Farm and Agricultural Worker Safety: Work Accidents in the UK

In the UK, the agriculture, forestry, and fishing sector is the second largest industry when it comes to fatalities in the workplace. From everyday hazards such as slips, trips, and falls to extreme accidents involving heavy vehicles, the agriculture sector experiences a high share of lifting injuries, incidents involving hazardous materials, and other dangerous activities.

Farmers can protect themselves by understanding how accidents at work occur. Devising an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) in advance helps tackle these situations. Risk assessments are another great tool for minimising accidents in all aspects of agricultural work.

The Highest Rates of Fatal Injuries in the UK

Overall, there were 27 deaths in agriculture in the 2022/23 period. The Health and Safety Executive reports that the likelihood of an injury in this sector is 21 times higher than the all-industry average.

Livestock Handlers Have Highest Fatality Rates on Farms

PPE is a must-have in a livestock handler’s daily life. Clothing employers provide for their handlers should be easy to wash, tough, and include protective footwear. Livestock handlers on farms should also make use of aids that make their jobs easier.

As well as PPE, employees should maintain excellent personal hygiene and wash their hands between handling each animal to prevent the spread of infections. In the event of transferrable diseases (such as CJD and Bird Flu) extra hygiene measures might come into play. For example, during bird flu epidemics, UK farmers had to wash their boots when they entered certain parts of their farms.

Animal handling is the most common cause of fatal accidents in agriculture. 8 of the 27 deaths in agriculture during the 2022/23 period were due to animal handling incidents. If you become injured by an animal on your farm, then you should seek the services of a skilled workplace accident solicitor to help protect your financial interests.

Drivers Avoiding Fleet Accidents in Agriculture

Aside from a fall from height or being struck by an object, the next most common type of farming fatality in the UK involves moving vehicles. Three people died on farms this way alone in 2023.

Although driving accidents and fleet injuries do occur in other industries, the rates of injury and fatalities within the agriculture sector remain disproportionately high. Although farmers represent only 1% of the population of workers in England, Wales, and Scotland, they account for 20% of all workplace deaths.

If you operate a vehicle and you are involved in an accident that wasn’t your fault, you should talk to a personal injury solicitor. They can help you recover your losses.

Machinery Operators Preventing and Understanding Work Accidents

Since farming and agricultural tasks often involve heavy equipment, statistics for accidents and fatalities are similar to those for driving and vehicular incidents. There were three farm worker deaths caused by contact with machinery in UK farms in 2022/23.

If you are a machinery operator, tractor driver, or a livestock handler and you work in the agricultural industry, you are statistically more likely to have some form of workplace accident. Your risk of death on the job is higher.

How Personal Injury Solicitors Can Help

If you have been injured in a farm accident, our personal injury solicitors can help you build your case and claim compensation. At SilverOak Solicitors, our team of experienced personal injury solicitors will evaluate your claim and offer insight into the most effective course of action. Contact us to speak with one of our personal injury experts about your case today.