Farmers must change ingrained attitudes and behaviours around workplace safety to reduce their industry's "stubbornly high" fatal accident figures.

That is a key message from the annual Farm Safety Week campaign run by the Farm Safety Foundation, also known as Yellow Wellies.

It coincides with the release of new figures from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) which show 27 lives were lost on British farms in the 12 months ending March 2023.

Despite an "encouraging improvement" from the previous year’s total of 30, this year’s figures include 21 farm workers and six members of the public, including a child.

In the East of England, a 71-year-old farmer was killed when he fell through a fragile roof, a 52-year-old farm worker was crushed by a bale falling off a vehicle, a 30-year-old groom at a racehorse stud farm died after falling from a horse, and an 18-year-old member of the public died in an all-terrain vehicle accident.

Sue Thompson, head of agriculture at the HSE, said it is "not acceptable" that agriculture "continues to fall short when it comes to managing risk in the workplace".

"Awareness of the hazards and health risks and legal requirements has never been higher," she said.

"But it’s regrettable that we’re not yet seeing the widespread changes in attitude towards safety and the improvements in behaviour that will reduce the numbers of people injured or killed."

West Norfolk farmer and landowner Gavin Lane is vice president of the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) and chairman of the Farm Safety Partnership.

"There are no excuses for ignoring the importance of farm safety," he said.

"Farmers work long hours and tiredness can easily set in, so taking adequate breaks is very important – as is checking and re-checking equipment throughout the year.

"It’s not always easy, but there needs to be a shift away from old behaviours and attitudes towards good safety practice. 

"Too many people are dying and being injured each year – and nobody is immune to the problem. Everyone, from landowner to tenant, from estate manager to farm hand, needs to put safety first this harvest."