As the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) celebrates its 50th anniversary, it is an opportune moment to reflect on its significant contribution to improving workplace safety. Since its inception on January 1, 1975, the HSE has played a pivotal role in enforcing the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, which consolidated previous piecemeal legislation into a comprehensive framework applicable across all industries.
The HSE's purpose has always been to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of employees and those members of the public affected by work related activities. Over the past five decades, the HSE has continually adapted to the ever-evolving workplace environment, as new industries emerge and with them changing working practices and technologies, with new challenges and risks to address. Notwithstanding this changing environment, some of the most dangerous sectors existing in the 1970s remain so today, with lots still to be done to improve workplace safety. This is evident in the HSE's recent campaigns focussing on the agriculture and rural sector, which still remains one of the most dangerous industries.
Recent HSE campaigns
According to the HSE's annual reports, the agriculture sector has consistently had one of the highest rates of worker fatalities among all other industry sectors. Even in the report for 2023/24 the agriculture, forestry and fishing industry had the second highest number of fatalities, just behind the construction industry.
Given the dangerous nature of handling machinery, vehicles, livestock and/or hazardous substances daily, it is not surprising this sector carries such risk of fatal and non-fatal workplace injuries. It is not just safety related, workplace health remains an issue too. The HSE reports a significant rise in the reporting of work-related stress, depression and anxiety. In particular, the more extreme pressures on farmers today creating very demanding work environments - examples include navigating adverse weather, round-the-clock workload, economic pressures, disease affecting crops or livestock, stricter regulations and often working alone in risky conditions.
The HSE has therefore had to be proactive in addressing both health and safety concerns and has launched a number of recent campaigns to tackle relevant issues:
- In 2021 the HSE targeted the agriculture sector as part of its Working Minds campaign, recognising that mental stress is particularly prevalent for famers and that psychological risk should be treated as importantly as physical risk as part of healthy and safety risk management;
- In 2023 the HSE launched the Work Right Agriculture 'Your Farm, Your Future' campaign, focusing on farm vehicle safety following statistics which revealed the most common fatal injuries were caused by incidents involving machinery and vehicles; and
- In 2024, the HSE relaunched the campaign with a focus on livestock, reflecting the high number of fatal injuries involving animals.
These campaigns have led to increased inspections and subsequent prosecutions, demonstrating the HSE's commitment to recognising and responding to issues and working with the industry to address those to reduce injuries and deaths.
What is on the horizon for safety in the agriculture/rural industries?
We can expect the HSE to continue to focus on increased safety training, promoting the use of safer equipment, and encouraging better health and safety practices among farmers and rural workers through campaigns and initiatives.
The 'Your Farm, Your Future' campaign introduced by the HSE has brought unsafe industry practices to light with prosecutions increasing in the sector as a result. Since the introduction of this campaign, HSE annual reports show a notable decrease in the number of non-fatal and fatal injuries in agriculture compared to previous years. This is a promising trend and indicates that the focus on increased safety training, promoting the use of safer equipment, and encouraging better health and safety practices among farmers and rural workers through such initiatives is yielding results.
The UK government’s Net Zero Growth Plan is also set to have a significant impact on farming practices, and we can already see the HSE actively supporting the transition to net zero through several government initiatives aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting sustainable practices safely. These include;
- Safe Net Zero: This initiative integrates health and safety into the development and deployment of new technologies essential for decarbonisation. It focuses on ensuring that the transition to net zero is as safe as possible by proactively designing safety into new energy technologies. The HSE have expressed that one of the first priorities within their 10-year strategy is to address the safety implications of using hydrogen for decarbonisation.
- Farming Innovation Programme: Government initiative supported by the HSE, this programme funds research and development of new technologies and practices that help reduce emissions and improve sustainability in farming.
We can expect to see more from the HSE on this going forward.
As we celebrate 50 years of the HSE, it is essential to acknowledge the progress the HSE has made in improving workplace safety while recognising the challenges that lie ahead. The HSE's commitment is to keep up to date with advancing technologies, science and new ways of working across all industries The HSE's Chief Executive recently stated, "We work hard to research new patterns and trends that could put people and places at risk in the future." This forward-thinking approach will ensure that the HSE continues to be a relevant enforcement agency, able to protect workers and the public in an ever-changing world.
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