Farm safety: Why do accidents still happen?

Preventing farm accidents

“A lot of the most serious incidents are linked to everyday, familiar activities like moving vehicles and machinery, livestock handling, working at heights and maintenance jobs where people are trying to just get it done,” says Dom Jones.

What is striking is these accidents often involve experienced farmers rather than inexperienced workers and remain similar in nature year after year. 

Factors such as time pressure, fatigue, lone working and established routines can lead people to overlook risks. Over time, dangerous situations can become ‘normalised’, meaning farmers accept hazards as part of daily life.

Jane Gurney agrees the pressures of farming – particularly weather, financial stress and tight timeframes – often lead people to rush tasks or delay maintenance. 

But she stresses developing good safety habits and understanding why safety measures exist can make a significant difference. Simple steps, such as designated walkways or clear yard markings, help prevent accidents when people are on ‘autopilot’ during busy periods.

“I think that habit forming of good practice is really essential. It's something I always pick up with the young farmers that don't understand the thought pattern,” explains Jane.

Personal tragedy

Jane’s commitment to improving farm safety stems from personal tragedy. In 2014 her 19-year-old son Harry died while carrying out harvest work when a poorly matched tractor and trailer combination became unstable descending a hill. 

The incident highlighted the dangers of poorly maintained or unsuitable equipment. In response, Jane founded the Tilly Pass scheme, aiming to improve trailer safety through standardised inspections by qualified engineers and empower drivers, particularly younger workers, to take responsibility for safety and feel confident raising concerns with employers.

Simple steps can reduce farm injuries

Preventing accidents does not require complex solutions – small actions can have a major impact. 

“It’s all around competence and consistency,” says Dom. He suggests farmers start by identifying the three biggest risks on their farm and address them one at a time. 

Establishing clear rules about who can operate certain machinery and introducing simple pre-use checks for high-risk equipment such as trailers, telehandlers and ATVs can also help prevent incidents.

Ultimately, improving farm safety requires a culture shift and remain front of mind beyond Farm Safety Week. Open communication, routine checks and co-operation across the industry, from farmers and employees to insurers and manufacturers, are essential to reducing injuries and protecting lives.

“Because we work with a wide range of farms, we can spot recurring risk factors early, share practical insight and support proportionate prevention,” explains Dom. “Done properly, it's a partnership.”

Embedding good habits into agricultural health & safety

The need for a new way of thinking was picked up in the podcast’s bonus episode, with Jane stressing personal habits shouldn’t disregard legal responsibilities.

“Your personal opinion should never override the law is something we as farmers, myself included, should always be thinking,” she says. “That we're not cutting corners because it's convenient for us.”

While attitudes are gradually improving, with more open conversations and proactive steps around training, machinery use, and family involvement, challenges remain. Echoing a point made in the main episode, one issue is persistent time pressure and fatigue, preventing good intentions from becoming routine practice.

Stress and long working hours can overwhelm farmers Jane believes, making safety harder to prioritise.

“You can't expect anybody to be thinking about safety and making improvements if they're absolutely under so much pressure that they can barely operate from day-to-day.”

There is also concern about unqualified individuals taking on technical tasks, but encouragingly, more farms are adopting better maintenance routines, clearer boundaries for high-risk jobs and involving younger generations in safe practices.

Asking for help when needed and taking a brief pause before starting risky tasks are Jane and Dom’s suggestions for simple but impactful changes. Ultimately, building a safer farming culture depends on embedding these habits into everyday routines and reducing the stigma around seeking support.

Episode showstoppers

1.      Forming habits is important. Making sure there is a culture of encouraging all stakeholders on farm to be thinking about safety in everything they're doing and how they're doing it, making it part of the ‘day-to-day’.

2.      Identify the top three risks on your farm and address them, perhaps one a week or one a month, and revisiting/revising the lists so as risks are mitigated new objectives are set.

3.      Always communicate - whether as an employer talking to your team about managing risks, or as an employee having the confidence to raise an issue with your business owners.

4.      Farm machinery needs to work both on and off the road. As well as considering the safety of farm vehicles on public highways, it's important to make sure it's safe in the yards and fields as well.

Listen to the full episode below - also available via Spotify and Apple podcasts.

About our guests

Jane Gurney farms in the village of Everton, on the borders of Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire. She founded Tilly Pass in memory of her son Harry who died in a road accident in 2014, driving a tractor and trailer ill-equipped to do the job he was assigned. 

Dominic Jones is Risk Management Leader at Cornish Mutual. His team focuses on supporting farmers to prevent incidents rather than just dealing with the aftermath, through risk assessment and practical guidance using the farm-based insights, striving to keep safety on the agenda all year round. 

 

Helping you make your farm safer

Our specialist in-house Farm Health and Safety Advisors provide tailored, practical support on an on-going basis that helps you put a health and safety system in place and meet legal requirements. This safeguards you, your family, employees and your business, allowing you to rest assured your farm is as safe as it can be.

To find out more about our Farm Health & Safety Service, click here or speak to your local Field Advisor.