Farming News - Farming among UK's most dangerous jobs, new research from Go.Compare has found
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Farming among UK's most dangerous jobs, new research from Go.Compare has found
- The farming industry accounts for 19% of workplace fatalities
- Devon and other agricultural regions are the riskiest places to work in the UK
- The most common cause of death at work was falling from a height
According to Go.Compare's latest research, farming, including crop and livestock farming, is the second most dangerous job in the UK. These careers come with hefty health and safety warnings, from farm machinery to live animals posing a potential threat to life. Between 2017 and 2022, farmers made up 19% of all workplace fatalities.
Other industries that topped the risky list included manufacturing and factory work, waste management and rubbish collection, mechanics, engineers and freight transport/haulage. The research also shockingly revealed that painters and decorators are in greater danger at work than electricians or demolition workers.
This may be because falling from a height is the most common cause of death at work, with over 25% of all fatalities in every industry attributed to falls.
Devon is the UK's riskiest place to work, with 8.7% of fatal accidents taking place in the county. This may be in part due to Devon's economy centring around agriculture, the second most dangerous industry to work in.
Other agricultural areas topped the risky list, with rural regions like Kent, Aberdeenshire and Fife all being amongst the top 10 most dangerous counties.
According to the research, men are at a considerably greater risk at work than women. In fact, 96% of workplace fatalities recorded between 2021 and 2022 were males, compared to a lesser 4% for women.
A possible reason for this could be down to the industry types affected. Historically, there has been an underrepresentation of women in more dangerous, labour-intensive professions like agriculture.
Matt Sanders, life insurance expert at Go.Compare, commented on the findings: "Workers in risky industries might want to think about specialist life insurance for their job. If you work in an industry or job considered risky due to the use of certain machinery or the nature of the work you're doing, you may need to take out a bespoke life policy for people that pose a higher risk.
"If you're unsure which type of policy you need, you can compare life insurance quotes with us online, helping you make plans for after you're gone that won't stop you from enjoying life while you're here."