Agriculture industry

With high numbers and rates of fatal injury to workers, agriculture, forestry and fishing is the riskiest industry sector. Fewer than one in a hundred employees work in agriculture, but about one in ten fatal injuries to employees are in the sector.

In 2010/11 there were:

• 34 fatal injuries to workers. The average over the previous five years was 35. This is a third lower than in 1981, but the rate is much higher than in any other major industry group (RIDDOR);
• eight fatal injuries to members of the public. The average over the previous five years was five. Three of these fatalities were to persons aged 16 or under (RIDDOR);
• both major and over three day injury rates were  lower than the previous five year averages, but we estimate that well under half of all reportable injuries are actually reported (RIDDOR);
• the LFS suggests a downward trend in reportable non-fatal injury rates.

Twenty year trend in fatal injuries to workers