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Fatal injuries in farming, forestry, horticulture of 33 and associated industries 2011/12

Health and Safety Executive

Fatal injuries in farming, forestry, horticulture and associated industries 2011/12 Agriculture and Food Sector, Operational Strategy Division (OPSTD)

Contents

Introduction 2

Presentation of statistics in this report 2

Part One: Fatal injuries in farming, forestry and horticulture 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2012 4

General 4Key points 4Cause of fatality 6Employment status and location 8Summary of fatalities by HSE division 9Employment status, month and age 14

Part Two: Fatal injuries in the agriculture sector 2001/02 to 2010/11 18

Summary 18Employees and self-employed people 19Members of the public 27

Part Three: Costs of fatalities 2011/12 31

Costs of fatal accidents in farming, forestry and horticulture 31Summary costs 31Costs by bearer 32

Further information 33



Introduction 1 Part One of this report summarises the fatalities investigated by inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), reported in the agriculture sector in Great Britain (GB) between 1 April 2011 and 31 March 2012. The agriculture sector comprises: farming; horticulture; forestry; fish farming; and other associated land-based industries including landscaping and arboriculture.

The data in Part One of this report is provisional and does not include investigations carried out by local authorities.

2 Part Two summarises fatal injuries notified to HSE within the agriculture sector in the ten-year period 2001/02–2010/11. It identifies trends and highlights key issues from the investigation of fatal injuries involving employees, the self-employed and members of the public during this period.

Presentation of statistics in this report

3 HSE’s official statistics are published by HSE’s Statistics Branch and are subject to detailed review and scrutiny in line with National Statistics protocols and quality standards. Fatal incident statistics are published for all industrial sectors annually (usually at the end of June), at which time the provisional figures for the 12 months to the end of the previous March and final figures for the preceding year are made public.

4 The figures published in Part One are provisional because detailed checks need to be made to determine whether the fatality is legally reportable under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR) and to ensure that it is properly classified against the appropriate industry. These checks are important. Wider lessons cannot be fully learned from individual tragedies and HSE’s interventions and messages cannot be properly targeted unless they are based on reliable information about the sector in which the incidents occur and the frequency with which they happen (incidence rates). HSE’s Statistics Branch and staff in HSE’s industry-specific sectors use data of this kind to work out patterns of incident causation, trends and incidence rates. This helps HSE prioritise and devise effective interventions with particular industry sectors and types of businesses. The number of fatalities cannot be finalised until 16 months after the year end because people injured at work who die from their injury within 12 months are, by international statistical convention, counted as work fatalities in the year of the injury.

5 Although the number of fatal injuries reported in construction was higher, the incidence rate (expressed per 100 000 workers) in agriculture was the highest among the traditional industry sectors in GB in 2011/12. This continues to be a cause of concern for HSE, its Agriculture Industry Advisory Committee (AIAC) and the industry itself. AIAC is kept informed about indicative statistics and incident trends so that, as the year unfolds, any emerging patterns of causation or seasonal trends can be shared with the industry to try to prevent further incidents. The situation is ever-changing and there is a balance between the speed of providing relevant information and certainty.

6 For these reasons, the collective headline statistics recorded in this report are based only on investigations carried out by inspectors from HSE and so will differ from HSE’s overall figures published over the previous ten years.



7 Since April 2010, HSE has used the Standard Industrial Classification scheme 2007 (SIC 2007) to define industries, rather than the SIC 2003 scheme used in previous years. Thus, RIDDOR reports prior to April 2010 will have been coded using SIC 2003; those after April 2010 being coded using SIC 2007. Under the new industry coding, landscaping activities have been moved from agriculture to the services sector. The Office for National Statistics estimates that this change will affect 13% of employees who were previously classified under agriculture.

8 The reclassification to SIC 2007 has affected many of the tables for the agriculture industry published on HSE’s statistical website at www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/index.htm. The impact on the statistics is different for fatal and non-fatal injuries. On the one hand, the risk to agricultural workers is higher than that to landscaping workers. On the other, we believe the level of reporting of non-fatal injury is higher in landscaping services than in agriculture. This results in an apparent increase in the agricultural fatal injury rate and a corresponding apparent decrease in the non-fatal injury rate.

9 However, because HSE’s agriculture strategy has been developed to address the hazards and risks in the industry, defined as including both:

traditional farming activities such as arable, dairy, livestock and mixed farming, ■the growing of fruit and vegetables, forestry, production horticulture, aquaculture, agricultural and animal husbandry services; andthe wider land-based industries, including amenity management and ■landscaping, arboriculture, animal care, environmental conservation etc.

Landscaping and arboriculture have been included in this report.

10 Following detailed analysis, HSE has concluded that 41 deaths were reported in the industry in 2011/12. This is an increase of two deaths from HSE’s previously published statistics for the industry which showed that 33 workers and 6 members of the public had been killed during the year. The additional deaths were to an arborist (tree surgeon) struck by a felled tree and a diver who drowned while commercially diving for shellfish.

11 As outlined in paragraph 4, the figures for 2011/12 remain provisional and may be revised before they are finalised in June 2013.

12 We hope that this approach will not lead to any confusion or concerns about discrepancies between HSE reports. HSE seeks to be transparent about its methodology; to provide up-to-date information and to maximise the immediate use to which this statistical information can be put – with the overall aim of learning lessons. We hope the information in this report can be used to prevent or reduce future tragedies.

If you have any queries about this report, contact the Health and Safety Executive’s Agriculture and Food Sector



Part One: Fatal injuries in farming, forestry and horticulture1 April 2011 to 31 March 2012

General

13 The total number of reported fatal injuries resulting from work activities in the agriculture sector was 41, including 6 members of the public.

14 The total excludes reported deaths from reportable diseases and fatal injuries investigated by local authorities.

Table 1 Six-year comparison

Employed

Self-employed

Non-employed

2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 (p)

13

20

7

22

24

2

9

17

4

13

25

5

12

23

8

12

22

6

Total adults

Total children (<16)

36

4

48

0

30

0

40

3

40

3

40

0

Total (SIC 2007, Group 1, 2 & 3) 40 48 30 43 43 40

Landscaping (SIC 81.3) 3 0 0 0 1* 1=

Total 43 48 30 43 44 41

Key points

15 Forty-one deaths were reported in 2011/12, three less than in the previous year.

16 The total of 35 deaths among all workers (ie employees and the self-employed) is a decrease of one from the previous year’s figure of 36.

17 A total of 13 employees were killed; one more than the previous years. The average number of employee deaths over the previous five years was 14; the range being between 9 and 22.

* Self-employed tree surgeon

= Employed tree surgeon



18 Twenty-two self-employed people died during the year; two fewer than in the previous year. The average over the previous five years was 22; ranging between 17 and 25.

19 Of the 35 deaths involving workers, four were between the ages of 17 and 24 and ten between 27 and 39. Five were between 47 and 59 and a further five between 60 and 64. Eleven workers were over the state pension age of 65. Ten of them were self-employed, of whom eight were farmers.

20 The youngest self-employed person was 17 and the oldest was 88. Among employees the ages ranged from 18 and 67.

21 The total number of workers killed over the five-year period (2007/08 to 2011/12) was 181. Of these, 69 (38%) were employees and 112 (62%) were self-employed.

22 In addition, six members of the public were killed in 2011/12, two less than in 2010/11. The average number of deaths involving members of the public over the previous five years was five. There were NO child deaths in 2011/12.

Figure 1 Fatal injuries by cause, 2011/12

Transport – overturning vehicles or struck by moving vehicle

14 (35%)

Struck by moving, fallingor flying object

8 (20%)

Electrocution2 (5%)

Fell from a height3 (7%)

Trapped by something collapsingor overturning

1 (2%)

Drowned or asphyxiated7 (17%)

Contact with moving machineryor material being machined

1 (2%)

Injured by an animal5 (12%)



Figure 2 Fatal injuries by cause – percentage in 2011/12 against previous 10 years (2001/02 to 2010/11)

Cause of fatality

23 As in previous years, transport was responsible for more deaths in 2011/12 than any other cause. Fourteen people (35%) died after being either struck by moving vehicles; run over by tractors and farm equipment; caught between moving vehicles, equipment and structures; or trapped by an overturned vehicle.

24 Of the transport-related deaths:

five involved tractors: a 57-year-old was trapped beneath a tractor that had ■rolled down an embankment; a 64-year-old self-employed farmer was run over by a tractor operated by his daughter; a 67-year-old employee was killed as he tried to climb back into the tractor cab; an 84-year-old farmer was run over by a tractor driven by his son in a cow shed; and an 88-year-old farmer was run over by a tractor and its attachment when it rolled down a slope;three involved all-terrain vehicles (ATVs): a 32-year-old farm worker who was ■found trapped underneath an ATV on a steep slope; a 38-year-old farmer who was found trapped beneath his quad bike in a ditch; and a 75-year-old farmer whose quad bike overturned and rolled down a hill; two involved telehandlers: one was a retired 82-year-old farmer who was found ■crushed beneath a reversing telehandler and the other was a 67-year-old farmer trapped between a telehandler and a steel column inside a barn.

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Transport related

Struck by an object

Fell from a height

Contact with machinery

Asphyxiated or drowned

Injured by an animal

Contact with electricity

Something collapsing/overturning

Other categories

Percentage

2011/12 2001/02 to 2010/11

28

35

16

20

13

7

10

2

11

17

9

12

3

5

5

2

5



Other transport-related deaths included:

a 59-year-old forestry worker run over by a forestry forwarder as he attempted ■to restart the engine and a 33-year-old worker run over by a runaway trailer unit that rolled backwards down a slope;a 30-year-old employee run over by a self-propelled lawn turf harvester and a ■83-year-old member of the public run over by a cattle lorry as she left the farm shop.

25 The second largest category (eight deaths (20%)) was as a result of being struck by a falling, flying or moving object.

Three incidents involved trees or tree branches:

one was to a 39-year-old self-employed contractor struck by a tree branch that ■had broken off a felled tree; another was an 18-year-old tree surgeon struck by a tree when he walked into a tree felling zone; and the third was a 67-year-old forester crushed by a falling hung up tree bought down by a sudden gust of wind.

A further five deaths involved:

a 47-year-old farm worker killed when a potato box balanced on the forks of a ■forklift truck fell on him; a 64-year-old struck by an object; a 38-year-old trapped when a grain mill fell on him; a 67-year-old struck by a post rammer; and a 68-year-old farmer struck by a locking ring.

26 Seven deaths (17%) were as a result of drowning and asphyxiation:

four were drowned in water. Two brothers drowned in a lake while retrieving ■injured/dead geese from an open boat following a cull; the other two were divers who went missing from fishing vessels;two workers were overcome by slurry fumes/gas released from a tank and the ■last was asphyxiated inside a grain bin.

27 Farm animals were involved in five deaths (12%). Two people (both of whom were members of the public) were trampled to death by cattle and three self-employed farmers were killed by cows.

28 Falls from height resulted in three deaths. One member of the public fell down some stairs on rented farm accommodation and a 60-year-old contractor fell from a tree. The other death was to a 32-year-old worker who died when he slipped and fell down a ravine.

29 Overhead power lines (OHPLs) caused a further two deaths. A 24-year-old Polish farm worker was electrocuted by a high-voltage cable when a potato harvester struck an OHPL that broke and fell to the ground. The other was a 65-year-old self-employed director who was electrocuted when his lorry-mounted crane touched an OHPL.

30 Of the remaining two victims, one was a 64-year-old farmer found trapped inside a vertical feeder and the other a 70-year-old farmer crushed beneath a hydraulic tail lift that had collapsed.

Further details on all of these fatalities can be found in this report under ‘Summary of fatalities by HSE division’.



Table 2 Type of fatal injuries, 2011/12

Kind of incident Total

Transport (overturning vehicles or struck by moving vehicle) 14

Tractor 5

All-terrain vehicle (ATV) 3

Telehandler 2

Forestry forwarder 1

Turf harvester 1

Truck and trailer 1

Cattle lorry 1

Struck by moving, falling or flying object 8

Tree/tree branch 3

Potato box 1

Post rammer 1

Timber/door 1

Grain mill 1

Locking ring 1

Drowned or asphyxiated 7

Water 4

Slurry 2

Grain 1

Injured by an animal 5

Cattle 2

Cow 3

Fell from a height 3

Stairs 1

Tree 1

Ravine 1

Contact with electricity 2

Overhead power line (OHPL) 2

Contact with machinery 1

Vertical feeder 1

Trapped by something collapsing or overturning 1

Hydraulic tail lift 1

Total 41

Employment status and location

Table 3 Fatalities by country 2011/12

Employed Self-employed Non-employed Total

England 10 14 5 29

Scotland 3 6 0 9

Wales 0 2 1 3

Total 12 22 6 41



Figure 3 Fatal injuries by status and location, 2011/12

Summary of fatalities by HSE division

Table 4 Number of fatal injuries – by HSE division, 2011/12

HSE division Counties and unitary authorities Number

East and South East The counties of Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Isle of Wight, Norfolk, Suffolk, Oxfordshire, Kent, East & West Sussex and Surrey

9

Wales & South West 10

Wales All Wales unitary authorities 3

South West Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, North Somerset, Bath and North East Somerset, Gloucestershire, South Gloucestershire, Bristol, Dorset, Swindon and Wiltshire

7

Midlands Counties of West Midlands, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Warwickshire, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Hereford and Worcester

5

Marches Hereford and Worcester 3

North Midlands Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire 2

Yorkshire & North East

All the counties of Cleveland, Durham, North Yorkshire, Northumberland, West Yorkshire, Tyne & Wear, Humberside and South Yorkshire.

4

Yorkshire North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and Yorkshire (E Riding)

3

North East Durham, Northumberland and Tyne & Wear 1

North West All the counties of Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside

4

Scotland All Scottish unitary authorities and island councils 9

Total 41

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Yorkshire andNorth East

East andSouth East

North WestSouth WestWales ScotlandMidlands

Self-employed Employees Members of the public



Wales & South West Division

Wales 31 A 75-year-old self-employed farmer was killed when his quad bike overturned. He was riding the bike up a steep hill when it overturned and rolled down the hill. The investigation established that he was working alone, on wet terrain, riding without a helmet and had not undertaken any training. He was found lying close to the bike midway up the hill and had died of multiple chest injuries.

32 A 61-year-old member of the public was knocked down by cattle. She was walking her dog along a footpath near a field with cows, calves and a bull. There appeared to be no right of way through the field; although there was a footpath. Nobody saw what happened or the path she took, but she was discovered with multiple injuries consistent with having been attacked by cattle.

33 A 70-year-old self-employed farmer was found crushed underneath a hydraulic tail lift. He was loading cattle onto the rear of a flatbed cattle wagon when oil in both cylinders drained out through a leak in the fittings causing the ramp to collapse on top of him. He died from a fractured skull, broken neck and crushed vertebrae.

South West 34 A 64-year-old self-employed farmer was run over by a tractor. He was working in front of the tractor, locating an oil leak in the steering system, and had asked his daughter to start the engine. According to his daughter he then signalled her to stop the engine using the stop control, but her foot slipped from the clutch pedal, causing the tractor to move forward trapping and crushing her father.

35 A 47-year-old farm worker fell from a potato box balanced on the forks of a forklift truck. He had climbed into the box and had been lifted into the air by another worker when the box fell off the forks, landing on top of him and crushing him underneath.

36 A 67-year-old member of the public was trampled to death by cattle. She was seen walking her dog in a field with cows and calves in the morning. A few hours later, she was discovered in the field with injuries consistent with having been crushed by cattle.

37 A 24-year-old Polish farm worker was electrocuted when a reversing potato harvester struck an overhead power line (OHPL). He was a passenger in the harvester when the discharge elevator struck an OHPL cable that broke and fell to the ground. He then jumped out of the machine landing onto the cable and was electrocuted.

38 A 68-year-old self-employed farmer was found collapsed next to a forklift truck. There were no witnesses but it is believed that he may have been in the process of fixing a puncture on a tractor trailer tyre. He died from head and facial injuries.

39 A 55-year-old member of the public died when she fell down the stairs in rented farm accommodation. She was discovered lying at the bottom of the stairs and later died in hospital with severe head injuries.

40 A 67-year-old employee was run over by a tractor. He was unloading a trailer attached to a tractor when it started to move down a sloped roadway. He tried to climb back onto the tractor to stop it rolling but slipped and was trapped under the tractor wheel. He was asphyxiated.



East & South East Division

41 Two workers (aged 27 and 48) were overcome by fumes released from a slurry tank. The 27-year-old worker had undone a set of bolts that fastened the discharge pipe to a gate valve retaining slurry on a large open-topped tank. As he dismantled the bolts, pressure from the liquid slurry caused part of the valve to fail and discharge liquid into the yard trapping him. Three other farm workers tried to rescue him but were themselves overcome by fumes/released gas. Two of the workers survived but the 27 and 48-year-old were overcome by fumes and asphyxiated.

42 A 57-year-old self-employed contractor was trapped beneath a tractor. He was levelling out some ground and as he drove up a steep incline the tractor tipped backwards and rolled over down an embankment, ejecting the driver. The tractor was not fitted with a roll-over protective structure (ROPS) and came to rest upside down, crushing him underneath.

43 An 18-year-old employee was struck on the head by a tree felled by another worker. He was a trained tree surgeon assisting in the felling of trees along the gallop at a stud farm. He had just finished his break and after talking to another colleague decided to walk down a track unaware that a tree was being felled. As he walked into the felling zone, the tree came down and struck him on the head.

44 An 88-year-old self-employed farmer was run over by a tractor and its attachment. It would appear that the farmer had stopped his tractor on the edge of the field (with its plough raised) in order to turn. For some unknown reason he left the cab, without the parking brake on, and started to walk down towards the wood in front of the vehicle. The tractor (and its implement) started to roll down the slope behind the farmer, running him over before coming to rest in a wooded area.

45 An 83-year-old member of the public was run over by a cattle lorry. She had purchased eggs from the farm shop and was leaving the farm entrance when a cattle truck (also leaving the farm) collided with her and knocked her over.

46 Two brothers, a 17-year-old self-employed pest control contractor and a 22-year-old observer drowned in a lake. They were retrieving injured/dead geese using an open boat following a cull when the younger brother fell out of the dinghy into the lake. He got into trouble and tried to hold onto the boat but his feet got struck in the mud and he was unable to remove his boots. His brother attempted to rescue him but also drowned.

47 A 58-year-old self-employed farmer was knocked over by a cow. She was helping to move cattle from a field to a shed for TB testing and was standing by the shed gate when two of the cattle became troublesome. One of the animals, a yearling, ran away from the shed pushing the farmer over onto a concrete floor. She was taken to hospital but later died from a brain haemorrhage.

Midlands Division

Marches

48 A 38-year-old self-employed farmer was found trapped beneath a grain mill. He was attempting to move a grain mill from a storage building in the farm yard when the mill fell on top of and crushed him.

49 An 18-year-old farm employee died from asphyxiation inside a grain bin. He had fallen from an overhead gantry into the bin and was asphyxiated by free-flowing grain.



50 A 60-year-old self-employed contractor died while thinning pines with a chainsaw. There were no witnesses to the accident but the deceased was found lying next to a felled tree. It seems likely that he was hit by a tree.

North Midlands

51 An 82-year-old retired farmer was crushed beneath a reversing telehandler. He was walking in the farm yard while his son and grandson were shovelling animal feed out of the telehandler bucket into troughs in the feed passage. The telehandler was refilled by his son and was reversing back a short distance in the feed passage (unaware that his father was behind him) when it struck him. He may have stepped or fallen behind the reversing vehicle and died from multiple crush injuries.

52 A 64-year-old self-employed farmer was found trapped inside a vertical feeder. He and his daughter were loading an animal feeder (attached to a tractor) with bales of straw using a telescopic materials handler. It would appear that his daughter was loading bales into the machine and was manoeuvring the telehandler while he stood at the side of the feeder near to the viewing ladder. At some point during the manoeuvring he disappeared and was later found by his daughter lying inside the feeder compartment. He died from serious spinal injuries.

Yorkshire & North East Division

Yorkshire

53 A 67-year-old self-employed farmer was struck by a post rammer. He was helping an employee unhitch a post driver from a tractor when it overbalanced and fell on top of him.

54 A 30-year-old employee was run over by a self-propelled lawn turf harvester. There were no witnesses to what happened and it is assumed he was engaged in making adjustments or was looking for a fault in the cut-off mechanism. He was found in the field and may either have been struck by or entangled in part of the harvester’s cutter unit, before being run over by the unit which came to rest under a tree.

55 A 67-year-old self-employed farmer was trapped between a telehandler and a steel column inside a barn. He was manoeuvring the telehandler in a barn with internal steel columns and little room and had been intending to clean the shed. There were no witnesses and it is assumed that during a manoeuvre around a column he was leaning out of the cab and became trapped between the side of the vehicle and the column.

North East

56 A 32-year-old farm employee was found trapped underneath an ATV. He had left the farm building to feed cattle in the fields but had not returned. There were no witnesses but he was later discovered in the fields under the quad bike on a steep slope. It appears that he was not wearing a helmet and had died from multiple crush injuries.

North West Division

57 A 67-year-old self-employed farmer was trampled to death by a cow. He was working with his son in fields where cattle were present. His son left the field on his quad bike to mix concrete in the farmyard but returned on hearing his father shout for help. When he got back to the field he discovered his father surrounded by



cattle with one standing over him. There were no witnesses so it is assumed that he may have tripped, collapsed or was knocked over by cattle and then stepped on by a cow that crushed his chest.

58 A 38-year-old self-employed farmer was found trapped under his ATV in a ditch full of water. He had left the farm to attend his neighbour’s bull, which had strayed into the bottom wooded area of the fields, but did not return to milk the cows. Nobody saw what happened and it is assumed the quad bike rolled over and overturned into the bank as he attempted to jump off or was thrown off the bike as it overturned. He was found pinned beneath the bike, face down in the ditch.

59 A 33-year-old employee was run over by a tractor trailer unit. He was coupling a tractor cab to a trailer in the dairy loading bay when the trailer unit rolled backwards down an incline and crashed into another parked trailer. It would appear that the brakes were not engaged and the airline was unconnected. He was discovered on his side against a wall but died from serious crush injuries on his way to the hospital.

60 A 39-year-old self-employed contractor was struck by a tree branch. He was felling a tree from the ground while his colleague was directing the fall using a rope. As the tree fell, a branch broke off and struck him in his face causing multiple fractures. He later died in hospital.

Scotland

61 A 67-year-old self-employed forester was crushed by a falling tree. He was felling a tree using a chainsaw and had made a sink cut so that the tree would fall in a direction away from a burn. However, while making the cut the tree leaned backwards and jammed the chainsaw. He and his son inserted wedges into the ‘cut’ to free the chainsaw and left the tree free-standing. He then decided to fell a nearby tree to help create a ‘bench’ effect. As he removed branches with his chainsaw on a third tree that he had felled, a sudden gust of wind brought down the partially felled tree, striking him on the back and pinning him to the ground.

62 A 64-year-old self-employed farmer was dragged around the field by a cow. He was working in the field with cows that were due to calve. It would appear that he had placed a rope halter on a cow and then tied the loose end around his waist. It is assumed that the cow suddenly bolted, tightening the rope and dragging the farmer around the field. He was discovered in the field with multiple injuries.

63 A 32-year-old employee died when he slipped and fell down a ravine. He was rounding up sheep on hilly ground near to a cliff face while other workers were nearby. Nobody saw what happened but one of the workers heard a noise and saw the shepherd falling down the hill. He died from serious head injuries.

64 A 68-year-old self-employed farmer was struck on the head by parts of a split rim from a telehandler’s wheel. He was inspecting a slow puncture on a telehandler wheel (that had been re-inflated the previous day) when the tyre explosively deflated, causing the locking ring to separate from the multi-piece wheel, striking him in the face. He died from multiple injuries.

65 An 84-year-old self-employed farmer was run over by a tractor. He had walked into a cowshed while his son was spreading straw bedding using a tractor. His son did not see him enter the shed and he may have slipped or fallen on an uneven surface in the path of the moving tractor. He was run over and died from multiple injuries.



66 A 65-year-old self-employed director was electrocuted by an overhead power line (OHPL). He was driving a lorry-mounted timber crane along a forest track when the boom of the crane touched an OHPL and caught fire. He was electrocuted as he dismounted from the lorry cab.

67 A 59-year-old employee was run over by a forestry forwarder. He and his colleagues were attempting to restart the engine and had tapped the fuel pump with a metal bar after the vehicle stalled. It would appear that they were working under the raised cab, standing on the tracked wheels of the forwarder, but had not engaged the parking brake. He then leaned into the cab to start the engine when the forwarder suddenly moved forward ejecting all three workers from the tracked wheels of the vehicle. The other two workers were thrown clear from the vehicle but he was thrown forward under the front wheels and crushed to death.

68 A 33-year-old diver went missing while fishing from a vessel. He was diving commercially for scallops and had left the harbour on a vessel with another diver. He did not surface from his third dive of the day. His body was recovered.

69 A 31-year-old diver was found drowned on the seabed. He was commercially diving for shellfish and had entered the water from a fishing vessel. Two of his colleagues saw him disappear into the water but were unable to rescue him.

Employment status, month and age

Figure 4 Fatal injuries by employment status, 2011/12

Employees13 (32%)

Self-employed22 (53%)

Members of the public6 (15%)



Figure 5 Fatal injuries by month of the year, 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2012

Figure 6 Fatal injuries by age, 2011/12

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

AugJune SeptMayApr OctJuly JanNov Feb MarchDec

Self-employed Employees Members of the public

65 years and over15 (37%)

55–64 years9 (22%)

45–54 years2 (5%)

35–44 years3 (7%)

25–34 years7 (17%)

16–24 years5 (12%)



Table 5 Fatal injuries by age, 2011/12

Under 16 0

16 to 24 5

25 to 34 7

35 to 44 3

45 to 54 2

55 to 64 9

65 and over 15

Figure 7(a) Age of deceased. Percentage of the total for employees – 2011/12 against 10-year period (2001/02 to 2010/11)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

10 year percentage 2011/12

16 to 24 25 to 34 35 to 44 45 to 54 55 to 64 65 and over

Age



Figure 7(b) Age of deceased. Percentage of the total for self-employed – 2011/12 against 10-year period (2001/02 to 2010/11)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

10 year percentage 2011/12

16 to 24 25 to 34 35 to 44 45 to 54 55 to 64 65 and over

Age



Part Two: Fatal injuries in the agriculture sector 2001/02 to 2010/1170 Part Two of this report provides a detailed breakdown and summary of the causes of fatalities over the ten-year period 2001/02 to 2010/11. It also provides a comparison between 2011/12 and the previous ten years. However, changes to the industrial classification introduced in 1995/96 mean that data for this and subsequent years are not directly comparable with that for 1994/95 and earlier.

71 Standard Industrial Classification (SIC): HSE now uses the SIC 2007 classification scheme to define industries, rather than the SIC 2003 scheme used in previous years – see www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/industry/sic2007.htm. The version used in these statistics is SIC 2007 which is the first major revision to the classification since 1992. Therefore, in theory the new industry coding used by HSE has moved landscape activities from agriculture to the services sector. However, because HSE’s Agriculture Strategy has been developed to address the hazards and risks in agriculture and the wider land-based industries, landscaping has been included in this section of the report.

72 Employment data: With the release of the Annual Statistics Report in November 2011, HSE changed its source of employment data to the Annual Population Survey (APS). APS is a comprehensive single data source that provides HSE and others with insight into a wide range of working structures.

73 Similarly, some of the definitions in RIDDOR changed from April 1996 and the restructuring of information collected under the new RIDDOR reporting arrangements, introduced in September 2011, means that subsequent years’ data may not be directly comparable.

Summary

74 Four hundred and twenty-six (426) fatalities in agriculture (including farming, forestry, arboriculture, landscaping, horticulture and fishing etc) were reported to HSE between 2001/02 and 2010/11. Of these, 139 (33%) were to employees, 238 (56%) were to self-employed people and 49 (11%) were to members of the public who were killed as a result of someone else’s work activity.

75 Over the same period 18 children (under 16 years of age) were killed. One was classified as an employee (included in Tables 6–16); the other 17 were classified as members of the public (included in Tables 17–19).

76 This means that:

on average, over the past ten years, approximately one person a week was ■killed as a direct result of an agricultural work activity; andthirty-five percent (35%) of the reported fatalities to members of the public ■involved children.

See Tables 13 and 17 for further information.



Employees and self-employed people

77 There were 13 fatal injuries to employees in 2011/12, one more than in the previous year. In all, a total of 139 employees were killed over the past ten years; an average of 14 deaths per year.

78 There were 22 fatal injuries to self-employed people in 2011/12, two fewer than in the previous year. In all, a total of 238 self-employed people were killed over the past ten years; an average of 24 deaths per year.

79 The combined total of 35 workers (ie employees and self-employed people) killed in agriculture during 2011/12 is one less than in the previous year.

80 Over a ten-year period (2001/02 to 2010/11), 377 workers were killed; of whom 139 (37%) were employees and 238 (63%) were self-employed.

See Table 13 for further information.

Occupation (employees and self-employed)

81 Farmers and farm managers accounted for 62% of the self-employed fatalities and farm workers and farm labourers for 45% of the employee fatalities.

82 The highest number of fatalities to a specific occupational group involved arborists/forestry workers who accounted for 27 deaths; 16 of whom were self-employed.

83 Other agriculture-related activities, including aquaculture (ie fish farming), accounted for 32 deaths; 25 involving the self-employed. A further 12 fatalities involved groundsmen.

84 Drivers of tractors and other vehicles accounted for 11 fatal injuries; 73% of whom were employees.

See Table 7 for further information as to occupation.

Kind of injury (employees and self-employed)

85 The three main causes of fatal injuries to workers in agriculture over the past ten years were:

transport – being struck by a moving vehicle (28% of all fatalities); ■struck by moving or falling objects (16%); and ■falls from a height (13% of all fatalities). ■

86 Other causes included:

asphyxiation or drowning (11%); ■contact with machinery or material being machined (10%); ■injury by an animal (9%); ■trapped by something collapsing or overturning (5%); and ■contact with electricity or an electrical discharge (3%). ■

See Table 6 for further information on kind of injury.



Cause of injury (employees and self-employed)

87 The largest cause of fatal injuries in agriculture continues to be workplace transport. Transport was involved in 113 deaths (30%) over the ten-year period.

In particular:

being struck by moving vehicles and vehicles overturning accounted for 106 ■deaths, 28% of the combined total fatalities; vehicles overturning or falling from support accounted for a further seven deaths; ■being struck by a tractor was the most common cause of fatal injuries to ■workers (including the self-employed), resulting in 50 deaths. Of these 30 were to the self-employed and 20 involved employees.

88 Being struck by a moving, falling or flying object accounted for 61 deaths (16%); 21 of which were caused by falling branches/trees and 8 from material being lifted or lifting equipment. A further 7 were caused by moving or falling bales of hay.

89 Falls from height accounted for 50 deaths (13%). The two most common causes were falling through fragile roofing materials (23) and falling from moveable ladders (6).

90 Asphyxiation or drowning caused a further 40 deaths (11%); 33 in water. This figure includes 21 cockle pickers who died in Morecambe Bay in 2003/04.

Cause of injury (employees)

91 Among employees, the most common cause of death was being struck by a tractor – accounting for 20 deaths. Other common categories of vehicle deaths were ATVs (12) and telescopic material handlers/loaders (9).

92 Struck by moving, falling or flying objects caused 21 deaths, of which 11 were struck by a tree or a tree branch. A further 9 were as a result of asphyxiation or drowning in water.

93 In the other categories, falls from a height caused 15 deaths, machinery was involved in 10 deaths, contact with electricity 7 and a further 6 involved farm animals.

Cause of injury (self-employed)

94 Among the self-employed, the most common cause of death was also transport. Being struck by a moving or overturned tractor accounted for 30 deaths and a further 2 when a vehicle overturned or fell from support. ATVs were involved in 6 deaths and a further 6 involved forklift trucks/telehandlers.

95 Asphyxiation or drowning in water was the second most common cause of death (24), although this includes 21 drowned in a single incident in Morecambe Bay in 2003/04.

96 In the other categories, struck by moving, falling or flying objects caused a total of 40 deaths, of which 10 were by trees/tree branches. Fall from a height caused 35 deaths, of which 20 were from a fragile roof. Machinery was involved in 27 deaths.

97 Other significant causes include bulls or other cattle (28) and trapped by something collapsing or overturning, resulting in 8 deaths.

See Table 8 for further information as to causation.



Nature and site of injury (employees and self-employed)

98 A detailed breakdown in the nature and site of injury that had resulted in a death is provided in Tables 9 and 10.

Work activity (employees and self-employed)

99 Fatalities in agriculture resulted from a range of work activities. One hundred and fourteen deaths (114), representing 30% of the total, occurred during the cultivation, harvesting, and processing etc of crops.

100 Eighty-two (82) deaths (22%) occurred involved the handling and housing of livestock and work related to animal husbandry.

101 A further 44 deaths (12%) occurred during the maintenance of machinery, buildings and land/estates including general maintenance.

102 Thirty-eight (38) deaths (10%) occurred during tree work in forestry and arboriculture including the maintenance of trees and woodland on farms and estates.

103 Fish farming, including shellfish harvesting, caused 31 deaths, 21 of them during cockle picking.

See Table 11 for further information as to the work being undertaken at the time of the accident.

Age (employees and self-employed)

104 Deaths to workers (employees and the self-employed) in agriculture aged 65 years and over and between 55 and 64 remain high while deaths to those aged 24 years or less remain low in comparison with other industrial sectors. Of the 377 workers killed, 82 (22%) were over 65 years of age compared with 32 (8.5%) under 25.

105 The majority of the self-employed who died were over 65 years of age – representing 30% of all reported fatalities to the self-employed. Over half the self-employed deaths, ie 132 in total, were to those aged 55 years and over compared with 6 under 24.

106 For employees, those aged 25–34, 45–54 and 55–64 years had the largest proportion of fatal injuries. The lowest figures were for those under 19 and 65 years and over.

See Tables 12 for further analyses of fatal injuries by age.

Month, day and time (employees and self-employed)

107 The highest number of deaths to the employed and self-employed during the ten-year period were in August (43) followed by February (42) and September (39).

108 The comparatively larger numbers during late summer/early autumn reflect the level of activity in the arable sector associated with harvesting and autumn cultivation. The lowest number of deaths occurred in November (23), April and January (25 each) and March and December (27 each).

109 In contrast to other industries, which show a gradual decrease in injuries to employees through the working week, there is no clearly discernible pattern in agriculture. The lowest number of deaths was on a Sunday (23).



110 Fatalities to employees are fairly evenly distributed through the working week though the number reported on Wednesdays is the lowest. Similarly, fewer deaths occurred over the weekend.

111 Forty-five (45) self-employed people were killed at weekends compared to 21 employees. Sixty-eight percent (68%) of deaths at the weekend involved the self-employed.

112 The number of deaths increases during the morning, reduces over lunchtime and steadily rises again during the afternoon.

See Tables 14, 15 and 16 for a more detailed breakdown by month, day and time of day.

Table 6 Fatal injuries to employees and self-employed in agriculture, 2001/02 to 2010/11

Kind of incident Employees Self-employed

Total numbers

Percentage

Transport – struck by moving vehicle

45 61 106 28%

Struck by moving, including flying or falling, object

21 40 61 16%

Fall from a height 15 35 50 13%

Asphyxiation or drowning 14 26 40 11%

Contact with machinery or material being machined

10 27 37 10%

Injury by an animal 6 28 34 9%

Trapped by something collapsing or overturning

12 8 20 5%

Contact with electricity or an electrical discharge

7 3 10 3%

Other categories including: struck against something fixed or stationary; slip, trip or fall on same level; exposure or contact with a harmful substance and fire

9 10 19 5%

Total 139 238 377 100%


Occupation Employees Self-employed

Total

Farmer/farm manager/managerial 22 147 169

Farm worker/labourer 63 26 89

Fishing and other aquaculture-related 7 25 32

Forestry worker/arborist 11 16 27

Groundsman 6 6 12

Driver, including tractor drivers 8 3 11

Other 22 15 37

Total 139 238 377



Table 8 Fatal injuries to employees and self-employed in agriculture, 2001/02–2010/11

More detailed breakdown by type of incident

Employees Self-employed

Total

Struck by moving vehicle 45 61 106

Tractor 20 30 50

All-terrain vehicles (ATVs) 12 6 18

Forklift truck/telescopic handler/loader 9 6 15

Trailer, plant or equipment associated with vehicle

2 3 5

From transport of any kind 2 16 18

Struck by moving, falling or flying object 21 40 61

By a tree/tree branch 11 10 21

Material being lifted or lifting equipment 5 3 8

From moving or falling bales of hay 1 6 7

From shelf, table or stacking 2 4 6

From part of a building or structure 0 6 6

From weapons 1 1 2

Other 1 10 11

Fall from a height 15 35 50

Fragile roof 3 20 23

Moveable ladder 1 5 6

From any man-lifting equipment 2 3 5

From a tree 1 2 3

From vehicle 1 1 2

From stacked material 1 0 1

From gangways, roof edge or other means of access including structures and buildings

1 2 3

Other 5 2 7

Asphyxiation/drowning 14 26 40

Water 9 24 33

Grain 0 1 1

Other, including oxygen deficiency 5 1 6

Contact with machinery 10 27 37

Combine harvesters 2 3 5

Other (including bale handlers, bale choppers, hay turners, balers, chainsaws etc)

5 9 14

Other attached powered machinery 3 11 14

Chainsaws 0 4 4

Injury from an animal 6 28 34

Bulls 2 13 15

Other cattle 2 15 17

Horses 2 0 2



More detailed breakdown by type of incident

Employees Self-employed

Total

Trapped by something collapsing or overturning

12 8 20

Vehicles overturning/falling from supports 5 2 7

Plant including lifting machinery and equipment

1 3 4

Building or structures 2 0 2

Bales of hay 2 0 2

Stacked material 0 1 1

Other 2 2 4

Contact with electricity 7 3 10

Overhead power lines 5 2 7

Other 2 1 3

Struck against something fixed or stationary

4 1 5

Exposure to or contact with harmful or hot substance

2 4 6

Entry into confined space 0 2 2

Spillage of some substance 1 0 1

Other 1 2 3

Slip, trip or fall on same level 0 2 2

Fire 1 1 2

Other kinds of incident 2 2 4

Total 139 238 377


Nature of injury Employees Self-employed

Total

Fractures 8 23 31

Concussion and internal injuries 13 26 39

Crushings and contusions 11 30 41

Asphyxiation, poisoning and gassing 13 11 24

Injury caused by electricity 6 3 9

Multiple-injury types 27 37 64

Other known 22 60 82

Unknown 39 48 87

Total 139 238 377




Site of injury Employees Self-employed

Total

Head 26 50 76

Neck 3 5 8

Back 0 2 2

Trunk 13 23 36

Torso (multiple site) 1 6 7

Upper limb 1 1 2

Lower limb 1 3 4

Several of the above 27 46 73

General locations (including drowning, asphyxiation, electrocution etc)

38 58 96

Other/unspecified locations 29 44 73

Total 139 238 377


Work activity Employees Self-employed

Total

Agriculture operations – all operations involving agriculture, eg cultivation, harvesting, crop spraying, all crop processing

40 74 114

Livestock operations – animal housing/handling, feeding and all other animal-related operations

28 54 82

Fish farming, including shellfish harvesting 8 23 31

Maintenance (machinery) 13 9 22

Maintenance (buildings) 3 13 16

Maintenance (land) 2 3 5

Maintenance (general) 0 1 1

Landscape gardening 4 4 8

Forestry operations 7 3 10

Tree felling and extraction 1 1 2

Maintenance of trees and woodland 3 6 9

Arboriculture: tree surgery, care of trees etc 3 14 17

Walking/running on or outside premises, entering and leaving buildings, including travelling in vehicle on site

7 7 14

Travelling/delivering in vehicle, including driving on public highway and off site

6 2 8

Loading/unloading 1 6 7

General handling 5 3 8

Other 8 15 23

Total 139 238 377




Age Employees Self-employed Total

Under 16 1 0 1

16–19 8 3 11

20–24 17 3 20

25–34 29 20 49

35–44 20 39 59

45–54 28 36 64

55–64 24 60 84

65 and over 10 72 82

Age not known 2 5 7

Total 139 238 377


Total workers (employed and self-employed) by year

01/02 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06 06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Total

Under 16

1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

16–19 2 1 2 1 0 2 2 0 1 0 11

20–24 2 3 1 4 2 1 2 3 2 0 20

25–34 7 7 9 6 0 4 7 1 5 3 49

35–44 6 3 14 2 8 7 5 6 3 5 59

45–54 5 5 5 8 8 6 7 6 8 6 64

55–64 6 8 8 11 9 6 6 5 13 12 84

65 and over

10 7 3 10 6 8 17 5 6 10 82

Age not known

0 2 2 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 7

Total 39 36 44 42 34 36 46 26 38 36 377


Day of the week Employees Self-employed Total

Monday 24 36 60

Tuesday 31 33 64

Wednesday 17 36 53

Thursday 23 56 78

Friday 23 32 55

Saturday 11 32 43

Sunday 10 13 23

Total 139 238 377




Month Employees Self-employed Total

April 9 16 25

May 12 16 28

June 14 16 30

July 16 18 34

August 17 26 43

September 13 26 39

October 15 19 34

November 8 15 23

December 6 21 27

January 9 16 25

February 8 34 42

March 12 15 27

Total 139 238 377


Time of day Employees Self-employed Total

Before 08:00 4 3 7

08:00–08:59 2 5 7

09:00–09:59 16 14 30

10:00–10:59 13 20 33

11:00–11:59 15 24 39

12:00–12:59 14 11 25

13:00–13:59 13 8 21

14:00–14:59 9 27 36

15:00–15:59 14 15 29

16:00–16:59 5 22 27

17:00–17:59 9 13 22

After 18:00 16 25 41

Time not known 9 51 60

Total where time is 129 187 316

Total 139 238 377

Members of the public

113 Forty-nine (49) members of the public (including 17 children aged under 16 years) died as a result of an agricultural work activity during the ten-year period.

114 The main cause of death to members of the public was either as a result of being struck by a moving vehicle or injured by an animal – 26% (each). No children were killed by animals but 69% of the transport-related deaths were to children.

115 Nine (9) children died as a result of being struck by a moving vehicle (53% of all child fatalities). A further 2 (each) were as a result of asphyxiation or drowning and falls from a height.



116 Of the 17 child deaths, those aged between six and ten were most at risk. Seven (7) children (41% of the total) were within this age group. The remaining child deaths were between one and five and 11 and 15 years of age (5 each).

117 The main cause of fatal injuries to adult members of the public was being injured by an animal (13 deaths) followed by falls from a height (6 deaths). Being struck by a flying or falling object and transport led to a further 4 deaths each.

118 Fifteen (15) fatalities (30%) involved elderly members of the public who were over 65 years of age. This relates to 47% of the total adult deaths.

119 Sixteen (16) deaths (33%) involving members of the public occurred over the weekend. Nine (9) deaths occurred on Wednesdays, and 8 on Friday. Fewer deaths occurred on Mondays and Thursdays. Forty-six percent (46%) of the deaths to children occurred over the weekend.

120 More adults died in July and September than in any other month. Of the 32 deaths to adult members of the public, 8 (25%) occurred in July, 7 (22%) in September and 6 (19%) in August.

See Tables 17–19 for further information on fatal injuries to members of the public.

Table 17 Summary of fatal injuries to members of the public in agriculture, 2001/02 to 2010/11

Year of fatal injury Members of the public ... of which were children

2001/02 2 1

2002/03 3 1

2003/04 7 2

2004/05 3 0

2005/06 8 3

2006/07 7 4

2007/08 2 0

2008/09 4 0

2009/10 5 3

2010/11 8 3

Total 49 17


Age of injured person Members of the public

1–5 5

6–10 7

11–15 5

16–19 2

20–64 15

Over 65 15

Total 49




Kind of incident Members of the public

... of which were children

Transport: struck by moving vehicle 13 9

Asphyxiation or drowning 4 2

Injury by an animal 13 0

Fall from a height 8 2

Struck by moving, flying or falling object 5 1

Contact with machinery 2 1

Trapped by something collapsing/overturning 1 0

Strike against something fixed 1 1

Exposure or contact with harmful or hot substance

1 1

Slip or trip on same level 1 0

Total 49 17

Work activity Members of the public


Agriculture operations including cultivation, harvesting, crop processing etc

14 6

Livestock operations – animal housing/handling, feeding and all other animal-related operations

11 3

Maintenance (machinery) 1 0

Maintenance of land, including recreation of parks

1

Travelling on site including driving on site. Also leaving on or outside premises including entering and leaving buildings

7 5

Travelling/delivering in vehicle including driving on public highway and off site

4 0

Loading/unloading including handling 1 0

Other activity including leisure 10 3

Total 49 17

Nature of injury Members of the public


Fractures 4 0

Concussion and internal injuries 3 1

Asphyxiation, poisoning and gassing 5 3

Contusions and crushings 4 1

Multiple injury types 12 6

Other known 9 4

Unknown 12 2

Total 49 17



Site of injury Members of the public


Head injuries 10 5

Neck 1 0

Trunk 3 0

Upper limb 1 0

Lower limb 0 0

Several locations 12 3

General locations 15 8

Other/unspecified locations 7 1

Total 49 17

Day of the week Members of the public


Monday 5 1

Tuesday 6 2

Wednesday 9 3

Thursday 5 2

Friday 8 3

Saturday 8 1

Sunday 8 5

Total 49 17

Month Members of the public


April 1 0

May 3 2

June 4 1

July 11 3

August 7 1

September 10 3

October 3 2

November 1 0

December 2 1

January 4 2

February 1 0

March 2 2

Total 49 17



Part Three: Costs of fatalities 2010/11Costs of fatal accidents in farming, forestry and horticulture

121 This section of the report summarises the estimated costs of fatal accidents in the farming, forestry and horticultural sectors in 2010/11. The estimate is based on the HSE Costs to Britain model 2010/11 update and the farming, forestry and horticultural sector is defined as those occupations falling within Code A of the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) list.

122 The data on fatalities are drawn from RIDDOR and represent a three-year average from 2009/10 to 2011/12. The number of fatalities in Code A for this period is 35.

123 This cost estimate was last produced for 2008/09. The estimate for 2010/11 is based upon an improved methodology and is therefore not comparable with the previous figures.

Summary costs

124 The headline costs to society as a whole are as follows:

Table 20 2010/11 headline costs of fatalities in SIC Code A, 2010 prices (£)

Non-financial human costs £38 000 000

Lost income £14 000 000

Compensation £2 500 000

Administration and legal £140 000

Production disturbance £100 000

Health and rehabilitation £87 000

Total cost to society £55 000 000

Note: totals may not sum due to rounding

125 The total cost to society is estimated at £55 million. Over half of this (£38 million) is accounted for by non-financial costs (individual’s pain, grief and suffering) with the rest due to financial costs, the largest of which are lost income at £14 million and compensation at £2.5 million.

126 The cost types are explained as follows:

Non-financial human costs: ■ These are the value of individuals’ ‘pain, grief and suffering’ following a fatality. It is based on what people would be willing to pay to avoid the risk of the fatality occurring and represents the economic value that people place on risk reduction over and above the financial costs. Although such costs are not marketed and so do not have a monetary ‘price’ as such, it is possible to monetise the value by asking people to state what they would hypothetically pay if markets existed.



Lost income: ■ This cost captures the income forgone by individuals following a fatality, offset by any state benefits paid to surviving spouses and income tax and National Insurance avoided as a result of death. For the Government, such tax savings and state benefits are a cost of the fatality. However, in aggregate benefits and taxation are transfers between individuals and Government and so net to zero. Employers suffer no loss of income following a fatality.Compensation: ■ The employer may recompense individuals and family members following a workplace fatality. This would then serve to ameliorate individuals’ total cost burden somewhat. However, this is not a transfer that sums to zero in the aggregate like state benefits do: employers will pay more in insurance premiums than individuals will receive in payouts, with the difference going to running the insurance company and legal costs.Administration and legal: ■ This cost accounts for individuals and employers dealing with compensation claims and costs incurred by employers and Government in the process of investigating the accident and potentially mounting a prosecution.Production disturbance: ■ This cost only falls upon employers and accounts for reorganisation, recruitment and training of new staff following the accident.Health and rehabilitation: ■ This cost captures individuals’ out-of-pocket expenses, including funeral costs, and Government costs relating to NHS treatment.

Costs by bearer

127 The estimated costs above can be further broken down by cost bearer: individuals, employers and Government.

Table 21 Costs of fatalities by cost bearer, 2010/11 (£)

Individuals Employers Government Society

Non-financial human costs £38 000 000 £0 £0 £38 000 000

Lost income £10 000 000 £0 £3 900 000 £14 000 000

Compensation -£3 600 000 £6 100 000 £0 £2 500 000

Administration and legal £18 000 £81 000 £37 000 £140 000

Production disturbance £0 £100 000 £0 £100 000

Health and rehabilitation £70 000 £0 £17 000 £87 000

Total cost to bearer £44 000 000 £6 300 000 £4 000 000 £55 000 000

Note: totals may not sum due to rounding.

128 The vast majority of the costs are borne by individuals; £44 million out of £55 million, or 80%. Of individuals’ costs, over 85% are accounted for by non-financial human costs of £38 million. Lost income accounts for a further 23% of individuals’ costs.

129 Compensation appears as a negative cost to individuals as it is received following the fatality. It is essentially a ‘benefit’ of the accident in mitigation of the other costs, although it clearly does not recompense the individual entirely as £44 million in cost remains.

130 For employers, the largest costs are the insurance premiums that account for nearly all their total cost of £6.3 million. The difference between employers’ compensation costs and individuals’ payouts represents the insurance companies’ administrative and legal costs.

131 Lost income accounts for most of Government’s total costs of £4 million, representing state benefits paid out and tax revenue forgone.


Printed and published by the Health and Safety Executive 12/12 of 33

Further information

For information about health and safety, or to report inconsistencies or inaccuracies in this guidance, visit www.hse.gov.uk/. You can view HSE guidance online (including Farmwise) and order priced publications from the website. HSE priced publications are also available from bookshops.

Current information and advice is available at:

Agriculture www.hse.gov.uk/agriculture and Tree work www.hse.gov.uk/treework/index.htm

This report is available at: www.hse.gov.uk/agriculture/resources/fatal.htm

Enquiries concerning this report should be addressed to:

Health and Safety Executive Agriculture and Food Sector City Gate West Toll House Hill Nottingham NG1 5AT.

© Crown copyright If you wish to reuse this information visit www.hse.gov.uk/copyright.htm for details. First published 12/12.

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