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Farm Accidents

Volume 990: debated on Thursday 7 August 1980

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asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the number of deaths involving tractors in each year since 1945 with breakdowns showing how many were (a) workers, (b) farmers and their families and (c) children under 16 years of age.

[pursuant to his reply, 4 August 1980, c. 17]: The tables below present statistics relating to fatal accidents with tractors from 1 January 1958 to 31 December 1979.The age limit in respect of children during the period 1958–1972 was 15 years. From 1973 onwards this limit was extended to 16 years of age.

Statistical information for tractor accidents prior to 1976 does not permit any

FATAL ACCIDENTS WITH TRACTORS IN GREAT BRITAIN

Year

Adults

Children

Total

195859665
5951556
6045853
6171576
6265873
6346652
6454761
6554458
6656561
6746450
6849554
6941546
70391049
7143447
7226632
7328836
7423629
7528937
7633336
7726430
7817421
7917522

Year

Farmworkers

Farmers and their families

Others

*

Children

Total

197612192336
19778135430
19785111421
1979593522

* Others covers contractors, members of the public etc.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the number of people killed and injured, separate figures, in farm accidents in Great Britain in each year since the war, with a breakdown giving the number of workers and the number of farmers and their families, with sub-totals showing children under 16 years, also the totals of hired workers and farmers and their families for those years, and the ratio of deaths against total farm work force

breakdown between agricultural workers and others.

and the ratio reported injuries against total farm work force for each year.

[pursuant to his reply, 4 August 1980, c. 17]: The table attached lists the available statistical information relating to agricultural accidents in Great Britain for the years 1971 to 1979 inclusive.It is not possible to provide information for years prior to 1971 because the statistics of employment relating to agricultural workers are not comparable with subsequent years.

WORKFORCE AND ACCIDENTS IN AGRICULTURE: GREAT BRITAIN 1971–79

Workforce

*

Fatal accidents§

Of which

Farmers and family workers

Employees

Total

Total

Children

Employees

All reported accidents to employees

Fatal accidents per 100,000 workforce Columns 3 and 4

Reported accidents to employees per 100 at risk Columns 2 and 7

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

thousand

number

thousand

197130831462214130536·722·72·1
197230831061810020456·816·22·2
197330431361711827466·219·12·0
197429030359310130335·717·01·9
197528729157810023345·217·31·8
197629529058510621415·318·11·8
197727930058010225324·817·61·6
19782813005817216254·612·41·5
19792632945579424364·116·91·4

* MAFF and DAFS June census.

† Excluding the working spouses of farmers, partners and directors (about 50,000) and farmers in Scotland (there are about 30,000 holdings in Scotland).
‡ Including salaried managers and casual workers.
§ Including accidents to members of the public arising from work activities.
║ Under 16; under 15 before 1973.