28 June 2011

The Health and Safety Executive has released provisional data for the year April 2010 to March 2011, which shows the number of workers killed was 34 - down from 39 the previous year.

HSE board member Sandy Blair said, “The number of workers killed each year in the agricultural industry remains stubbornly consistent.

"We must not lose sight of the fact 34 workers failed to come home safe. This slight decrease is obviously welcome and should give some encouragement to the industry to keep seeking improvement: a step in the right direction but one that will only continue to save lives if the effort is maintained

"Agriculture is as much a community as it is an industry, which makes these deaths all the more devastating. Across the agricultural community we are seeing an increasing ownership of the health and safety agenda, a genuine attempt to work towards removing the label of being one of the most dangerous ways to earn a living in Britain. There is certainly more to do and we have good reason to believe only continued effort across the industry will improve safety."

The rate of fatal injury in the agricultural sector has fallen to 8.0 per 100,000 workers. The change takes into account the latest Office of National Statistics figures, which show an increase in the working population, as well as the fall in the number of deaths. The average rate for the last five years has been 9.6 per 100,000.