Britain’s most dangerous business - farming

A Safety and Health and Awareness Day (SHAD) has been organised by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), to help farmers understand the risks they face while working in one of Britain’s most dangerous industries. The number of injuries in this industry is constantly rising and fatalities in agriculture accounted for one in five workplace deaths in 2010/11.

Almost 8,000 places are being made available at SHADs across the country, with the aim of reducing the large number of deaths and injuries.

Many farmers run small businesses and it is important they understand the potential risks and the best ways to safeguard themselves. As farmers are small business insurance holders, it’s essential the right business insurance is in place with the right level of cover to protect them and their small business should the worst happen.

Harvey Wild, HSE principal inspector for agriculture in Herefordshire and Worcestershire, said, ‘Many farmers are self-employed or run small family businesses and we want to make sure they’re not putting themselves and their livelihoods at risk.’

Over the last five years, as many as 8 in every 100,000 farmers were killed at work in Great Britain, compared to the average figure for other workplace deaths of eight in every million. It is hoped that events like this will reduce this number dramatically.

The event will take place at Herefordshire College of Technology’s Holme Lacy campus on Tuesday the 14th of February.