UK's deadliest industry is still agriculture, figures show

The industry saw 32 fatal injuries to workers during 2018/19
The industry saw 32 fatal injuries to workers during 2018/19

Agriculture is still the deadliest industry in the United Kingdom, new figures released by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) show.

The UK farming, forestry and fishing industries experienced 32 work-place deaths in 2018 and 2019, according to a report released on 30 October.

Being struck by a moving vehicle was the most common cause of fatal injury for workers, accounting for a quarter (25%) of all accidents in that year.

After that, being injured by an animal (17%) and falls from height (16%) were the next most frequent cause of accidents.

HSE goes on to say that agriculture, forestry and fishing has a rate of injury some 18 times as high as the average across all industries.

Meanwhile, 14,000 people experienced non-fatal injuries at the agricultural workplace.

Slip, trip or fall accounts for most of the injuries, at 21%. Injured by an animal (15%), fall from height (13%) and lifting/carrying (12%) are the next most common causes of non-fatal accidents.

The economic cost of workplace injury and new cases of work-related ill health in agriculture, forestry and fishing is estimated to be between £183m - £390m.

This accounts for 2 percent of the total cost across all industries (£14.9 billion).