Farm Safety Figures Highlight Serious Risks for Agricultural Workers

New figures have highlighted the continuing risks faced by people working in agriculture, with farming recording the highest rate of work-related fatal injuries of any industry in Great Britain.

FarmingUK reported in May that 33 agricultural workers had died between April 2025 and April 2026, compared with 23 deaths the previous year. It also reported that six agricultural workers had already lost their lives in workplace incidents since the start of April 2026, including one who died when a raised trailer collapsed and another who sustained fatal injuries while repairing a cattle gate. 

The agricultural sector employs around 1% of the UK workforce but accounts for around 20% of workplace deaths. It also has the highest fatal injury rate of any major industry, with workers around 21 times more likely to suffer a fatal injury than the average across all industries and around five times more likely than those in construction. 

Vehicles, machinery and falls continue to present serious risks 

The nature of agricultural work means workers may regularly come into contact with heavy machinery, moving vehicles, livestock and potentially dangerous equipment, often while working alone or in isolated locations. 

Moving or overturning vehicles remain among the most significant risks. The HSE recorded eight deaths involving moving vehicles in agriculture, forestry and fishing during 2025/26. 

Other recurring causes of fatal accidents include falling objects, falls from height, incidents involving animals and contact with machinery. 

Each incident has its own circumstances, but the figures underline how quickly familiar farming tasks can become dangerous when heavy equipment, vehicles, or unstable loads are involved. 

This concern extends beyond any one particularly difficult year: HSE figures show that agriculture, forestry and fishing have averaged 28 work-related deaths annually over the past five years. 

Older agricultural workers are particularly at risk 

The latest HSE figures show that older workers remain disproportionately represented in fatal farm accidents; half of all worker fatalities in agriculture, forestry and fishing during 2025/26 involved people aged over 65. 

Farming is unusual in that many people continue working well beyond the age at which employees in other industries might retire. Experience can be invaluable, but physical capability, slower recovery from injury and changes in how tasks are carried out should still be considered when assessing workplace risks. 

Risk assessments should reflect the people actually carrying out the work and the conditions in which they are working, rather than relying on the fact that a job has been completed the same way for many years. 

Familiar tasks still require careful planning 

Many serious agricultural accidents happen while people carry out everyday tasks: vehicles may need to be manoeuvred around yards, machinery may require maintenance or clearing, livestock may behave unpredictably, and repairs may involve working at height or under heavy equipment. 

Employers and those responsible for farm safety should identify the risks before work starts and implement appropriate controls. Equipment should be suitable and properly maintained, workers should receive appropriate information and training, and dangerous tasks should be planned to avoid unnecessary exposure to risk. 

Where people work alone, arrangements may also be needed to make sure help can be summoned quickly if something goes wrong. 

The HSE has said that many fatal farming incidents involve risks that could and should have been controlled. Its latest figures underline the need for health and safety to remain part of everyday decision-making rather than being reviewed only after an accident. 

When a farm worker is seriously injured 

Agricultural accidents can result in severe or life-changing injuries, even when the incident is not fatal. A worker who is struck by machinery, injured by a vehicle, crushed by equipment, or hurt in a fall may face a lengthy recovery and time away from work. For people whose livelihoods depend on physically demanding work, a serious injury may also affect whether they are able to return to the same role. 

If an accident happened because reasonable steps were not taken to keep the worker safe, there may be grounds for an accident at work claim. The circumstances might involve unsafe machinery, inadequate maintenance, poorly planned work, insufficient training or another failure to control a known workplace risk. 

The focus of any claim will depend on what happened and the consequences for the injured person, including how the injury has affected their work and everyday life. 

There are strict time limits for personal injury claims. In most cases, an adult has three years from the date of an accident to begin a claim. Where the injured person was under 18, the usual three-year period generally starts on their 18th birthday. Exceptions can apply, so early legal advice can be helpful where there is any uncertainty. 

Premier Legal Assist can help 

A serious agricultural accident can affect a worker and their family long after the immediate incident, particularly where injuries prevent them from returning to physically demanding work. 

Premier Legal Assist can connect eligible clients with specialist personal injury solicitors who handle accident at work claims on a no-win, no-fee basis. 

To find out whether you may be eligible to make a claim, complete our short form and a member of the team will be in touch.