How to improve safety on farm

Although a great deal of work has been carried out to drive agriculture’s fatality statistics down, it remains one of the most dangerous industries to work in. The latest annual figures produced by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) are to be officially released during Farm Safety Week (22-26 July), and it is believed 32 people died because of accidents on farms in Great Britain from April 2023 to March 2024.

Gavin Lane, CLA Deputy President and former chair of the Farm Safety Partnership, says farmers are currently under enormous pressure. “As the weather has become more unpredictable, it has put a huge amount of pressure on farmers to do things in a very short space of time,” he says. “And when things are rushed, accidents happen.

“That’s a broad generalisation, but I do believe that the difficulty farmers have had finding windows in which to work outside has put pressure on them to jump on bits of kit and go, rather than carrying out tasks in a methodical, thought-out way.

“I’ve spoken to a lot of farmers recently who have come off the back of a particularly grim lambing. People have also had a difficult time trying to get crops in the ground – they may have finally been able to do it, but they will have been really stressed about it throughout the winter.”

Gavin believes the sector’s profitability issues share some of the blame for the high accident figures. “Farming is at the end of the supply chain and the proportion of the value of our produce is considerably smaller compared to other parts of the chain,” he says. “Those further up the chain will be able to spend more money on training and the sort of resources needed to prevent accidents.

“This lack of profitability also means farmers quite often mix business and pleasure. Children can end up in the farmyard and that can be dangerous. It’s difficult getting those messages across, however, because people are stretched, both mentally and financially.”

He is hopeful that some of the safety measures adopted in other industries will work their way into agriculture. “We have seen huge improvements in health and safety in other sectors of the economy,” he explains. “I’m optimistic that we will keep improving but at the same time, it’s a hard thing to get across in an industry that always seems to be struggling to get the balance right.

“However, we are seeing a lot of the practices put in place in construction and food processing filtering down to farms – for instance, we are seeing a lot more people wearing high vis in farmyards.”

Investment is key to instigate change and reduce fatalities on farms. However, this isn’t easy for many farming businesses, which may not make enough profit to cover the costs.

The Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) could help, offering grants to cover part of the cost of specified equipment or technology – some of which promotes safer working practices, such as cattle crushes.

“The FETF enables people to purchase great kit at a more affordable price with the grant support. We have seen good uptake, but even with the grant it’s still a struggle for a lot of people to reinvest,” says Gavin.

“However, I’m not using lack of profitability as an excuse. Even with a lack of resources and funding, it should be incumbent on all of us to make sure the kit we use is as safe as possible.”

A significant step backwards in this drive to promote improved health and safety practices is the HSE’s recent decision to stop farm inspections. Gavin believes the decision is short-sighted. “We’re desperately worried about how we’re going to improve farm safety if we’re losing the both the inspections and also the training days the HSE provided,” he says.

Farm Safety Partnership Chair David Exwood agrees. “We cannot afford to compromise on the safety of our farmers, farm workers, or those living on or visiting farms. The decision to halt inspections is deeply troubling and we urge the government and HSE to reconsider and continue to work collaboratively with farmers to help ensure they are compliant. We must prioritise the wellbeing of the nation’s farmers and growers.

“While the HSE assures us that investigative inspections will continue in response to serious incidents, the lack of all regular inspections, training and events leaves a notable gap in proactive and preventative safety measures that could prevent accidents and save lives.

“We are calling on Defra and the Department for Work and Pensions to recognise the critical safety implications of this decision, urgently review the potential impacts and establish a clear plan to prioritise the safety of those in the sector.”

While the HSE’s training courses are unavailable, the Farm Safety Foundation (Yellow Wellies) continues to hold sessions for thousands of people a year, specifically targeting the next generation.

“We train around 2,500 young people at agricultural colleges and another 2,000 members of Young Farmers’ Clubs every year,” says Foundation Manager Stephanie Berkeley. “We’re doing that in the hope that these young people will recognise the value and importance of their own safety.

“We also hope they will bring a fresh set of eyes to farms that may have become habitual in risk taking. There’s no such thing as a paper cut on a farm – if you sustain an injury, it can be life-changing and potentially life-ending.”

In addition to reducing accidents on farms, the Farm Safety Foundation strives to educate the industry about the other ways farmers are at risk.

“One farmer dies every month from skin cancer due to sun exposure,” Stephanie says. “Although lots of farmers produce wonderful food, many are guilty of not looking after themselves and eating a healthy diet. We need people to see these connections. But this can’t just be done by us – everyone has a role to play.”

Mental health is a particular area of concern, with the Farm Safety Foundation’s Mind Your Head campaign first being launched in 2018. “If you’re not in the right headspace when you’re doing your job, you’re more likely to be distracted and the likelihood of you having an accident increases,” Stephanie says.

“There are thousands of farmers out there struggling with their mental health. It’s up to other farmers to keep their eyes open as to what might be going on beneath the surface and ask the question. People are very good at hiding how they’re feeling inside, so we need to normalise those conversations.”

The Foundation is working to educate many more who have face-to-face contact with farmers about mental health. “We’ve delivered training events for professionals such as TB testers – they arrive on farm at a time when a farmer really doesn’t want them there and they will have an increased level of anxiety.

“Defra employees have also undergone training to make sure their team is more aware of the impact that a visit from them can have.” As farmers continue to produce food in the face of overwhelming challenges, Stephanie urges the industry to consider the bigger picture when it comes to reducing fatality figures.

“There is a perfect storm happening at the moment,” she notes. “Farmers face a range of issues from livestock illnesses and payments to wider societal issues such as climate change.

“The public want cheaper food, so retailers are importing more, substituting what our farmers are doing. We talk about backing British farmers, but what they need is for people to buy British produce.”