Fear culture linked to farm accident under-reporting

A culture of fear is preventing many farm accidents from being reported, raising concerns that opportunities to prevent more serious incidents are being missed, according to new research published during Farm Safety Week (20-24 July).

A survey of 250 British farmers by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) found that almost one in three (30%) have avoided reporting a health and safety incident because they feared inspections, enforcement action or legal consequences.

See also: Farm Safety Week targets hidden toll of serious injuries

More than one-third (34%) said minor injuries and near misses were often not considered serious enough to report.

The findings reinforce long-standing concerns about under-reporting of farming workplace injuries.

The Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) own surveys show that only 16% of reportable worker injuries in agriculture, forestry and fishing are actually reported. It estimates there are as many as 10,000 unreported injuries in the industry each year.  

Agriculture remains the most dangerous industry sector in Great Britain, with 22 farmworker fatalities recorded in the 2025-26 period, according to HSE data, giving it the highest fatal injury rate of any industry.

Richard Bate, president of IOSH, said improving reporting was essential to making farming safer.

“Farming continues to bear more than its fair share of risk, and addressing this requires honesty and action,” he said.

“This Farm Safety Week, I’m asking everyone connected to agriculture to play their part. I’m asking them to challenge complacency, be brave, speak up and act.”

Risk-taking still rife

The survey also highlighted the prevalence of risk-taking on farms. Nearly four in five respondents (79%) admitted skipping safety measures such as wearing personal protective equipment to complete jobs more quickly, while 82% said they had taken shortcuts that increased health and safety risks.

Four in five farmers (81%) also said they personally knew someone who had been seriously injured or killed in a farming-related incident.

IOSH said the findings underline the need for a stronger reporting culture across the sector, arguing that sharing lessons from accidents and near misses is vital if the industry is to reduce its persistently high rates of serious injury and death.