There’s so much bad news around that it’s easy to be numbed by the torrent of negative stories in the media. But occasionally something hits the headlines that stops me in my tracks – and that’s what happened when the latest figures for deaths in the workplace were released.
The figures show that farming is Great Britain’s deadliest profession. Thirty-three people have lost their lives while working in agriculture in the last financial year (2025/26). That compares with 23 deaths in 2024/25 and 27 in 2023/24. The Health and Safety Executive figures are shocking and mean the industry, which employs 1% of the British workforce, accounts for around 20% of worker fatalities.
As someone who not only farms but employs staff and contractors, it has made me pause and think hard about what we do on the farm and how we do it. We assess the risks and hazards of everything we do as a matter of course and training is a crucial part of our working life, but it’s no bad thing to take time out to review and reflect.
So why are the number of farm fatalities so high? There’s no single or simple reason. Every death is a tragedy and the circumstances will be unique to each heartbreaking case so it’s impossible to generalise. But there are some truths about farming that are worth considering.
Working on the land often involves long hours and hard physical effort, which can be tiring, distract a person’s attention, or impair their decision-making. If you’ve ever seen a lonely tractor pulling a plough in a field, you’ll know how solitary farming life can be. If there are no colleagues around and no chance of a second opinion (or a crucial second pair of eyes), it’s easy to imagine how something potentially dangerous could go unnoticed.
There’s also the diverse nature of farming, and the sheer variety of roles that are undertaken by agricultural workers. From herding cattle and shearing sheep to handling chemicals and operating heavy machinery, there must be a thousand tasks that require knowledge, experience and skill.
I’m always aware that, despite being in wide open countryside with wonderful views and fresh air, the farm is a workplace just like any factory or workshop. In the 1970s, when Public Information Films were shown on TV all the time, there was a notoriously graphic warning to children about the danger of playing on farms. The film was called Apaches and followed the misadventures of a group of primary-aged kids as they were crushed, drowned, run over and poisoned. It was terrifying to watch, but notably the message wasn’t aimed at farmers and their workers.
Research carried out by the Farm Safety Foundation in 2023 revealed that 88% of British farmers believed that complacency – a false sense of security or overconfidence – was a major contributor to farm accidents.
So, it’s reassuring to know that work is underway to bring down the terrible death toll. The Foundation’s Yellow Wellies campaign offers advice and training at agricultural colleges, working with young farmers’ clubs and is part of the annual Farm Safety Week. Meanwhile, the charity RABI (Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution) has launched FarmersAid, a free app to help people if they’re alone, involved in a serious accident and waiting for the emergency services. They say it could be life-saving.
Like everyone, I’m hoping and praying for zero avoidable deaths on our farms in the future.
