A FARMER says despite the industry having one of the highest fatalities in the world there is no other job he would rather do. 

Annual figures have revealed farming continues to have the poorest safety record of any occupation in the UK, with 35 people losing their lives on farms in 2023/24.

The farming sector only accounts for one per cent of the working population but is responsible for 20 per cent of all deaths in the workplace.

But for farmer Dan Boomer, who works at Stud Farm in Mundon, admits while there are risks farmers stay in the industry for the love of the job. 

He said: “There is always a risk in farming, with one of the highest fatalities in the world.

Dan Boomer stood next to one of his machinesDan Boomer stood next to one of his machines (Image: Nicola Lewis)

“Livestock is one of the biggest killers - big bulls which can switch at any point and it’s in their nature to defend themselves.

“There were 227,000 injuries across farming last year in England and Ireland.

“HSE England aren’t doing farm safety checks anymore and aren’t coming to make sure farms are safe.

“People farm because they love it, unfortunately it isn’t something which you do for the money, they do it because they love it.

“It is important for them to have the correct procedures and make sure they are being safe.”

Farm Safety Foundation is hoping to improve conditions for farmers across the country. 

Manager of the Farm Safety Foundation, Stephanie Berkeley said: “We are a small charity looking to improve farm safety, looking after their mental and physical safety of farmers.

“We deliver our training free of charge and our campaigns bring in the whole industry.

“We work with farms in five countries England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland and we share messages on why farming is so dangerous.

“We’ve been going for ten years and we are working to try and change a culture and we also focus on the next generation of farmers.

Safety - Stephanie Berkeley is one of the people campaigning for safer farming  (Image: Nicola Lewis)

“When we started, there were 37 people that year, that lost their lives but it is gradually decreasing.