When I think dangerous profession I tend to think fireman or spy, and all those other jobs I wanted to do as a kid which my mum wasn’t keen on. So I was surprised to learn that farming is actually one of the most dangerous professions, accounting for over half of all fatal work accidents globally. And here in the UK, while the agriculture industry only accounts for 1.5% of our workforce; it is responsible for between 15% and 20% of fatalities to workers each year.
Just last month two fatal agricultural accidents involving Welsh men prompted warnings from farming leaders highlighting the dangers involved within the industry, one man was killed in an accident involving ploughing equipment while the other was attacked by a stag on his farm and died of his injuries later in hospital. The fatalities come just after new Health and Safety Executive figures revealed agriculture is still one of the most dangerous industries to work in.
Health and Safety Executive (HSE) figures show that taken as a whole, there are 78.5 injuries per 100,000 employees in the workplace, however farming accidents alone accounts for 239.4 major injuries per 100,000. That’s 50% more than construction! And these figures could be just the tip of the iceberg as it’s estimated that only 25% of non-fatal injuries are reported by agricultural employees.
The HSE figures, taken for the year 2010/11, also show there were 42 fatalities in the UK resulting from agriculture, that’s nearly one a week. And this translates into 8 deaths for every 100,000 workers in the UK agriculture industry. Fatalities resulting from agriculture are higher than any other sector of industry.
The most common causes of death in UK Agriculture:
- Transportation – 26%
- Falling from height – 16%
- Struck by falling object – 16%
- Asphyxiation – 10%
- Livestock-related – 10%
- Contact with machinery – 8%
- Trapped – 6%
- Electrocution – 3%
While there has been a drop in serious accidents in the workplace overall, farming continues to resist this trend with 375 major injuries reported in 2012/13, only one less than the previous year.
Graeme Walker, head of HSE’s agriculture sector said, “Too many lives continue to be lost or damaged. We need to work together to make sure farmers make it home to their families safely each day.”
The Farm Safety Partnership, chaired by the NFU, is an industry-led initiative committed to improving agriculture’s safety record and to help reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries.
Awareness Can Reduce Farming Injuries by Machinery or Livestock
Farm Safety Partnership chairman, and NFU vice-president, Adam Quinney said: “We are actively working hard to try to improve the safety record of the industry.”
“Simple measures can save lives. The Safe Stop campaign urges people to ensure handbrakes are in working order on machinery and that the safe stop procedure is followed (hand brake on, controls in neutral, engine off, keys out).”
“Telling someone what you are doing, taking a charged mobile phone in your pocket and knowing that a 999 call doesn’t need signal from your provider can also save your life.”
“The NFU, and partners, is committed to helping to reduce these accident statistics.”
We Can Help
If you feel you have a personal injury claim as a result of a farming accident, or are unsure and would like to talk your situation through then get in contact. Our friendly specialist advisors can talk to you about your situation and see if you have a valid claim. There is no charge for this service and you are under no obligation to claim with us.
If you have a Genuine Claim, Contact a Genuine Company
May I Claim, is a trading name of R Costings Limited and our CRM number is 25770
If you’ve had an accident that wasn’t your fault and suffered an injury - you can trust us to handle your claim professionally.
Call us now on 0800 756 7774 and talk to us to find out if you have a claim - or fill in our Quick Claim form (on the right of this page).
http://info.mayiclaim.co.uk/personal_injury_compensation_claim_news/bid/325832/Farming-Accidents-Make-It-One-of-the-Most-Dangerous-Industries-to-Work-In
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