The latest figures from the Health and Safety executive reveal Agriculture remains the most dangerous profession in the UK. The HSE’s Statistics for April 2010 to March 2011 showed 34 fatal injuries in agriculture, down one on the five-year average. The sector also had the highest level of work-related injuries, with 221.9 major injuries per 100,000 employees. The HSE described the level of injury in the agriculture sector as "disproportionately high."

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Britain’s rate of fatal work-related injuries is the lowest in Europe, and although the toll continues a downward trend for occupational accidents in farming - it is a third lower than in 1981 – the sector still ranks higher than any other major industry. Given that farming has a relatively small workforce, it accounts for a tragically high number of deaths proportionally at around a fifth of all fatalities.

Commenting on the findings, the NFU’s head of policy services, Andrew Clark, said, "We note the latest workplace fatality statistics with considerable sadness as there is a tragic story that sits behind each one of the numbers. 

"Any fatal accident or serious injury has a devastating impact on the families and the farming businesses involved. The industry as a whole regards the current situation as unacceptable and we are acting together with the HSE to address the problem."

Industry initiatives including the Farm Safety Charter, launched last May, the ‘make the promise’ campaign and Safety and Health Awareness Days (SHADs), which are run all over the country, have been applauded for raising awareness of the dangers faced by workers in the agricultural sector and providing practical advice, training and guidance on how farms can be made safer.