What are the most common farming accidents?

Over 300,000 people in Britain work in the agricultural sector today. Many farmers and farm workers were raised in farming families or communities and are proud of the rewarding work they do.

However, working on a farm or running a farm involves hard physical labour and long hours. It can sometimes lead to farm workers developing long-term health problems such as muscle and joint injuries and occupational asthma.

There is also the risk of serious injuries. Accidents at work in the farming sector are almost 3 times higher than average. Workers in the agriculture, forestry and fishing sector also face the second-highest rate of fatal injury of any industry in the UK.

Common injuries from farming accidents

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) identifies many serious hazards involved in agriculture. These include dangers from machinery, livestock, chemicals, slurry and other waste, silos, and the effects of working conditions like bad weather, noise, and dust.

It also collects information about the type of accidents which happen, which show that in 2021/22 there were 11,000 reported non-fatal and 25 fatal accidents in the agricultural sector, such as:

• Falls from height, including from (or through) the roofs of barns and other farm buildings
• Accidents involving moving farm vehicles like tractors, telehandlers, quad bikes, harvesters, trucks and trailers, including crashes and overturnings.
• Farm workers being hit or crushed by moving or falling machinery.
• Injuries and illnesses from dangerous chemicals such as pesticides and fertilisers, or from toxic slurry, including suffocation or drowning accidents.
• Injuries caused by animals and livestock. This includes workers and members of the public being crushed or trampled by cattle, and in some cases diseases and illnesses caught from animals.

The HSE warns that the actual farming injury figures are potentially much higher than official statistics. Even though it is the law to report certain serious injuries to the government’s RIDDOR scheme, there could be up to 10,000 more unreported injuries and accidents every year.

Compensation after a farming accident

If you have been involved in a farm accident that was not your fault and have been seriously injured, you might be able to make a farming accident compensation claim. Specialist personal injury solicitor Zoe Morgan from our Swindon team says:

“Everyone has the right to be safe from harm at work and this includes farm employees who are owed a duty of care. As the HSE statistics show, there are far too many serious accidents on farms and in the agriculture sector, many of which are totally avoidable.

“If you have been seriously hurt in an accident on a farm that was not your fault, you should speak to a specialist personal injury solicitor as soon as possible. They can support you to claim compensation which can provide financial cover for any lost earnings and any care, rehabilitation or treatment you need. Don’t leave it too late: you usually have just 3 years to start a compensation claim.”

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in an agricultural accident that was not your fault, you might be eligible to claim farming accident compensation.

Our expert, compassionate personal injury solicitors can help you get your life back on track and will support you to claim the support you deserve on a ‘No Win, No Fee’ basis.

For a free, no obligations chat about how we can help, call our FREEPHONE 0800 884 0777, email info@novumlaw.com or complete our online enquiry form.