Shocking new figures show that farming has the highest rate of fatal injury across all main industry sectors.

The Farm Safety Foundation has revealed that 39 people were killed on farms over the past year, seven of whom were members of the public and two of whom were children.

These statistics mean that - despite there being seven times more people employed in construction - you are seven times more likely to be killed on a farm than a construction site.

Stephanie Berkeley, who manages the Farm Safety Foundation, said: "Farming, as an industry, is vital to the UK economy – it is the bedrock of our food and drink industry. On a farm, as with any business, the number one resource is the people so why do farmers still give more attention to their livestock, crops and machinery than to themselves and their own wellbeing?"

According to government statistics, farming accounts for 22 percent of all worker deaths despite only accounting for one per cent of the labour market.

James Cossins, NFU representative for Dorset, said: "I think there is quite a diverse list of reasons for accidents. We are a diverse industry. We are trying to educate people who live on farms.

"Quite a lot of the deaths are with older farmers. Quite often you get an older farmer who thinks he can do what he has always done. Livestock can move quicker than a human being, for example."

He also commented about the risks to children on farms.

He said: "We have got to say that the farm yard is not a playground. Children have got to be kept out of dangerous areas on the farm."

The recent Farm Safety Week aimed to raise awareness for this issue and improve safety standards in agricultural workplaces.

Lindsay Sinclair, Chief Executive of NFU Mutual, which set up the Farm Safety Foundation, said: "The Farm Safety Foundation has trained over 8,500 young farmers in colleges and YFCs across the country.

"It’s great to see the next generation becoming more actively engaged in a really practical way to embrace a better attitude to farm safety but changing a culture takes time and commitment.

"With 47 per cent of all agricultural worker fatalities occurring in the over 60s age group, there is quite literally a crying need for all of us to think how we can step up our own efforts to make a difference more quickly."

For more information about Farm Safety Week, visit yellowwellies.org