• The sixth annual Farm Safety Week kicks off with a brand new approach 

• HSE annual workplace fatality statistics show some signs of improvement but there is still a need to reduce the excessively high rate of accidents in the industry.

• The Farm Safety Foundation, Farm Safety Partnerships, the Health & Safety Executive, Health & Safety Executive for Northern Ireland and Health & Safety Authority, Ireland once again join forces to drive the initiative.

• Farm Safety Week aims to reduce the number of accidents which continue to give farming the poorest safety record of any occupation in the UK & Ireland

 

To mark the start of Farm Safety Week (16-20 July) HSE has announced its latest report Great Britain 2017/2018 showing the annual fatal injuries in agriculture. Over the past year 29 fatal injuries to agricultural workers were recorded in the report and the sector continues to account for a large share of the annual fatality count (20%). Farming has the highest rate of fatal injury of all the main industry sectors, around 18 times higher than the all industry rate.

 

The new HSE stats for 2017/2018 reveal that nearly half the workers killed (14 of 29) were over 65. 

 

The report also highlights that animals were the main cause of fatal accidents among farm workers, accounting for almost a quarter (24%) of all workplace fatalities. Other causes included being struck by farm vehicles such as tractors or trailers (18%), trapped by something collapsing (15%) and being struck by objects such as bales and tree branches (12%). Most of the agricultural fatalities occurred Yorkshire and the Humber (21%), followed by Wales (18%) and Scotland and the South West which each accounted for 15%.

 

Farm Safety Week is an initiative led by award-winning charity, the Farm Safety Foundation and supported by Farm Safety Partnerships, the Health & Safety Executive, Health & Safety Executive for Northern Ireland and the Health & Safety Authority, Ireland. 

 

This year, Farm Safety Week will also focus on the issue of child safety on farms. Accidents on farms can be life changing, both for those involved and their families. It is even more devastating when it involves a child and unfortunately two of the fatal injuries in the past year involved children, which is why Farm Safety Foundation is encouraging farmers to be extra vigilant and take every precaution to make their farms safe for children.

 

Offering his support for the campaign, Farming Minister George Eustice said: “The farming industry is essential to our national economy – employing more than 340,000 people – and plays a vital role in producing the food that we all know and love. 

 

“Initiatives, such as Farm Safety Week, are important in raising awareness of good workplace practice, and I encourage farmers across the UK to read this week’s case studies, articles and blogs to help understand how they can stay safe at work.”

 

After five years of delivering Farm Safety Week, bringing together five countries over five days with ONE clear goal – to inspire behavioural change -  this year’s campaign, hopes to highlight and share good practice and demonstrate what ‘good’ looks like.

 

It is a worrying fact that the same accidents are still happening and claiming the lives and limbs of too many of our nation’s farm workers, however, things are changing. Initiatives and training of the next generation of farmers means that tomorrow’s farmers are more aware, more informed and more capable of making educated decisions but awareness is one thing, the time has come for action! 

 

Stephanie Berkeley from the Farm Safety Foundation said: “Farms can be wonderful places for children to grow up, but the sad fact is that farms are the only workplace where children continue to die, which is heart-breaking for the families involved and a horrific tragedy for their communities. We want to highlight the importance of child safety on farms and urge farming families to talk openly about farm safety and make it their priority.  

 

"Many of those injured or killed on our farms have been doing this all their lives. In the HSE report 48% of this year’s fatalities were farm workers over the age of 65. Unlike other occupations, farmers don’t tend to retire at 65 and often work well into their 80s. Factors such as health, agility and stubbornness combine with risk-taking, fatigue and improperly maintained machinery to create this ‘risk’ nightmare. 

 

“Over the past five years we have asked farmers to stop and think. We have delivered successful awareness campaigns such as Mind Your Head and Who Would Fill Your Boots? We can continue to make powerful and emotive films and offer advice and guidance but we can’t do one thing. We can’t make farmers change their attitude.

 

“Only they can make that change. They have to want to change. They have to decide to change. They have to play their part. They have to take responsibility.”  

 

For this years’ Farm Safety Week campaign, the charity has produced an engaging film to highlight the importance of farm safety that will be released today on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube to  enforce the charity’s challenging new strapline for 2018;

It’s Your Health. Your Safety. Your Choice.

 

For more information on Farm Safety Week visit www.yellowwellies.org or follow @yellowwelliesUK on Twitter/Facebook using the hashtag #FarmSafetyWeek