FARMERS are being urged to take steps to prevent accidents and injuries on farms following a sharp rise in fatalities from agricultural incidents over the past year.

As a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) report revealed 41 people had lost their lives in agriculture during the last year, H&H Insurance Brokers, which specialises in farm and rural insurance, says health and safety must be a top priority for anyone working in the farming industry.

Paul Graham, managing director at H&H Insurance Brokers, which operates across the North of England, the Scottish Borders and Wales, said: “Farmers and those working in the agricultural sector are particularly exposed to the risk of serious injury or worse, simply because of the nature of their work.

“They work long hours and are outside all-year-round, working with tractors, machinery, livestock and chemicals, and may well be working alone.

“Risk shouldn’t be an inevitable part of the job.

“By removing or managing risk, farmers can better protect themselves, their families, their employees, and members of the public from potential life-changing injuries.”

According to new data published on Monday in the annual HSE report into fatal injuries in agriculture, forestry and fishing, the number of people who lost their lives in agricultural incidents from April 2020 to the end of March 2021 almost doubled to 41, compared to 21 the previous year. The 2020/2021 figure includes 34 workers and seven members of the public.

The HSE report was published at the start of Farm Safety Week, an annual event run by the Farm Safety Foundation, which aims to raise awareness of the injury risks faced by farmers.

As part of the event, farmers are being urged to share their health and safety stories on social media by using the hashtags #ComeHomeSafe and #FarmSafetyWeek.

NFU deputy president Stuart Roberts said it’s important to share common experiences. “As an industry we are always learning from each other and we need to follow that learning mentality when it comes to health and safety,” he said.

“By sharing our own experiences, ideas and examples of tried and tested safety measures we can provide each other with solutions to a problem which won’t go away on its own.”

He added: “This week I will be sharing what measures I have put in place to keep myself and my staff safe, especially as we are about to embark on the busiest time of year – harvest – from providing high visibility clothing to ensuring all workers take sufficient rest breaks.

“I have also found it really useful to look at safety from a business perspective. We are the most valuable asset to our businesses, so our safety should be the priority.”