New figures from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) show agriculture once again has the poorest performance in relation to non-fatal injuries in the workplace.
The latest HSE report shows that 3,970 non-fatal injuries per 100,000 workers took place in agriculture, forestry and fishing in Great Britain..
What can the industry do to improve safety?
Agriculture has significantly higher injury rates than other industries, and this something the industry is working to change. By helping and learning from each other, we can work towards turning the tide on safety records.
NFU Cymru President John Davies said: “The recently published HSE report makes for sad reading. Unfortunately, we already know that agriculture has the poorest performance when it comes to fatal injuries, but this latest report highlights that agriculture’s non-fatal injury rate is double that of the whole industry average. This just highlights the need for us to work together to make a cultural change in our industry.
“I would encourage everyone to ensure that farm safety is a real priority in their workplace. It’s about recognising that sometimes small actions can make a substantial change in preventing tragic accidents from happening. By learning from each other and making these changes we can protect ourselves and our colleagues.”
Simple solutions
These easy to implement solutions can mitigate some of the biggest causes of accidents in agriculture.
- Applying the safe stop on vehicles
- Wearing a helmet when operating ATVs
- Using seatbelts
- Wearing high vis clothing
Read more around the web
- Visit the HSE website
- Visit the Wales Farm Safety Partnership page (NFU Cymru is an active partner)