Farming News - Farming still amongst UK’s most dangerous professions, according to HSE statistics
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Farming still amongst UK’s most dangerous professions, according to HSE statistics
Figures released by the Health and Safety Executive reveal farming remains the amongst the UK's most dangerous industries.
On Wednesday (31st October) The Health and Safety Executive published provisional statistics on work place injuries for 2011. The figures reveal that overall the UK has the EU’s second lowest instance of fatal work-related injuries and show that instances of injuries at work fell between 2010 and 2011.
The figures show 173 workers were fatally injured in 2011, down two from the previous year, and a significant reduction from the five year average of 196 work-related fatalities. However, 19 percent (33) of workplace fatalities were in the farming sector; farming makes up less than 2 percent of the UK’s workforce.
The number of major injuries in agriculture also rose. In all, work-related injuries increased 9 per cent in agriculture last year. For a sector with a comparatively small workforce, the farming industry still accounts for a large number of the UK's workplace injuries as a whole; the sector is the second most dangerous, after waste and recycling, with 241 major injuries per 100,000 employees.
This is partly because of the isolated conditions, long hours, work with heavy machinery and unpredictable animals and generally older demographic of those in the farm sector, though farming organisations have said the rate of fatalities and injuries remains unacceptably high.
Graeme Walker, of HSE's agriculture department said the number of fatalities in agriculture remains a cause for concern. However, he did say that the farming sector has shown admirable leadership in attempting to tackle the high rate of injuries and said that HSE remains committed to working with the sector to improve conditions.
HSE Chair Judith Hackitt added, "Any reduction in the number of people being injured or made unwell by their jobs should be welcomed. Given the challenging economic conditions which many sectors have faced in recent years it is particularly encouraging to see continued reductions in levels of injury and ill health."