Guide
Farm health and safety essentials
Essential health and safety requirements for farmers and farm workers. Covers legal duties, risk assessment, the top causes of farm fatalities, and practical guidance for managing the most dangerous hazards including vehicles, falls, livestock, machinery, and confined spaces.
Farming is the most dangerous occupation in the United Kingdom. In the last decade, almost one person per week has been killed as a direct result of agricultural work, and many more have been seriously injured or made ill. Agriculture accounts for about 1.4% of the GB workforce but 15-20% of workplace fatalities each year.
This guide covers the essential health and safety requirements for farms of all sizes. Whether you employ staff, work with family members, or work alone, you have legal duties to protect yourself and others from harm.
What makes farming so dangerous:
- Heavy machinery and vehicles operating on uneven ground
- Working at height on fragile roofs and with ladders
- Unpredictable livestock behaviour
- Exposure to chemicals, dust, and biological hazards
- Lone working in remote locations
- Long working hours, fatigue, and time pressure during peak seasons
- Mixed ages working together, including children on family farms
Your legal duties under health and safety law
The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASAWA) is the primary legislation governing workplace health and safety in Great Britain. It applies to all farm businesses, regardless of size.
Key duties for farmers
Under health and safety law, you must:
- Assess risks: Identify hazards and evaluate who might be harmed and how
- Control risks: Put measures in place to protect people, so far as is reasonably practicable
- Provide information and training: Ensure workers understand the hazards and know how to work safely
- Consult workers: Involve employees in health and safety decisions
- Provide welfare facilities: Toilets, washing facilities, drinking water, and first aid
- Report accidents: Report certain injuries, diseases, and dangerous occurrences to HSE under RIDDOR
These duties apply whether you employ staff or not. Self-employed farmers must protect themselves and anyone else affected by their work activities.
Risk assessment
Risk assessment is a legal requirement for all employers and self-employed people. It means identifying what could cause harm and deciding whether you are taking reasonable steps to prevent it.
The 5-step approach:
- Identify the hazards: Walk around your farm and look at what could cause harm. Consider seasonal activities, machinery, chemicals, livestock, buildings, and working conditions.
- Decide who might be harmed and how: Think about workers, family members, visitors, contractors, and members of the public.
- Evaluate the risks and decide on controls: Can you eliminate the hazard? If not, how can you control it to make harm unlikely?
- Record your findings: Write down the significant hazards and what you are doing about them (legally required if you have 5+ employees).
- Review and update: Check your assessment regularly, especially when things change or after an incident.
HSE provides free risk assessment templates for farms. You do not need to assess every trivial hazard - focus on the significant risks that could cause serious harm.
Top causes of farm fatalities
HSE statistics consistently show the same causes accounting for most farm deaths. Understanding these priorities helps you focus your risk management efforts.
1. Transport and vehicles (largest single cause)
Tractors, ATVs (quad bikes), and other farm vehicles cause more deaths than any other hazard. Common incidents include:
- Overturning: Tractors overturning on slopes, soft ground, or at speed
- Being struck: People hit by moving vehicles, especially when reversing
- Falls from vehicles: Falling from tractors, trailers, or ATVs
- Being run over: By vehicles rolling away or during mounting/dismounting
Key controls:
- Fit and maintain roll-over protection structures (ROPS) on tractors
- Always wear seatbelts when ROPS are fitted
- Separate vehicles from pedestrians where possible
- Ensure adequate training for all vehicle operators
- Never carry passengers unless the vehicle is designed for them
- Maintain brakes, steering, and lights
- Match speed to conditions - slow down on slopes and uneven ground
- Never allow children to drive tractors or ride as passengers
2. Falls from height
In agriculture, roughly half of fatal falls are through fragile roofs - particularly older asbestos cement and fibre cement sheets that will not support a person's weight.
Key hazards:
- Fragile roofs (including skylights and rooflights)
- Ladders slipping or people falling from them
- Falls from bales, trailers, or machinery
- Unprotected edges on lofts and platforms
Key controls:
- Assume all roofs are fragile unless proven otherwise
- Use crawling boards or roof ladders that spread your weight
- Work from mobile elevated work platforms (MEWPs) where possible
- Install safety netting or airbags below fragile roofs
- Secure ladders properly - use the 1 in 4 rule (1 metre out for every 4 metres up)
- Never use gutters to support ladders
- Consider whether the work can be done from the ground (using extended tools)
3. Being struck or crushed by animals
Cattle cause more farm deaths than any other animal. Incidents often involve cows with calves (maternal aggression) or bulls. Sheep and pigs can also cause serious injuries, particularly during handling.
Key controls:
- Invest in proper handling facilities - races, crushes, and pens that allow safe working
- Keep bulls in secure accommodation and use a bull pole or staff when handling
- Be especially cautious around cows with young calves
- Design handling systems so you can work without entering the pen with animals
- Ensure crush and race doors work properly and are maintained
- Take extra care when animals are stressed, in season, or unfamiliar with handlers
- Never turn your back on potentially dangerous animals
- Keep public footpaths away from cattle with calves, or use warning signs
4. Contact with machinery
Farm machinery has powerful moving parts that can cause fatal injuries in seconds. Power take-off (PTO) shafts are particularly dangerous - they rotate at high speed and can entangle clothing, hair, or limbs.
Common machinery hazards:
- Unguarded PTO shafts catching clothing
- Reaching into running machinery to clear blockages
- Being pulled into augers, conveyors, or balers
- Inadequate guarding on older equipment
- Maintenance work with power still connected
Key controls:
- Guard all dangerous parts: PTO shafts must be guarded along their full length
- Stop before clearing blockages: Switch off the engine and wait for moving parts to stop
- Maintain guards: Replace damaged or missing guards immediately
- Wear appropriate clothing: No loose clothing, dangling cords, or exposed long hair near machinery
- Train all operators: Ensure everyone understands the specific hazards of each machine
- Lock out during maintenance: Isolate power and remove keys before working on machinery
5. Drowning and asphyxiation
Slurry pits and other confined spaces are responsible for multiple deaths, sometimes killing more than one person in a single incident when would-be rescuers also succumb to toxic gases.
Slurry and confined space hazards:
- Hydrogen sulphide: Highly toxic gas released when slurry is agitated. Can cause rapid unconsciousness and death at high concentrations.
- Carbon dioxide: Heavier than air, can accumulate in pits and displace oxygen
- Methane: Can create explosive atmospheres
- Oxygen depletion: Confined spaces can have dangerously low oxygen levels
Key controls:
- Stay out of slurry stores and pits: Never enter unless absolutely essential
- Maximise ventilation: Open all doors and outlets for at least 30 minutes before and during agitation
- Remove livestock: Move animals to well-ventilated areas during agitation
- Avoid leaning over openings: Gases can be present at dangerous levels above the slurry surface
- Never attempt rescue without breathing apparatus: Many deaths are would-be rescuers
- Plan confined space work: If entry is essential, follow a safe system of work with rescue procedures, trained personnel, and proper equipment
Tractor and vehicle safety
With transport accidents being the largest cause of farm deaths, tractor and vehicle safety deserves particular attention.
Roll-over protection
All tractors used in agriculture should be fitted with a roll-over protective structure (ROPS) - either a safety cab or frame. When a tractor overturns, the ROPS creates a survival space around the driver.
ROPS requirements:
- Required on most tractors used in agriculture under PUWER 1998
- Must meet recognised standards (ISO or equivalent)
- Seatbelts must be worn when ROPS are fitted - without a belt, you can be thrown from the protected zone
- Keep the cab or frame clear of items that could become projectiles
ATV (quad bike) safety
ATVs overturn easily and offer no protection to riders. HSE recommends:
- Complete manufacturer-approved training before use
- Wear a helmet at all times
- Match speed to terrain - slow down on slopes and rough ground
- Never carry passengers unless designed for them
- Consider alternatives such as side-by-side utility vehicles with ROPS
- Children under 13 should not operate ATVs
Safe driving practices
- Check brakes, steering, lights, and tyres daily
- Engage the handbrake and remove the key when leaving a vehicle
- Drive at speeds appropriate for conditions
- Be aware of overhead power lines when raising equipment
- Plan routes to minimise reversing
- Use a banksman (signaller) when visibility is poor
Working at height
The Work at Height Regulations 2005 require employers and the self-employed to:
- Avoid work at height where possible
- Use work equipment or other measures to prevent falls where height work cannot be avoided
- Where risk of a fall cannot be eliminated, minimise the distance and consequences
Fragile roofs
Many farm buildings have roofs that will not support a person's weight. Fragile materials include:
- Asbestos cement sheets (very common on older farm buildings)
- Fibre cement sheets
- Corroded metal sheets
- Plastic or fibreglass skylights and rooflights
- Glass
- Wood wool slabs
Treat all industrial roofing as fragile unless confirmed otherwise by a competent person.
When working on or near fragile roofs:
- Use crawling boards or roof ladders that span at least two purlins
- Install edge protection and safety netting
- Consider working from below using mobile elevated work platforms
- Never walk on the roof surface, step only on structural members (purlins)
- Mark fragile roofs with warning signs
Livestock handling safety
Safe livestock handling depends on well-designed facilities, trained handlers, and understanding animal behaviour.
Handling facilities
Good handling systems allow you to work with animals without entering pens. Key features include:
- Race: Narrow enough that animals cannot turn around, with non-slip flooring
- Crush: Secured to the ground, with a solid floor and working area around it
- Pens: Strong enough to contain animals, with man-gates for escape
- Lighting: Avoid shadows that can spook animals
- Circular design: Animals move more willingly in curves than sharp corners
Bull safety
Bulls can be unpredictable and dangerous regardless of temperament or how they have been handled in the past.
- House bulls securely with no public access
- Use a bull pole or staff when leading bulls
- Never rely solely on a bull's apparent temperament
- Display warning signs where bulls are kept
- Bulls over 10 months old should not be in fields with public rights of way (except with cows or heifers in certain circumstances)
Cattle with calves
Maternal cows can be extremely aggressive in protecting their calves. Take extra care:
- Monitor cows during and after calving from outside the pen where possible
- Use calving gates that allow the calf to be examined safely
- Be cautious when moving cows with calves - do not separate them
- Consider removing cattle from fields with public footpaths during calving season
Power take-off (PTO) and machinery guarding
PTO shafts rotate at high speed (540 or 1000 rpm) and can catch loose clothing, straps, or hair in fractions of a second. Most PTO entanglement injuries are fatal.
PTO shaft guarding requirements
- Guard the shaft along its entire length from the tractor to the machine
- Guards must meet recognised standards (BS EN ISO 5674)
- Replace damaged, worn, or missing guards immediately
- Check that guards rotate freely and do not bind on the shaft
- Ensure the master shield on the tractor PTO is in place
- The machine intake guard must also be fitted and secured
Safe working practices
- Never step over a rotating PTO shaft
- Switch off the tractor engine and wait for the PTO to stop before approaching
- Disconnect the PTO shaft when not in use
- Do not wear loose clothing, dangling straps, or leave hair exposed
- Clear blockages only with the engine stopped and PTO disengaged
- Keep the area around PTO-driven machinery clear of bystanders
Slurry and confined spaces
Slurry stores and pits have caused multiple fatalities on UK farms. The gases produced - particularly hydrogen sulphide - are extremely dangerous.
Understanding the hazards
- Hydrogen sulphide (H2S): Released rapidly when slurry is agitated. Highly toxic - can cause unconsciousness within seconds at high concentrations. Smells of rotten eggs at low levels but deadens sense of smell at dangerous concentrations.
- Carbon dioxide (CO2): Heavier than air, accumulates in pits. Displaces oxygen.
- Methane (CH4): Can create explosive atmospheres in enclosed spaces.
- Ammonia: Irritating to eyes and respiratory system.
Safe slurry handling
- Stay out: Never enter a slurry pit or store unless absolutely essential
- Ventilate: Open all doors, windows, and outlets for at least 30 minutes before and during agitation
- Remove people and animals: Everyone out of the building during agitation
- Start slowly: Begin agitation at low speed to allow gradual gas release
- Do not lean over: Lethal gas concentrations can exist above the slurry surface
- Never go in to rescue someone: Call emergency services. Do not enter without self-contained breathing apparatus and rescue procedures.
Confined space entry
If entry to a confined space is unavoidable, follow a safe system of work:
- Appoint a competent supervisor
- Test the atmosphere before entry
- Provide adequate ventilation
- Use breathing apparatus if atmosphere cannot be made safe
- Have rescue arrangements in place
- Train all personnel involved
- Consider whether the task can be done from outside
Electricity safety
Contact with overhead power lines causes deaths on farms every year, usually when raising machinery, irrigation equipment, or ladders.
Overhead power line safety
The minimum height of 11,000 volt power lines across farmland is 5.2 metres. However:
- Lines may sag, especially in hot weather
- You do not need to touch the line to be electrocuted - electricity can arc across gaps
- Minimum safe distances depend on voltage - higher voltage lines need larger clearances
Before starting work near power lines:
- Identify the location of all overhead lines on your land
- Check the height of equipment when raised (grain augers, irrigation pipes, tipping trailers)
- Consider whether the work can be done elsewhere, away from the lines
- Use goal posts or markers to create safe zones
- Contact the network operator if you need lines temporarily disconnected or raised
If machinery contacts a power line:
- Stay in or on the vehicle if possible - it may be live
- Warn others to stay away
- Try to move the vehicle clear without getting out
- If you must exit due to fire, jump clear and hop or shuffle away (do not walk normally)
- Call the emergency services and the network operator
Farm electrical installations
- Have fixed installations inspected by a competent electrician every 3 years
- Use residual current devices (RCDs) for portable equipment
- Replace damaged cables and equipment immediately
- Keep electrical equipment away from water and damp
- Protect against vermin damage to cables
Lone working
Many farm tasks are done alone, which increases the risk if something goes wrong. The law requires employers to assess and control risks to lone workers.
Managing lone working risks
- Risk assess lone work: Are there tasks that should not be done alone?
- Communication: Ensure lone workers have a means to call for help (mobile phone with signal, radio, personal alarm)
- Check-in procedures: Regular contact at agreed times, with action if contact is not made
- First aid: Lone workers need access to first aid and training in basic first aid
- Training: Lone workers must be competent in the tasks they perform and in recognising when to stop
- Medical fitness: Consider whether any health conditions make lone working unsuitable
High-risk activities
Some activities should generally not be done alone:
- Work in confined spaces
- Chainsaw work (certain categories)
- Work with dangerous chemicals
- Handling dangerous livestock
- Work at height where rescue would be difficult
First aid requirements
The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 require employers to provide adequate first aid equipment, facilities, and personnel.
Farm first aid considerations
Farming is high-risk with remote locations and long emergency service response times. Your first aid needs assessment should consider:
- Nature of work: Machinery injuries, animal injuries, chemical exposure, falls
- Remote locations: Ambulance response times in rural areas
- Lone workers: Can they administer basic first aid to themselves?
- Multiple sites: Ensure first aid provision at each location
- Visitors: Family members, contractors, members of the public
Minimum provision:
- A suitably stocked first aid kit
- An appointed person to take charge of first aid arrangements
- Information for employees about first aid arrangements
Higher-risk farms may need trained first aiders and more extensive equipment.
Reporting accidents (RIDDOR)
The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) require employers and self-employed people to report certain workplace incidents to HSE.
What must be reported
- Deaths: All work-related deaths
- Specified injuries: Fractures (except fingers, thumbs, toes), amputations, loss of sight, crush injuries to brain or internal organs, serious burns, scalping, loss of consciousness
- Over-7-day incapacitation: Worker unable to do normal duties for more than 7 consecutive days
- Injuries to non-workers: If the person is taken directly to hospital for treatment
- Certain occupational diseases: When diagnosed by a doctor and linked to work
- Dangerous occurrences: Near-misses with potential for serious harm (scaffold collapse, lifting equipment failure, contact with overhead power lines, etc.)
Reporting timelines
- Deaths and specified injuries: Report immediately, then submit written report within 10 days
- Over-7-day injuries: Report within 15 days of the accident
- Diseases: As soon as the diagnosis is received
How to report
- Online: HSE RIDDOR reporting portal (preferred method)
- Telephone: 0345 300 9923 (fatal accidents and specified injuries only)
Keep records: You must keep records of all RIDDOR-reportable incidents for at least 3 years.
Reporting an incident is not an admission of liability. However, failure to report when required is a criminal offence.
Employers' liability insurance
If you employ anyone - including part-time, casual, and family members working for you - you must have employers' liability insurance.
Farm insurance considerations
Beyond the legal minimum, farms should consider:
- Public liability: Covers injury to visitors, contractors, and members of the public
- Farm buildings and equipment: Cover for fire, theft, and accidental damage
- Livestock: Cover for death, disease, and theft
- Personal accident: Important for self-employed farmers without ELI
- Legal expenses: Can cover costs if you face prosecution
Speak to an agricultural insurance broker to ensure you have appropriate cover for your specific circumstances.
Training and competence
Training is essential for safe work on farms. Employers must ensure workers receive adequate health and safety training, and anyone operating machinery or vehicles must be competent.
Key training areas
- Tractor and vehicle operation: Including safe driving, ROPS, and maintenance
- ATV (quad bike) training: Manufacturer-approved courses
- Chainsaw use: NPTC certification required for many tasks
- Pesticide application: PA1/PA2 certificates for professional pesticide use
- Livestock handling: Understanding animal behaviour and safe handling techniques
- First aid: Emergency first aid training recommended for all
- Young workers: Additional supervision and training for under-18s
Vocational qualifications
Agriculture-specific vocational qualifications (NVQs/SVQs) are available through awarding bodies like City & Guilds. HSE recognises these qualifications as demonstrating competence.
Children on farms
Children are especially vulnerable on farms. Agriculture has the highest rate of child fatalities of any UK industry.
Legal restrictions
- Under 13: Cannot be employed in any work (including family farms)
- 13-16: Can do light agricultural work but prohibited from driving tractors, operating machinery, and working with dangerous animals
- 16-17: Can do more tasks but still prohibited from certain dangerous activities
- Under 18: Cannot drive tractors on public roads without passing the tractor driving test
Keeping children safe
- Supervise children at all times on the farm
- Keep children away from working areas, machinery, and livestock
- Never allow children to ride on tractors or machinery
- Ensure pits, ponds, and slurry stores are fenced or covered
- Store chemicals and medicines securely
- Teach children about farm hazards from an early age
Resources and support
Free guidance and support for farm health and safety is available from HSE and industry organisations.
Summary: Your action checklist
Use this checklist to review your farm's health and safety arrangements:
- Risk assessment: Have you assessed the main hazards and recorded your findings?
- Vehicles: Are all tractors fitted with ROPS? Are seatbelts worn? Are operators trained?
- Falls: Do you treat roofs as fragile? Are ladders used safely?
- Livestock: Do you have adequate handling facilities? Are bulls secure?
- Machinery: Are all PTO shafts guarded? Do workers know to stop before clearing blockages?
- Slurry: Do you ventilate during agitation? Does everyone know never to enter pits?
- Electricity: Do you know where overhead lines are? Do operators check before raising equipment?
- Lone working: Do lone workers have means to call for help? Are there check-in procedures?
- First aid: Do you have adequate first aid provision? Does everyone know where it is?
- Insurance: Do you have employers' liability insurance (if you employ anyone)?
- Children: Are children supervised and kept away from work areas?
- Training: Is everyone trained for the tasks they do?
Good health and safety is not about paperwork - it is about practical steps to prevent the devastating injuries that happen too often on farms. Review these areas regularly, involve your workers, and act on what you find.