The report outlines that the number of fatal injuries in agriculture, forestry and fishing in 2019/20 fell to the lowest level on record (20), from an annual average of 27, but notes that the sector still accounts for around 20% of all workplace fatalities.
NFU Deputy President Stuart Roberts said:
“While these figures show an important drop in fatalities they still indicate that there’s significantly more to do. Last year we lost too many of our family, friends and colleagues in the workplace – one fatality is too many.
“For the past few years we have seen many in the industry consciously prioritising health and safety and I hope these figures indicate the start of a downward trend which is underpinned by a culture change in the agriculture sector.
“There will be variations year on year and we need to see longer-term sustained improvement before we can say that farm safety has fundamentally changed.”
More on farm safety:
- Improving farm safety one step at a time
- Webinar: Stay safe during harvest
- Farm Safety Hub: Your guide to staying safe on farm
- Farm Safety Partnership
More from NFUonline:
- A message to all farmers and growers from NFU President Minette Batters
- Watch now: A message from the President
- Food standards: Government says it will establish a Trade and Agriculture Commission
- NFU media coverage on food standards and trade
- NFU holds MP briefings to garner support for vital commission
