Farm Safety Week: Industry Urged to Prioritise Safety
As Farm Safety Week (20–24 July) gets underway, industry organisations and regulators are renewing calls for greater focus on improving safety across agriculture.
The campaign, led by the Farm Safety Foundation (Yellow Wellies), brings together hundreds of organisations to raise awareness of the risks associated with farming and encourage safer working practices across the industry.
The latest annual fatality statistics from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) show that 29 people lost their lives in agriculture, forestry and fishing in Great Britain during 2025/26. While construction recorded a higher number of fatalities overall, agriculture had the highest fatal injury rate of any industry, at 8.09 deaths per 100,000 workers.
The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) has used Farm Safety Week to highlight the need for continued action to improve occupational safety and health standards across the sector. IOSH President Richard Bate has identified farm safety as a key priority and has highlighted the disproportionate risks faced by those working in agriculture, alongside the wider pressures affecting farmers and rural businesses.
IOSH will also publish the findings of a survey of 250 UK farmers exploring attitudes towards health and safety, with the results intended to help inform future work to improve standards across the industry.
Alongside these calls, the HSE has announced its support for Farm Safety Week and is drawing attention to the particular risks faced by children and older workers on farms. The regulator is encouraging the industry to continue taking practical steps to manage risks and prevent serious incidents.
Agriculture remains one of the most hazardous industries in the UK, making safety a shared responsibility across farm businesses, supply chains, contractors and visitors. Farm Safety Week provides an opportunity for businesses to review working practices, refresh training, and reinforce the importance of safe behaviours at every level of an organisation.
AIC encourages members to use Farm Safety Week as an opportunity to review their own health and safety arrangements, share key messages with employees and contractors, and continue promoting a strong safety culture throughout their businesses.
Further information
- Read IOSH's article: Safer farms: IOSH calls for stronger safety action.
- Read the HSE's Farm Safety Week announcement here.
Author
David Moss
Project management and technical projects. Areas include animal feed, feed adviser register, stakeholder management and health & safety. Secretariat for a number of feed sector committees including the UKFFPA (United Kingdom Former Foodstuffs Processors Association).
