Agriculture industry

With high numbers and rates of fatal injury, agriculture, forestry and fishing is the riskiest industry sector. Just over one in a hundred workers (employees and the self-employed) work in agriculture, but it accounts for about one in five fatal injuries to workers.

The latest results in agriculture, forestry and fishing show:

• 33 fatal injuries to workers. The average over the previous five years was 35. This is a third lower than in 1981, but the average worker fatality rate, over the last five years, is much higher than in any other industry section (RIDDOR)
• almost half of the workers who were fatally injured were farmers; another 21% were farm workers
• six fatal injuries to members of the public the average over the previous five years was five. Four of these fatalities were to those aged 65 or above (RIDDOR)
• major injury rates were lower than the previous five year averages, but over three day rates were higher. The proportion of injuries actually reported in agriculture is low, so it is difficult to draw any meaningful conclusions about trends

Long term trends in fatal injuries to workers