Incidents involving moving vehicles cost rural insurer NFU Mutual over £48 million in the past year.

Sources:

  • Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI)
  • Health & Safety Executive (HSE)
  • The Farm Safety Foundation (Yellow Wellies)
  • NFU Mutual
  • Farmsafe Australia