Farm work 'carries more inherent risk than other jobs'

Employees who work on farms are exposed to more inherent risks than people in other occupations, it has been claimed.

Graham Watson, from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is urging farmers to make sure they have taken the necessary precautions to protect members of staff from the dangers they face from their employment.

According to the HSE's statistics, in the ten years between 1997/98 to 2006/07, 339 people lost their lives on farms, with 139 dying during the harvest months of August, September and October.

Mr Watson said it was imperative bosses take steps to ensure agricultural machinery is safe to operate.

"Clearly the nature of farm work carries more inherent risk than most other occupations - these risks include use of heavy machinery, the use of chemicals, working in poor or dangerous weather conditions and working at heights," he stated.

According to the HSE, the most common cause of death to farm workers is being run over or being crushed beneath overturned vehicles, which accounts for 24 per cent of fatalities.