Farming remains the deadliest profession in Britain. The charity, The Farm Safety Foundation aka Yellow Wellies are once again campaigning to raise awareness of the dangers. This is the 13th year that Farm Safety Week aims to change the attitudes to risk-taking and promote safe working. But with all the pressures that farmers face, will things change?
Fatal injuries on Britain’s farms continue to remain stubbornly high – 23 farm worker deaths were again recorded in 2024/25. Farming accidents are in the hundreds. And farming continues to have the poorest safety record of any occupation in the UK. Nearly half (48%) of the workers killed were over the age of 65.
Over the past 13 years, an average of 31 lives have been lost on UK farms each year. Victims have been farm labourers, members of the public and children.
Accidents happen
Yellow Wellies reports that the primary causes of farm accidents remain consistent and concerning. Incidents involving moving vehicles and quad bikes, underestimating field gradients causing the tractor to tip over, falls from height, slips and trips, and trapped body parts continue to dominate the statistics.
Hannah Martin, who farms in West Norfolk, told East Anglia Bylines, “When the weather is against you, it is all too easy to rush.” She explains that failing to shut a gate properly can lead to livestock escaping and causing injury. Or, not checking the PTO shaft guard for damage can lead to serious injury. Or, leaving a tractor running when you exit the cab may result in a tractor rollover or suddenly moving. “Even failing to be appropriately suited and booted when dealing with chemicals can have long-term health consequences – and no job is worth your life.”
A dangerous occupation
“Agriculture has long been a dangerous industry, not only with the reliance of large heavy machinery, but also large unpredictable livestock,” Norfolk farmer Elizabeth Ottley told East Anglia Bylines. “Farmers work long, physically demanding hours, under pressure to beat the weather, seasons and daylight. So, it can be so tempting to push through, take short cuts and become complacent with animals you think you know so well.”
Ottley recalls that over a decade ago, HSE ran a campaign to remind farmers to come home safe, with a ‘ribbon’ of baler twine to hang in the tractor cab or workshop. It was a constant reminder to stay safe. “Of course, education is key, but no amount of education will get the job done faster, stop the rain from rolling in or make the bull move any quicker. And with the continued and relentless financial pressures that farms find themselves under, I fear the death toll will only get worse.”
Farmers under pressure
According to government figures, in 2023, the farming labour force in East Anglia numbered over 36,000. Yet the average number of labourers per farm is only 3.3 individuals – a very lonely profession.
Working alone without respite often leads to farmers pushing themselves too far. As Ottley comments, “With so many farms now employing fewer workers, working alone is increasingly common, exacerbating the risks.”
Martin is so concerned about her farming husband’s safety when he works alone that Martin employs a phone tracker. However, this presumes that there is a working mobile signal across East Anglia’s rural areas – and even in 2025, there are dead zones.
Suffolk farmer, Graham Denny points out that the current economic environment is not helping farmers. “We are under more pressure than at any other time to make ends meet with all government support taken away,” he explains to East Anglia Bylines. “We are having to do ‘more with less’. That means more hours for less profit in real terms. Fatigue and working long hours to complete tasks will only end in more injuries.”
Modern technology on the farm is also having an adverse side effect according to Denny. One cause of electrical pole strikes is when drivers, typically younger workers, operating machinery driven by satellite navigation and with little to do, take their eye off the ball. For example, distracted by using their mobile phone or watching YouTube videos, results in collisions with electrical wires. “There have been some lucky escapes,” he says. “I don’t see the accident rate coming down while the pressures of making a living outweigh the corners we all cut.”
Uncertainty over future government regulation, financial support and unpredictable harvest yields also have an impact on farmers in terms of their mental health.
“The government seems to have no concept of how far ahead farmers have to plan. So, a late decision by ministers may have devastating consequences for a farmer. This all adds to our stress, emotionally and financially,” Denny explains. “Unless I have a decision shortly on financial support for the biodiverse habitat I have spent seven years creating – now home to 50 of our rarest and most threatened section 41 species – it will be too late to save. Financial pressure will mean I have to destroy it soon so that I can seed it in time to bring in a paying crop. It’s been another deflating year.”
Stop and reflect
Historically, the industry has faced alarming figures, with over 23,000 reported cases of long-term ill-health and serious injuries. However, there are now signs of a positive, shift with that figure falling to 18,000.
Health and safety is rarely a scintillating topic. But the consequences of not taking that extra second, or having that 5-minute review of machinery, the day’s working practices, the hazards in the landscape can be horribly profound and life changing. And not in a good way.
“’I’ve always done it that way’ is a phrase we hear all too often,” says Stephanie Berkeley, Farm Safety Foundation manager. “So here’s my plea to everyone working and living in the industry: please, stop and reflect. Look at your daily routine, your equipment, your mindset. Ask yourself, what can I do today to make my farm safer – for myself, for my family, for the people who work with me?”
The Farm Safety Foundation offers articles, resources and advice on farm safety and mental health to support Farm Safety Week, or follow #FarmSafetyWeek on social media.
The Norfolk farming charity, the Clan Trust was ahead of its time in 2008 when it launched the ‘You Are Not Alone’ project, now known as YANA. YANA offers help for those involved in agriculture and other rural businesses affected by stress and depression.
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