FARMERS are being urged to take extra care during this year’s Farm Safety Week as a national campaign highlights the devastating impact of serious injuries on farms, warning that surviving an accident can be just as life-changing as a fatal incident.
The annual campaign, organised by the Farm Safety Foundation (Yellow Wellies), has returned for its fourteenth year with a renewed focus on the thousands of agricultural workers who suffer serious injuries every year.
While fatalities often make the headlines, organisers say the long-term consequences of non-fatal accidents can leave workers living with chronic pain, disability and reduced independence, affecting not only individuals but also their families and farm businesses.
Latest Health and Safety Executive figures show 22 workers lost their lives on farms across England, Scotland and Wales during 2025/26, making agriculture one of the UK’s most dangerous industries.
Workers in agriculture, forestry and fishing are around seven times more likely to be killed at work than those employed in construction and 21 times more likely than the average across all industries.
Alongside the fatalities, around 9,000 agricultural workers are currently living with work-related ill health, while an estimated 8,000 non-fatal workplace injuries have been recorded over the past five years.
The campaign also comes as the UK experiences its third official heatwave of the year, with the Farm Safety Foundation warning that high temperatures can significantly increase the risks faced by those working outdoors.
Heat stress, dehydration, fatigue and reduced concentration can all increase the likelihood of accidents involving machinery, vehicles, livestock and working at height.
The charity also highlighted the long-term health risks associated with prolonged sun exposure. Agriculture is the second highest-risk occupation for deaths linked to skin cancer caused by working outdoors, accounting for almost a quarter of all occupational fatalities from sun exposure.
Despite a slight fall in farm accident claims reported by NFU Mutual, from 894 in 2024/25 to 868 last year, the charity believes more needs to be done to change attitudes towards safety.
A recent survey of more than 400 farmers and agricultural workers found many feared surviving an accident with a life-changing disability more than being killed.
Among respondents under the age of 40, almost half said they were more concerned about being left with a disability than dying in an accident. Similar views were shared by older farmers.
Stephanie Berkeley, manager of the Farm Safety Foundation, said serious injuries deserved the same attention as fatalities.
She said: “When we talk about farm safety, fatalities understandably dominate the conversation, but serious injuries can be just as life-changing.
“The reality is that there is no such thing as a paper cut on a farm, and the margin between a near miss, a serious injury and a fatal incident is often frighteningly small.
“A fall from height, an encounter with machinery or a vehicle incident may not result in death, but they can leave someone living with chronic pain, disability or unable to continue working. That impact affects the individual, their family, the farm business and the wider community.”
The charity is encouraging farmers and agricultural workers to take simple precautions during the current hot weather, including wearing suitable clothing and hats, applying sunscreen, drinking plenty of water, taking regular breaks and remaining alert to fatigue.
Workers are also being advised to keep machinery clean and well maintained during harvest, watch for fire risks caused by overheating equipment and dust build-up, and ensure fire extinguishers remain accessible.
Mrs Berkeley added: “If we are really serious about making our farms safer, we must broaden the conversation.
“We must take injuries just as seriously as fatalities and recognise that preventing harm, not just death, has to be our goal.
“And we must bring the people behind the statistics into the open, not to alarm, but to connect. Because connection is what changes behaviour.”
Throughout Farm Safety Week, the charity will work with farmers, families and rural organisations to encourage greater awareness of farm safety and reduce the number of life-changing accidents across the industry.
