Farms and agriculture, UK wide
Agriculture Health and Safety
Agriculture is the most dangerous industry to work in by fatal injury rate in the UK. AL23 Safety helps farms and agricultural businesses across the country manage that risk properly, with practical support built around how a working farm actually operates. We keep you compliant and, more importantly, we help keep your people safe.
Why it matters in agriculture
The risks are real and so are the duties
Farming combines heavy machinery, large animals, working at height and unpredictable conditions, often with people working alone. That mix is why the sector’s injury and fatality figures stay stubbornly high year after year.
Getting health and safety right is not box-ticking here. It protects lives, keeps the farm running and avoids the financial hit of a serious incident or an HSE investigation.
The main risks
Where the harm comes from
The hazards that cause the most serious harm in this sector and the ones we focus on first.
Vehicles and machinery
Tractors, telehandlers, quad bikes and ATVs cause many of the sector’s deaths, from overturns and being struck.
Moving and entanglement
Power take-off shafts, balers and unguarded machinery cause severe injuries.
Livestock
Cattle in particular are a leading cause of injury and death, especially around calving and handling.
Falls from height
Roofs, ladders, bale stacks and grain stores.
Slurry and confined spaces
Slurry gases can kill in seconds and tanks and pits are serious confined-space hazards.
Chemicals
Pesticides, veterinary medicines and fuels under COSHH.
The regulations that apply
Your legal framework, in plain terms
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 sets your general duty to protect workers and anyone else affected. On top of that, agricultural work commonly engages PUWER 1998 and LOLER 1998 for equipment and lifting, COSHH 2002 for pesticides and chemicals, the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and RIDDOR 2013 for reporting incidents.
Key duties commonly engaged:
- HSWA 1974
- PUWER 1998
- LOLER 1998
- COSHH 2002
- Work at Height 2005
- RIDDOR 2013
How we help
Built around your operation
We tailor our support to the farm in front of us, not a template. That includes risk assessments and method statements for high-risk tasks, safety audits, health and safety policies and accident investigation when something goes wrong. We can act as your ongoing competent person so the paperwork stays current while you focus on the farm.
Why AL23 Safety
Sector-aware support that gets used
Sector-aware
We understand the real risks of a working farm rather than office-led generic advice.
Practical
Documents and controls your team will actually use.
Flexible
One-off help or ongoing support, whatever suits.
Nationwide
We support agricultural businesses across the UK.
Get in touch
Keep your farm safe and compliant
Get in touch to talk through your health and safety needs and how we can help.
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