FARMERS are being urged to be vigilant after new figures reveal the extent of deaths within the industry.

Perhaps unsurprisingly due it its rural nature, Yorkshire and the Humber is the area where most people were killed on farms in 2017/18, with seven deaths.

This is equivalent to the number killed in agriculture in the North-East over the past five years.

The figures, released by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) show that 33 people across Britain were killed in farming in the last year.

These findings have further cemented agriculture’s reputation as the riskiest industry to work in.

Farm-related deaths in Yorkshire and Humber in 2017/18 include an 81-year-old who was butted by a cow and died from serious internal injuries.

There was also the tragic case of a four-year-old child who died after being electrocuted by equipment in a caravan being used as an office. Other deaths include farmers being trampled by cattle, crushed by machinery and being electrocuted by overhead powerlines when operating a raised part of an attachment on a farm vehicle.

Nearly half of the agricultural workers killed in Britain were over 65 and almost twice as many self-employed people were killed as employees.

Edmund Sword, of rural insurance specialist Lycetts’ Yorkshire office, said: “Agriculture’s high fatality rate significantly outstrips that of other industries.

“It is more than five times higher than the second most-risky industry, construction, which really drives home just how hazardous an industry it is.

“Farmers face potentially fatal risks on a daily basis, from working with unpredictable animals to potentially dangerous machinery, so protecting personal and employee health should be top priority.

“Sadly, members of the public, family members and children living on the farm also get caught up in incidents and account for some of the overall deaths.”

Richard Wade, of Lycetts Risk Management Services, said: “Unwise risk-taking is an underlying problem in the agricultural industry, and the most vulnerable are hit the hardest.

“The fatal injury rate for over 65s was nearly five times that of younger workers.

“Many farmers are working well past their retirement age, with little to no help, so physically, and cognitively, they are put under a lot of strain.

“These factors mean they may not appropriately assess or mitigate risks. Sadly, some of these deaths are a result of freak accidents, but others are preventable.

“By implementing health and safety policies, carrying out robust risk assessments and undertaking health and safety training, farmers can ensure good practice is an integral part of their business, creating a safer environment for them, their workers, and the wider community – as well as help protect the future of their business.

“Death and injury can have a devastating impact on family and friends, so the value of doing so is immeasurable.”