Farming remains the deadliest profession in Britain, according to stark new figures released today at the start of Farm Safety Week.

In 2024/25 alone, 23 farm workers lost their lives on farms across Great Britain, a grim reminder of the sector’s persistently poor safety record. Nearly half (48 per cent) of the workers killed were over the age of 65.

As the 13th annual Farm Safety Week campaign kicks off, the charity behind it revealed that, over the past 13 years, an average of 31 lives have been lost on UK farms every year - 27 farm workers and four members of the public including children.

Farm Safety Week, the annual awareness-raising campaign run by UK charity The Farm Safety Foundation (Yellow Wellies) brings attention to the dangers farmers face every day growing food for the nation. In an industry that accounts for 1% of the working population, farming accounts for nearly 20 per cent of all workplace deaths – this gives farming the poorest safety record of any occupation in the UK.

Figures, released by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) showed that, in addition to the 23 farm workers, 4 members of the public lost their lives last year in Great Britain. Tragically, two of the members of the public killed were children – both of whom had accidents whilst using All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs). Being killed by moving or overturning vehicles is again the main cause of fatality in the industry in 2024/25.

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 the number of long-term ill health and serious injuries falling to 18,000.

The Farm Safety Foundation (Yellow Wellies) continues to emphasise that reducing serious and fatal injuries is only part of the challenge.

Research carried out by the foundation revealed that 81 per cent of farmers in the UK believe that ‘complacency’ – always having it done that way – is a major contributor to having a farm accident, while 82 per cent cite ‘attitude’ as the major contributor.

Stephanie Berkeley, Farm Safety Foundation manager explains: “‘I’ve always done it that way’ is a phrase we hear all too often.

“Although confidence built over years on the land is a strength, it can also become a blind spot. When you start to underestimate the dangers of the vehicles, equipment and animals we know so well, we risk letting routine turn deadly. Experience should guide caution, not excuse it.

“Over the years we have seen the attitudes and behaviours around farm safety in the UK and Ireland starting to change but the pace of change is slow Too slow for the families who have lost loved ones in preventable accidents. Too slow for the thousands of farmers living every day with chronic pain, long-term illness, or life-altering injuries caused by the very work that sustains our communities. We cannot accept this as the cost of doing business.”